Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedOne Nation Under a Groove
See all P-Funk (George Clinton, Parliament & Funkadelic) in the catalogue →
Funk1970s122BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record, with the same complex, multi-stage ownership history as “(Not Just) Knee Deep” (updated with the fuller timeline): publishing lost in 2001, masters returned in 2005, then back under receivership in 2012 — recording and composition rights held by different parties.
Quick Facts
Released1978
AlbumOne Nation Under a Groove
GenreFunk, P-Funk
LabelWarner Bros. Records
ProducerGeorge Clinton
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — George Clinton, Junie Morrison & Garry Shider
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The rights (split & complicated) — Bridgeport Music (publishing); the masters passed through 2001/2005/2012 rulings — status needs a lookup
Connecticut Public → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — a heavily-sampled P-Funk anthem; but the masters’ ownership has moved between parties (2001 → 2005 → 2012), so status is layered.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; a clear songwriter credit, but recording vs. composition rights are held by different parties — see the timeline.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same Funkadelic masters, same ownership timeline (already in this catalog)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)George Clinton, Walter “Junie” Morrison & Garry Shider
The layered ownership timeline (same arc as Knee Deep)A three-stage arc: (1) a 2001 US District Court (Tallahassee) ruling found Clinton owns no publishing rights to music he wrote 1976–1983; (2) in 2005 an LA federal judge RETURNED the master recordings for four Funkadelic albums — incl. this one and “Uncle Jam Wants You” — to Clinton; (3) those same masters were placed back under receivership in 2012 (Hendricks & Lewis v. Clinton) over a different debt to his former attorneys. Bridgeport Music still holds publishing, so recording and composition rights sit with different parties. (This fuller timeline also updates the “(Not Just) Knee Deep” page.)
The recording (current administrator)Split & complicated — Bridgeport Music (publishing); masters’ present status unclear
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A dual origin story (the UN and D.C.)
Clinton conceived the phrase filming an unfinished P-Funk movie outside the UN, watching a staffer raise member-nation flags when a companion called it “one nation under a groove.” Bootsy Collins separately recalled hearing people in D.C. spontaneously chant a similar phrase. Clinton held the title two years before recording. No lyrics reproduced.
Songfacts · read it →
Clinton’s own public frustration
Clinton has said his catalog has been sampled more than almost anyone’s except James Brown, yet he’s seen little direct benefit — leading him to crowdfund (a successful IndieGoGo) to restore and preserve his own original recordings.
Connecticut Public · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Who to Contact
ON
Bridgeport Music / masters status TBD
Publishing via Bridgeport; the masters’ status is layered (2001/2005/2012)
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 10)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass