James Brown Appreciation - Can I Get A Witness?

A witness! A witness!

James Brown is the ultimate in funk and jazz-related funk. This man is responsible for many of the fusion artists' output in the 70s and beyond. I'm not the biggest expert on his pre-68 stuff, before he went full-funk, but it's just as good.

But I'm a huge fan of his material from '68-'77 or so, his music just runs through my body, not to mention makes me laugh sometimes (funk fans know what I'm talking about). I love how his music is all attitude, and his lyrics really resonate to me, he was all about getting yourself up off your seat and DOIN' SOMETHIN' and being proud of yourself (though I'll admit, I usually look over my shoulder when I'm singing, "I'm Black and I'm Proud" since I'm pretty white)

I know there's fans here based on the What Are You Listening To thread? I think I started a thread over at PA, and there weren't too many replies.

"UUUUHHHHHHHHGH!!!!!"


Edited by darkshade - 14 Jul 2011 at 4:23pm

I think that "Get On The Good Foot" is a very good album. I thought that there was an impression like the concept album for me for "Hell". Is it suitable?

And, I listened to the tune of JBs at the same time as listening to the album of some JB. I still wait because the form of the album was a content like V.A though I wanted to add the album to the site.

James Brown is one of my very favorites, especially that period in the early 70s when he had Stubblefield on drums, Jimmy Nolan on guitar, Bootsy on bass and Maceo on horn.

'Same Beat' by the JBs, this is a fun video, check the end when the video seems to sync with these kids from the 50s dancing to old rock-n-roll.

Re something Mike said earlier, when James invented his hard funk sound, he left his previous music behind as if it was from an earlier century. The shift in what he was doing with rhythm and his entire approach to music  was as different as night and day.

js wrote: Re the thread title, Public Enemy said "Can't I get any witness", ha ha.

J.B. says it during "It's A New Day". Is he saying Can or Can't?

OK, the other two were nice, but here is the motherlode:

Eddie Murphy about James

That Eddie Murphy skit was hilarious, I don't think Ive ever seen that. Everything he said was so true.

I checked out some J.B.s and I already ordered the Funky Good Time album, it's exactly what Ive been looking for.

The idea of having the bass become a strong and separate melodic voice comes a lot from him and his bassist Bootsie, that idea has changed almost any genre of music you can think of.

Edited by js - 15 Jul 2011 at 5:06pm