Parliament - Osmium

Osmium is the debut studio album by American funk band Parliament, originally released in July 1970 via Invictus.

Osmium is the debut album by funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton.

The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums.

It was originally released in September 1970 on Invictus Records. The original vinyl release contained a glossy lyric sheet. Since its re-release in 1990, Osmium has been distributed numerous times by various labels in the U.S., Europe and Japan, sometimes under alternate titles that have included Rhenium and First Thangs. A number of these reissues have featured material that was not included on the original album, such as unreleased tracks and singles that were recorded around the same time as Osmium.

The personnel for this album included the five Parliaments singers and the five backing musicians known as Funkadelic. The same personnel also recorded as Funkadelic, releasing that act's self-titled debut album also in 1970.

After the release of Osmium, contractual difficulties prevented further recording under the name Parliament until 1974, when Clinton signed that act to Casablanca Records and positioned it as an R&B-inspired counterpoint to the more rock-oriented Funkadelic.

This album is a 2019 reissue on 180 gram vinyl, pressed in the UK via Demon Records.