Fred Thomas (bassist)

Last updated

Fred Thomas
Origin Georgia, U.S.
Genres R&B, soul, funk
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Bass guitar, vocals
Years active1965–present

Fred Thomas is an American bassist best known for his work with singer James Brown for over thirty years. [1] He performed on many Brown's funk and R&B hits of the 1970s. His last recording is on the 2018 album We Came to Play.

Contents

Career

Thomas grew up in the US state of Georgia. He moved to New York City in 1965 and co-founded his own band with guitarist Hearlon "Cheese" Martin. He was the bassist as well as the lead vocalist of the group. He said: "I did my own thing, which is to keep a nice bottom in the pocket. I never bothered with any fancy stuff because I always did the singing in my bands, and you can't be fancy and sing". [2] [3]

In 1971 James Brown saw the band at Smalls Paradise club in Harlem. Brown was in search of new musicians for his own band. He did an impromptu performance with the band and decided to hire the whole group. [2] [3] Thomas said his band used to cover Brown's songs and that joining Brown was a smooth transition for them. He recorded on Brown's releases during 1970s. [2] The first album titled Hot Pants was in 1971. [4] He also recorded on releases by The J.B.'s. [5] Many of these recordings were later sampled in hip hop music, such as "Pass the Peas", "Gimme Some More", and "Escape-ism". [6]

Thomas performed with Brown for more than thirty years, longer than other bassists in that position. He recorded on several R&B number one hits such as "Hot Pants", "Make It Funky", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess". [2] In a 2005 interview he expressed satisfaction with his work, stating: "I've been involved in one of the biggest, most legendary acts in the world. It's gone on for a long time – 33 years, on and off – and I feel good about the musicians I've played with". [2]

After Brown's death in 2006, Thomas transitioned back to fronting his own group and collaborating with various bands. [3] [7] [8] [9] His later recordings are with Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens in 2014 and The J.B.'s in 2018. [10] [9]

Discography

Credits adapted in part from AllMusic. [11]

With James Brown
With The J.B.'s
With Culture
With Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens

Notes

  1. ↑ Per liner-notes by Alan Leeds, Thomas performed on: "Doing It to Death", "Hot Pants Road", "Pass the Peas", "Gimme Some More", "Givin' Up Food for Funk", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I Am Somebody", "Breakin' Bread", "(It's Not the Express) It's the J.B.'s Monaurail", "If You Don't Get It the First Time...". [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funk</span> 1960s music genre

Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mid-20th century. It deemphasizes melody and chord progressions and focuses on a strong rhythmic groove of a bassline played by an electric bassist and a drum part played by a percussionist, often at slower tempos than other popular music. Funk typically consists of a complex percussive groove with rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves that create a "hypnotic" and "danceable" feel. It uses the same richly colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, and dominant seventh chords with altered ninths and thirteenths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Brown</span> American musician (1933–2006)

James Joseph Brown was an American singer, dancer and musician. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by various nicknames, among them "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament-Funkadelic</span> American funk music collective

Parliament-Funkadelic is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their eclectic style has drawn on psychedelia, outlandish fashion, and surreal humor. They released albums such as Maggot Brain (1971), Mothership Connection (1975), and One Nation Under a Groove (1978) to critical praise, and scored charting hits with singles such as "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" (1975) and "Flash Light" (1978). Overall, the collective achieved thirteen top ten hits in the American R&B music charts between 1967 and 1983, including six number one hits. Their work would have an influential effect on subsequent funk, post-punk, hip-hop, and techno artists of the 1980s and 1990s, while their collective mythology would help pioneer Afrofuturism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bootsy Collins</span> American bassist

William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American bass guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clyde Stubblefield</span> American drummer

Clyde Austin Stubblefield was an American drummer best known for his work with James Brown, with whom he recorded and toured for six years (1965-70). His syncopated drum patterns on Brown's recordings are considered funk standards. Samples of his drum performances were heavily used in hip hop music beginning in the 1980s, although Stubblefield frequently received no credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Wesley</span> American jazz trombonist (born 1943)

Fred Wesley is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s, and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The J.B.'s</span> Band

The J.B.'s was James Brown's band from 1970 through the early 1980s. On records the band was sometimes billed under alternate names such as Fred Wesley and the JBs, The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., Fred Wesley and the New JBs, The First Family, and The Last Word. In addition to backing Brown, the J.B.'s played behind Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins, and other singers associated with the James Brown Revue, and performed and recorded as a self-contained group. In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but failed to be inducted and can be considered for Musical Excellence in the future. They have been eligible since 1995.

Bobby Howard Byrd was an American rhythm and blues, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, bandleader and talent dedicated, who played a part in the development of soul and funk music in association with James Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pee Wee Ellis</span> American saxophonist (1941–2021)

Alfred James Ellis, known as Pee Wee Ellis due to his diminutive stature, was an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger. With a background in jazz, he was a member of James Brown's band in the 1960s, appearing on many of Brown's recordings and co-writing hits like "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud". He also worked with Van Morrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jabo Starks</span> American drummer (1938–2018)

John Henry "Jabo" Starks, sometimes spelled Jab'o, was an American funk and blues drummer best known for playing with James Brown as well as other notable musicians including Bobby Bland and B.B. King. A self-taught musician, he was known for his effective and clean drum patterns. He was one of the originators of funk drumming, and is one of the most sampled drummers.

"Soul Power" is a song by James Brown. Brown recorded it with the original J.B.'s and it was released as a three-part single in 1971. Like "Get Up Sex Machine" and other hits from this period it features backing vocals by Bobby Byrd. It charted #3 R&B and #29 Pop.

<i>The Live Mix, Part 2</i> 2001 studio album by Breakestra

The Live Mix, Part 2 is an album by Breakestra, an American a ten-piece funk "orchestra". The album is a combination of breaks and funk covers performed with real instruments, and featuring the vocals of band member Mixmaster Wolf. All tracks were produced by This Kid Named Miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Pants (James Brown song)</span> 1971 single by James Brown

"Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants)" is a funk song by James Brown. Brown recorded the song in 1971 and released it that year as a three-part single on his People Records label, which was then distributed by his primary label King. It was a number-one R&B hit and reached number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the U.S. along with reaching number ten on the Cashbox magazine charts. "Hot Pants" was Brown's final release under King's purview before he (and the People label) moved to Polydor Records. The song's lyrics are an ode to the captivating power of the title garment, which members of the band first saw on their 1970 European tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give It Up or Turnit a Loose</span> 1969 single by James Brown

"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" is a funk song recorded by James Brown. Released as a single in 1969, the song was a #1 R&B hit and also made the top 20 pop singles chart. "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" appeared as an instrumental on the Ain't It Funky (1970) album, removing Brown's vocals and adding guitar overdubs, while the vocal version was released on It's a New Day – Let a Man Come In (1970).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doing It to Death</span> 1973 single by Fred Wesley & The J.B.s

"Doing It to Death", also known as "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time", is a funk song recorded by The J.B.'s featuring James Brown. A 10-minute, two-part version of "Doing It to Death" was included on a J.B.'s album of the same name. The complete, unedited and nearly 13-minute-long original recording of the song was first issued on the 1995 J.B.'s compilation Funky Good Time: The Anthology. Performances of the song also appear on the albums Live at Chastain Park and Live at the Apollo 1995.

"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" is a funk song written by James Brown and Bobby Byrd. Recorded in 1970 by Brown and the original J.B.'s with Byrd on backing vocals and updated with a new melody, it was twice released as a two-part single in 1972. It also appeared on the album There It Is.

<i>Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume III</i> 1971 live album by James Brown

Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume III is a live double album by James Brown released in 1971. As its subtitle suggests, it is Brown's third album recorded at the Apollo Theater, following the original Live at the Apollo (1963) and Live at the Apollo, Volume II (1968).

"Pass the Peas" is a 1972 funk instrumental by The J.B.'s. Released as a single on People Records, it charted #29 R&B and #95 Pop. It was included on the 1972 album Food for Thought.

"Gimme Some More" is a 1971 song written by James Brown and recorded by his band, The J.B.'s. Released as a single on People Records, "Gimme Some More" also appeared on the 1972 album Food for Thought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens</span>

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens are an American gospel and soul music group led by front woman Naomi Shelton. The group was formed in 1999. Two founding members were from Brooklyn, New York. They have released two albums with Daptone Records, What Have You Done, My Brother? (2009) and Cold World (2014). Both albums charted on the Billboard magazine charts, where they placed on the Gospel Albums chart.

References

  1. ↑ Mark von Bergen (October 1, 2009). "The Bass Players of James Brown..." Bass Musician magazine. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "James Brown's Bassists". Bass Player magazine. March 1, 2005. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Steve de Sève (April 21, 2016). Playing with James Brown's Bassist, Fred Thomas (Videotape). Brooklyn, New York: BRIC Arts Media. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2019– via YouTube.com.
  4. ↑ Jason Elias. "AllMusic: Hot Pants – album review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  5. ↑ Steve Huey. "AllMusic: The J.B.'s – biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Rickey Vincent (2014). Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One. St. Martin's Press. p. 82. ISBN   9781466884526 . Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  7. ↑ "The James Brown Tribute Show". Hurleyville Arts Centre. August 10, 2019. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Fred Thomas, de bassist van James Brown" [Fred Thomas, James Brown's bass player] (in Dutch). basgitaarshop.nl. July 1, 2019. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019. Google translation
  9. 1 2 Alan Ranta (September 16, 2018). "The J.B.'s – Rifflandia, Victoria BC, September 15". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Annie Dinerman (August 11, 2014). "Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens – Cold World (Daptone)". Elmore magazine. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Allmusic: Fred Thomas – credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  12. ↑ "The J.B.'s – Funky Good Time: The Anthology". discogs.com. 1995. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019. Note: Liner-notes credits by Alan Leeds.
  13. ↑ "The J.B.'s – Pass the Peas: The Best of the J.B.'s". discogs.com. 2000. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  14. ↑ Liner-notes images at archive.org, album Pass the Peas: The Best of the J.B.'s: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.