by Craig LytleCon Funk Shun was formed by high-school classmates Michael Cooper and Louis Tony McCall, along with Karl Fuller, Paul Maceo Harrell, Dennis Johnson, Cedric Martin, and Danny Sweet Man Thomas. All of them had been playing together since their high-school days in Vallejo, CA. Felton Pilate, also from Vallejo, joined the group after his band, a local rival, disbanded.In the early 70s, the group was a backup band for the Soul Children with the name Project Soul. And when they werent on the road with the Soul Children, they were creatively working with various Stax staff writers. In the mid-70s, Project Soul made an effort to become a headliner, but they met dead-ends and little success. However, they found good fortune at Audio Dimensions, a Memphis recording studio owned by producer Ted Sturges. Around this time, he group named itself after the title of one of their instrumentals, Con Funk Shun. During their three-year stint at Aud...