They don’t hand out titles like the ‘Godfather Of Soul’ without good reason and James Brown is definitely deserving of his.
From humble beginnings as a gospel singer to becoming one of the founding fathers of funk, Brown is one of the most inimitable music legends ever and blazed a trail for the industry until his death in 2006.
Today would have been his 82nd birthday so we decided to take a look back at some of his finest moments…
It’s A Man’s World
Described by Rolling Stone as “biblically chauvinistic”, this is one of Brown’s most enduring hits and this great video shows the performer at the height of his career.
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag
This was Brown’s first Top 10 hit and represented a change in direction from the singer. The studio version of the track had meant to be a rehearsal, with Brown reading the lyrics from a piece of paper. However, it sounded so good that they decided to release it.
I Got You (I Feel Good)
This was originally recorded in 1964 and based on a track called I Found You by Brown’s backing singer Yvonne Fair. Due to legal difficulties, a second reworked version was released in 1964 and has been featured in a host of movies including Good Morning, Vietnam, The Nutty Professor, White Men Can’t Jump, Undercover Brother and Transformers.
Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine
This 1970 release was recorded with his new band The JBs and focused on the guitar riff rather than the heavy brass sound on Brown’s previous hits.
Out Of Sight
Brown has described Out Of Sight as “another beginning, musically and professionally”, in which he attempted to try “to get every aspect of the production to contribute to the rhythmic patterns”.
Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud
Brown’s 1968 single tackled prejudice against the black community in America and became an anthem of the ‘Black Power’ movement.
It was recorded with 30 young people from the Watts and Compton areas of LA and was one of a series of tracks containing strong social commentary.
