"Flash Light" (also called "Flashlight") is a song by American funk band Parliament, released on January 28, 1978, by Casablanca Records as the second single from their sixth album, Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977).(April 7, 2011). "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", Rolling Stone. Retrieved on September 29, 2016. It is written by George Clinton, Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins, and is the final song on the album, finishing its story of the group’s quest to defeat the evil Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk, coercing him to dance. "Flash Light" was the first No. 1 R&B hit on the US Billboard chart by any of the P-Funk groups and also spent four months on the US pop chart, peaking at No. 16.Whitburn, Joel (2004). "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004", Record Research, Menomonee Falls, WI. The track became Parliament's second certified million-selling single, following "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)".Parliament Gold & Platinum albums and singles. RIAA Gold & Platinum database. Retrieved on September 29, 2016. It also gave Casablanca Records its first No. 1 R&B hit. In New Zealand, the song reached No. 3 and is ranked as the No. 8 hit of 1978. "Flash Light" also charted in Canada (No. 24) and reached No. 3 on WLS-AM in Chicago.

Background The song's distinctive bass line is often attributed to Bootsy Collins and was originally written for him. However, Collins rejected the part and Bernie Worrell created the line on at least three, possibly four connected Minimoog synthesizers. Worrell also played all the song's keyboard parts.Pareles, Jon. (November 1, 2010) "Honoring the Moment When Music Met Moog," The New York Times. Retrieved on September 29, 2016. The New York Times described Worrell's synthesized bass as a "descending and ascending chromatic line with a meaty tone and a certain swagger, an approach that would spread through funk, new wave, electro, synth-pop and countless other iterations."Pareles, Jon. (June 24, 2016) "Bernie Worrell, Whose Keyboards Left an Imprint on Funk and Hip-Hop, Dies at 72", The New York Times. Retrieved on October 4, 2016.

Collins contributed to the track by handling drum duties while his elder brother Catfish Collins played rhythm guitar. Lead vocals were by bandleader Clinton. Clinton credited Worrell with the idea of composing the song under a motif. Starting out as a jam, Clinton recorded multiple tracks, layering up to 50 voices within the theme of an inclusive love song. The "Da da da dee da da da" chant was based on a Hebrew chant Clinton had heard in the 6th grade when a Jewish friend was preparing for his bar mitzvah.Reid, Vernon (2007). The Vibe Q: Raw and Uncut, p. 45. Dafina, Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, New York. . (from original interview with George Clinton entitled, "Brother From Another Planet", (November, 1993)

Impact and legacy "Flash Light" continued the "Fake the Funk/Your nose will grow/Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" concept that began with Bootsy's Rubber Band's "The Pinocchio Theory". Its success would greatly influence not only funk music, but also new wave and hip-hop.Deggans, Eric (June 25, 2016). "Bernie Worrell: The Most Influential Keyboardist You've Probably Never Heard Of," NPR All Things Considered. Retrieved on October 4, 2016. In 2013, the Houston Press ranked "Flash Light" as Clinton's most sampled song, finding more than 60 uses, including on Aaliyah's "Back and Forth" and UGK's "Protect and Serve".Avery, Justin (February 20, 2013). "Top 5 Most Sampled George Clinton Songs", Houston Press. Retrieved on October 4, 2016. In 2010, it was rated No. 75 in Tablets list of 100 Best Jewish Songs.Rosen, Jody and Kelman, Ari Y. (December 21, 2010)."Song of Songs – 100 Best Jewish Songs," Tablet. Retrieved on October 5, 2016 Rolling Stone ranked "Flash Light" No. 202 on its 2011 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2022, the magazine ranked it No. 25 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". The song was sampled by Salt-N-Pepa in their 1986 hit "I'll Take Your Man", and in 2018 by the City Girls for their version of the song. Hip-hop group Digital Underground sampled the song for their hit "Doowutchyalike".

In popular culture Clinton recorded a duet version of the song called "Flashlight (Spaceflight)" for the 1999 film Muppets from Space along with Bill Barretta as Pepe the King Prawn.

The song was used in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 credits, and was included in the film's soundtrack.

Charts Chart (1978)PeakpositionUS Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)1

Certifications

References

External links Lyrics of this song