The Meters

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funk, soul, new orleans, 70s, groove… see all

The Meters were a band that performed and recorded from the late 1960s until 1977. They were based in New Orleans. While the band never enjoyed huge popular success, it was nonetheless greatly admired by cognoscenti and is considered one of progenitors of funk in the 1970s.

The Meters formed in 1965, with a line up of keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and became the house band for Sansu Enterprises, an Allen Toussaint-owned label. In 1969, the Meters released “Sophisticated Cissy” and “Cissy Strut”, both major R&B chart hits; “Look-Ka Py Py” and “Chicken Strut” were also hits the following year. After a label shift in 1972, the Meters had difficulty returning to the charts, though they played on many important records by Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy, LaBelle and Robert Palmer. The band broke up in 1977 after Toussaint claimed the rights to the name and they played as various incarnations of the The Neville Brothers and with other bands. In 1989, The Meters reformed with the new official name, The Funky Meters, after an informal jam during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Original drummer Ziggy Modeliste, who started out with the group as a 17-year-old, laid down some very influential rhythms.

1	Liver Splash	282
2	Cissy Strut	268
3	Just Kissed My Baby	183
4	6V6 LA	147
5	Art	127
6	Sophisticated Cissy	115
7	Live Wire	114
8	Look-ka Py Py	103
9	Handclapping Song	101
10	Sehorn's Farm	98
11	Chicken Strut	89
12	Here Comes the Meter Man	86
12	Ease Back	86
14	Funky Miracle	84
15	Pungee	83

Top Albums

Fundamentally Funky
The Meters
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Struttin'
The Meters
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The Meters
The Meters
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Rejuvenation
The Meters
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marcosvenicio wrote:
last month

yeahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

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phillybird wrote:
July 2008

this is pure funk.

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nadirauxpommes wrote:
June 2008

They just never get old.

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jerdacuttupman wrote:
June 2008

I have never got why fans of the Band don't listen more to the Meters, and vice versa.

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fru-shaw-nte wrote:
April 2008

oh my god... the meters and rhcp! is there any sort of recording or anything?? i would seriously kill to experience that music

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hodgicus wrote:
April 2008

For same dudes 20 yrs later also see Neville Brothers, esp Live from Planet Earth; Yellow Moon is tops; vocals have matured amazingly and the sound is still there... good hunting.

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Hamination wrote:
March 2008

Man, that jam with RHCP was truly amazing, only just seen it. And I DESPISE RHCP, so it takes a lot of pride-swallowing to say that.

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kcnirva wrote:
March 2008

sadly underrated...

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funkybrother wrote:
March 2008

Good Old Funky Music

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Rengit wrote:
March 2008

great FUNK band. their music has been widely used as tracks or revamped for some cool hip hop and rap songs.

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fturcott wrote:
February 2008

jimerus - i saw the meters/rhcp jam at voodoo fest in new orleans 2006. top ten musical moments of my life.

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pgjesper wrote:
January 2008

what a mother xxx fantastic band. just kissed my baby

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bougre wrote:
January 2008

damn ziggaboo, man...he plays that stuff like he's got all day to do it--typical new orleans greatness.

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fiodor2 wrote:
January 2008

The Look of Love, The Look of Love, The Look of Love...

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sGarrista- wrote:
December 2007

Ain't it funky now

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Jimerus wrote:
November 2007

Has anyone else here seen the Meters/RHCP jam? It's fucking orgasmic.

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coldplayer0806 wrote:
October 2007

anyone could pls help me out with PEOPLE SAY lyrics?

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pickle965 wrote:
August 2007

The Josie years of the Meters is the epitome of funky instrumental jams. Tight and loose at the same time in all the right ways.

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lutenist wrote:
August 2007

Maybe you like this: http://www.lastfm.de/music/Ease+Back

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buyable wrote:
August 2007

off the meters

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Recent Activity

chuckt9us, racheloi, deftlyd and 13 other people added The Meters to their libraries. 4 hours ago
ThatWhatSheSaid tagged The Meters with ‘funk’. Friday morning
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AaronWard tagged The Meters with ‘funk’. last month
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benjoutel tagged The Meters with ‘funk’ and ‘soul’. last month
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imhuman tagged The Meters with ‘new stuff’. July 2008