Michael Hampton's KING KONG to Arrive on CD and Green Vinyl

On October 2, Parliament-Funkadelic guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Michael Hampton will release King Kong on CD and green-vinyl LP. Available now digitally, the album was produced by Grammy-winning producer and Ruffhouse Records co-founder Joe 'The Butcher' Nicolo.

A founding father of power-funk electric guitar, Hampton explores new territory on King Kong, retelling the classic story of a gigantic ape battling modern human society through a distinctive blend of spoken narration and instrumental storytelling. The music melds rock and world music with jazz and Western overtones, all distinguished by Hampton's trademark sizzling leads. King Kong is the first release in a series of albums from Hampton on Nicolo's Sound Mind Records imprint, through Lightyear/Virgin Records. Each release will be available in digital, CD, and vinyl formats.

Nicolo produced the album and wrote the songs with Hampton. During last year's tour, Russian expat engineer Maxim Gorky recorded Hampton performing solo at a variety of locations, including Sunset Sound, with expert assistance from Shooter Jennings. The recordings were sent to Nicolo, who then brought Hampton into Joe's Garage, his studio in Audubon, Pennsylvania.

Nicolo enlisted Mitch Beer on bass, Louie Diller on drums and keyboards, and Micke LaBombard on horns. Vocals were provided by Chelsea Viacava, Mare Floyd, and Brandon Pane. Overdubs were recorded at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Additional sessions took place at Fort Wolf Studios in Canyon Country, California, where Hampton was joined by bassist Tomer David, drummer Matt Lesser, John Schreffler on pedal steel guitar, and Philip Samuel Smith on guitar.

King Kong's innovative approach to this nearly 100-year-old tale uses spoken narration to set the stage, while Hampton and company bring successive chapters of the adventure to life through vivid instrumental performances.

The album is available on all major streaming platforms and through digital stores. CD and green-vinyl LP editions arrive October 2.

King Kong was created in conjunction with music industry veteran Joe 'The Butcher' Nicolo, whose résumé includes work with Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Fugees, Hall & Oates, Cypress Hill, Sting, and Aerosmith. Nicolo's credits on Hampton's work range from production to mixing, engineering, and arrangement.

Michael Hampton Career Summary

After receiving his first guitar at age 10, Hampton taught himself to play with the help of his bedroom radio, spending days playing along with recordings by Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, and B.B. King. After studying jazz guitar in high school, 17-year-old Hampton earned a place in Parliament-Funkadelic through an impromptu backstage audition for George Clinton in 1974. He joined the Parliament mothership alongside the legendary Eddie Hazel and became known as 'Kidd Funkadelic.'

Over the past half-century, Hampton has played nearly 400 shows with the band in 25 countries across six continents. Highlights include multiple appearances at world-renowned festivals such as Montreux Jazz, Glastonbury, Reading, Woodstock '99, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Roskilde, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock, and Isle of Wight, as well as performances at The Apollo Theater, the Fillmore, Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden, the Troubadour, Red Rocks, the Beacon Theatre, and the Sydney Opera House.

Hampton's Funkadelic songwriting credits include group staples such as 'Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!' and 'Funk Gets Stronger,' both released during the group's late-'70s and early-'80s hit run.

His lead guitar is also embedded in the DNA of '90s hip-hop's G-funk movement. Dr. Dre's 'Let Me Ride' samples Parliament's 'Mothership Connection,' while Ice Cube's 'Bop Gun' borrows elements of Funkadelic's 'One Nation Under a Groove.' De La Soul's 'Me Myself and I,' Digital Underground's 'Kiss You Back,' and Snoop Dogg's 'What's My Name?' all draw from Funkadelic's '(Not Just) Knee Deep.'

Hampton's colleagues include George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker, Charlie Wilson, Dewayne 'Blackbyrd' McKnight, Fred Wesley & the JB's, Chuck Treece, Dean Ween, Primal Scream, Digital Underground, Too $hort, and Deee-Lite. His contributions to the Parliament-Funkadelic catalog have also influenced artists such as Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Outkast, D'Angelo, and Janelle Monáe. As of 2025, Hampton had appeared on more than 30 major-label releases.

Though best known for his role in the funk guitar pantheon, Hampton is also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, with credits for drums, keyboards, and synthesizer programming across Parliament's discography.