Bootsy Collins

We'd Rather Be With You

Even though we’re all apart, MUSIC always brings us together Praise be The UML Faculty Funk Band! HIT ME! Had to Share it with my Fans! - BC “We’d Rather be with You” is a reworked, pseudo-parody version of “I’d Rather be with You” by Bootsy Collins: roughly in the style of an SNL short. The music and video parts were done independently over the course of late May and June. The band (the UMass Lowell Socially Distanced Faculty Funk Band) dedicate this video to our students during the social distancing necessitated by Covid-19. We can’t wait to be making music together again soon. Thanks to my colleagues at UMass Lowell for embracing this project together and keeping our musical community going during this pandemic. Thanks also for being such good sports as my vision for our summer jamming grew…. The UML Faculty Funk Band is: Tim Crain (Music History) - vocals Andy Fordyce (Applied Drums) - drums Chuck Gabriel (Applied Bass) - bass Jacob Hiser (Applied Piano) - keyboards Elissa Johnson-Green (Music Studies) - whistle Savannah Marshall (Music Studies) - vocals and percussion Josh Millard (Music Performance) - guitar John Shirley (Sound Recording Technology and Composition for New Media) - vocals and percussion Alan Williams (Music Business) - vocals I accomplished most of the musical arrangement, new lyrics, mixing, production, videography and editing at home when stay-at-home was in full swing. Thanks also to my supportive wife, Susanne and to all of you for watching! All the best, - John Shirley