Up for the Down Stroke is an album by the American funk band Parliament. It was the band's second album (following 1970's Osmium), and their first to be released on Casablanca Records. The album was released on July 3, 1974. Its title track was Parliament's first chart hit and remains one of the most well-known P-Funk songs. The album also contains a funk reworking of The Parliaments' song "(I Wanna) Testify" under the title "Testify". The original title of the album was Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good, and the cover featured group leader George Clinton hovering over a woman in distress, sporting a black wig and monster-type gloves.
Up for the Down Stroke is notable in that it regenerated George Clinton's professional relationship with bassist Bootsy Collins, who had taken a two-year hiatus from the group. Collins would play a pivotal role in all of the Parliament albums released through Casablanca Records.
"Up For The Down Stroke" was later remade by Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns on their first album A Blow For Me and a Toot For You.
"Testify", "The Goose", and "All Your Goodies Are Gone" were remade from old Parliaments tunes from the 1960s.
"Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good" was remade from the 1968 tune of the same name by Rose Williams and Funkadelic, however, Funkadelic had revamped it earlier in 1973 with the track "Can't Stand the Strain".
There is another version of "The Goose" recorded by Funkadelic in 1970 which showed up on the Toys album released by Funkadelic in 2008.
The vocal group the Dells covered "Testify" and "All Your Goodies Are Gone" later in 1978.
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