James Brown
December 31, 2006 at 12:17 pm
James Brown’s down
Who the funk do you think you’re fooling?
For me the man’s still ruling
Stop the nonsense
Stop telling lies
James Brown is still alive
The Godfather of soul has passed away. At the age of 73, due to heart complication from pneumonia, James Brown passed away. A lot of things can be said about James Brown, but one thing is sure, he sings like no other man and he introduces entire new sound to pop culture vocabulary. With a mix of gospel, rock and jazz that he inherited from Little Richard, James Brown created funk. First time I hear him, I couldn’t resist to argue that what he does isn’t really singing but hawling and shouting. Or maybe a sketch of gospel in saxophone texture using voice. He leaps from one octave to another in one short sentence accompanied by nothing but short harmonies masquerading as beat. But who cares.
It is minimalist and powerfull.
He gives voice to new generation and foundation for funk and hip-hop. To remember the man, a short list. The height of James Brown the singer, during the tumultuous 60’s.
“Brother we can’t quit”
James Brown - Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud
James Brown - Zaire Soul (1974)
James Brown - I Got You (I Feel Good)
James Brown - The Payback
James Brown - Soul Power
see also: wiki, James Brown is dead (songs/lyrics)
i love “say it loud”. good shit, thanks for the post.
happy new year y’all!!
I think ‘Payback’ and ‘Soul Power’ are my first real kick from JB. Of course there are ‘papa got brand new bag’ and ‘I feel good’, but who isn’t
I like Payback, tho’ he really doesn’t say anything except all riled up about things, but music wise. It’s awesome. It’s like acid gospel, the kind of thing J.H christ would sing if he is P.O. lol
JB, is a proof wet- reverb is for sucker. Real music doesn’t need trick. Keep it real with soul.
fun views and talk about JB’s music. trace the links
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A good funk beat is like a pure white light that breaks prismatically into a thousand colors — is both white and a thousand colors at once. This is what’s so goddam funky.
http://musicology.typepad.com/dialm/2006/12/make_it_funky.html
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What is hip?
Phil Ford tells us why James Brown was so funky. (It’s the rhythm, stupid!) On this post-Boxing Day evening I don’t have much more to add, other than to suggest that timbre has something to do with it as well, from the chicken-scratch guitar that Phil describes to the percussive-melodic quality of JB’s voice. The blurring of lines between melody and percussion through timbral miscues (for example, the percussive hits of the brass) move us to a different musical realm. Dare one call that realm “funk”?
http://musicalperceptions.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-is-hip.html#links
say it loud… I’m black , and i’m proud
I’m definitely not a James Brown expert to be honest, but his influence in today’s music is unmistakable. Just today for example I was watching a great Belgian hiphop documentary from 1986, recorded with LL Cool J, Run DMC, Schoolly D, etc. and there were many James Brown references, including a hiphop club with everyone chanting “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud”. It’s always sad when such a big part of our musical history passes away. :(
I really don’t like the fact though that he beat up his wife(s) so many times; I cannot put that out of your mind when thinking about James Brown as a person. There’s a clear line between James Brown the artist and James Brown the person for me.
Touched by the hand of God…
love that payback song.
poor james brown no longer feels good.