R&B / Soul · BS · Active since 1969

The Beginning of the End

High-octane Bahamian funk defined by razor-sharp horns and island rhythms. Sun-drenched, heavy-grooving soul that turns any room into a 1971 street party.

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Intro

This is the sound of pure, unadulterated heat. The Beginning of the End takes the structural foundation of American funk and injects it with a distinct Bahamian pulse, resulting in music that feels both familiar and entirely exotic. It is heavy on the low end but bright on the top, thanks to a brass section that cuts through the mix like a machete through jungle brush. The energy is relentless, driven by a percussion-heavy approach that prioritizes the 'one' while keeping the syncopation loose and organic.

What truly sets them apart is the 'island-funk' intersection. While their contemporaries in the US were leaning into psychedelic or cinematic soul, this group stayed rooted in the dancefloor-ready rhythms of Nassau. The interplay between the Munnings brothers creates a telepathic tightness, especially in the way the organ and guitar lock together to support those iconic, soaring horn lines. It is music that feels lived-in, sweaty, and celebratory.

Start with their 1971 masterpiece, Funky Nassau. The title track is an essential pillar of funk history, but the deeper cuts reveal a band capable of sophisticated soul and bluesy grit. It is the ultimate soundtrack for any moment that requires an immediate injection of confidence and movement.

The Beginning of the End was a funk group from Nassau, Bahamas. The group formed in 1969 and consisted of three brothers (Frank, Raphael "Ray", and Roy Munnings), a fourth member on bass (Fred Henfield), and a fifth on guitar (Livingston Colebrook). They were complemented by the Funky Nassau Horns. They released an album entitled Funky Nassau in 1971 on Alston Records (a subsidiary of Atlantic Records), and the track "Funky Nassau" became a hit single in the U.S., peaking at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #7 on the Billboard R&B chart. The same track reached #31 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1974.
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Our Catalog2 Albums · 1971 · 1976
Known ForWeighted across the artist's discography. Tap a trait for examples.
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