‘Funk #49’ is a song written by Joe Walsh, Jim Fox, and Dale Peters, and recorded by American hard rock band James Gang. The song featured as the first single off the group's second studio album James Gang Rides Again (1970). The song was a moderate success upon release, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Walsh joined the Cleveland-based James Gang in 1969 after making a name for himself as one of the top guitar men in Ohio. He replaced Glenn Schwartz in the band, who Walsh considers a mentor. They were a 5-piece when Walsh joined, but were down to three (like popular acts Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience) when they released their second album James Gang Rides Again. With just three members, it meant Walsh had to play both rhythm and lead guitar parts, and also sing (he got a lot more help when he joined the Eagles in 1975). It was quite a learning experience for Walsh, who left the James Gang in 1971 after recording three studio albums with the group.
Walsh wrote this song with his bandmates, drummer Jim Fox and bass player Dale Peters. The song is about a girlfriend whose wild ways the singer just can't tame (the female equivalent of Joe Walsh's character in his solo hit "Life's Been Good"). There isn't much in the way of lyrics, as the song is mostly a showcase for Walsh's guitar work. He explained in the book The Guitar Greats, "I came up with the basic guitar lick, and the words never really impressed me intellectually, but they seemed to fit somehow. It was a real good example of how we put things together, bearing in mind that it was a three-piece group, and I don't think that there was any overdubbing. The only thing we really added was the percussion middle part, which the three of us actually played, putting some parts on top of the drums, but that's the three-piece James Gang, and that's the energy and kind of the symmetry we were all about."
‘Funk #49’ is 3:54 in length, though it only has two verses. Much of the song is instrumental, drawing from Joe Walsh's guitar, Dale Peters' bass work, and Jim Fox's drumming. Most of the song is a vehicle for Walsh's guitar performance. The song got its title as a sequel to ‘Funk #48’, a song from Yer' Album, their debut studio album.
Label – ABC
Songwriters – Joe Walsh, Jim Fox, Dale Peters
Producers – James Gang, Bill Szymczyk
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]I sleep all day, out all night
I know where you're goin'
I don't think that's a-actin' right
You don't think it's showin'
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 2]
A-jumpin' up, fallin' down
Don't misunderstand me
You don't think that I know your plan
What you tryin' to hand me?
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
Out all night, sleep all day
I know what you're doin'
If you're gonna a-act that way
I think there's trouble brewin'