| In the Jungle Groove | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | August 1986 | |||
| Recorded | September 3, 1969–July 12, 1971 | |||
| Studio | King Studios in Cincinnati; Criteria Studio in Miami; Bobby Smith Studios in Macon; A & R Studios in New York | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 63:17 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | James Brown (original recordings), Cliff White, Tim Rogers | |||
| James Brown chronology | ||||
| ||||
In the Jungle Groove is a compilation album by American funk musician James Brown, released in August 1986 by Polydor Records. [1]
Originally issued to capitalize on the popularity of Brown's music in hip hop circles at the time, it includes the first album release of the much-sampled single "Funky Drummer" (1969), along with a selection of previously unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and remixes. The original recordings were produced by Brown, while the reissue was produced by Cliff White and Tim Rogers. [2] A similar follow-up compilation, Motherlode , was released in 1988.
The album's title is taken from a song Brown recorded in the studio in August 1970. The full recording of the song "In the Jungle Groove" remains unissued; however, on the album its introduction is appended to the beginning of "I Got to Move", another previously unreleased song recorded at the same session. A remastered and expanded 2003 reissue of In the Jungle Groove added a bonus track, an extended version of "Blind Man Can See It" from the Black Caesar soundtrack album. [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10 [7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
In a contemporary review, Richard Hallman of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recommended the album to "connoisseurs and collectors", and said that it "should be considered for purchase only by those who take their Godfather very seriously." [10] Ken Tucker, writing in the Chicago Tribune , commended Polygram for their "admirable project of re-releasing the fascinating music Brown made during the late '60s and early 1970s, when he disappeared from the pop charts to record much of his most profoundly funky music." He cited Clyde Stubblefield's performance on "Funky Drummer" as the highlight and said that the album "serves to remind the listener that, in addition to his greatness as a singer and a rhythmic innovator, Brown is also an exceptional band leader." [11] In the Jungle Groove was voted as the fourth best reissue of 1986 in The Village Voice 's annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll. [12] The newspaper's Robert Christgau called it "long-promised, worth-waiting for, full-length, '69-'71 dance classics", [13] while ranking it as the eighth best reissue of 1986. [14]
In a retrospective article for Rolling Stone , Christgau said that, because most of the "renowned" album is available on Star Time (1991), In the Jungle Groove is "for serious students only", even though "Brown is the rare artist who improves with length." [15] Douglas Wolk, writing for Wondering Sound , said that it "inspired a million hip-hop samples" and featured "blisteringly intense funk workouts" from a period when Brown and his 1970–71 band were "making some of the greatest dance records of that era." [16] In 2000, Vibe magazine included it on their list of the 100 essential albums of the 20th century. [17] In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 330 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, [18] and 329 in the 2012 revised list. [19] In a review of the album's reissue, Brian James from PopMatters felt that In the Jungle Groove deserves a re-release "because the music earns it. Its origins as a quickie cash-in don’t detract from the undeniable power of the grooves unleashed within, nor are the proceedings hurt by the revolving-door lineup of the period." James argued that it showcases Brown's sidemen, who "forged into a mold that was [his] stunning creation", and recommended it to listeners who are interested in Brown or funk music. [20]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's a New Day" | James Brown | 6:15 |
| 2. | "Funky Drummer" | James Brown | 9:13 |
| Total length: | 15:28 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" (Remix) | Charles Bobbit | 6:09 |
| 4. | "I Got to Move" (previously unreleased) | James Brown | 7:12 |
| 5. | "Funky Drummer" (Bonus Beat Reprise) | James Brown | 2:54 |
| Total length: | 16:15 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" (Remix) | James Brown, Bobby Byrd | 7:40 |
| 7. | "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved" (Mono) | James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Ron Lenhoff | 7:05 |
| Total length: | 14:45 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Soul Power" (Re-edit) | James Brown | 8:07 |
| 9. | "Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants)" | James Brown | 8:42 |
| Total length: | 16:49 63:17 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Blind Man Can See It" (Extended) | James Brown | 7:19 |
| Total length: | 70:36 | ||
Credits for In the Jungle Groove adapted from liner notes. [2]
|
|
Mothership Connection is the fourth album by American funk band Parliament, released on December 15, 1975 on Casablanca Records. This concept album is often rated among the best Parliament-Funkadelic releases, and was the first to feature horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, who had previously backed James Brown in the J.B.'s.
Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."
Sticky Fingers is the 9th British and 11th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The Stones released it on 23 April 1971 on their new, and own label Rolling Stones Records. They had been contracted by Decca Records and London Records in the UK and the US since 1963. On this album Mick Taylor made his second full-length appearance on a Rolling Stones album. It was the first studio album without Brian Jones who died two years earlier. The original cover artwork, conceived by Andy Warhol and photographed and designed by members of his art collective, The Factory, showed a picture of a man in tight jeans, and had a working zip that opened to reveal underwear fabric. The cover was expensive to produce and damaged the vinyl record, so later re-issues featured just the outer photograph of the jeans.
Big Fun is a compilation album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. It was released by Columbia Records on April 19, 1974, and compiled recordings Davis had made in sessions between 1969 and 1972. Largely ignored in 1974, it was reissued on August 1, 2000, by Columbia and Legacy Records with additional material, which led to a critical reevaluation.
Siren is the fifth album by English rock band Roxy Music, released in 1975 by Island Records. It was released by Atco Records in the United States.
Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Raise! has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in the UK by the BPI and Gold in Canada by Music Canada.
Los Angeles is the debut studio album by American rock band X, released on April 26, 1980, by Slash Records. It was produced by ex-Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and includes a cover of the 1967 Doors song "Soul Kitchen".
Buhloone Mindstate is the third studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul. It was released on September 21, 1993, through Tommy Boy Records, and was the group's last record to be produced with Prince Paul.
The Payback is the 37th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in December 1973, by Polydor Records. It was originally scheduled to become the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Hell Up in Harlem, but was rejected by the film's producers, who dismissed it as "the same old James Brown stuff." A widely repeated story—including by Brown himself—that director Larry Cohen rejected the music as "not funky enough" is denied by Cohen. On the DVD commentary track for Black Caesar, Cohen states that executives at American International Pictures were already unhappy with Brown for delivering songs much longer than expected on Black Caesar and Slaughter's Big Rip-Off and opted for a deal with Motown Records instead. Cohen said the absence of Brown's music from Harlem still "breaks [his] heart."
Dancing in Your Head is a studio album by jazz artist Ornette Coleman, released in 1977 by Horizon Records.
Plantation Lullabies is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and bassist Me'shell NdegéOcello. It was released by Maverick Records on October 19, 1993, to widespread critical acclaim and has since been viewed as a landmark neo soul record.
Pangaea is a live album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was originally released as a double album in 1976 by CBS Sony in Japan.
Song X is a collaborative studio album by American jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and saxophonist Ornette Coleman. It is a free jazz record that was produced in a three-day recording session in 1985. The album was released in June 1986 by Geffen Records.
The Best Best of Fela Kuti is a 2-CD compilation album by Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti, released in 1999 by MCA Records. It was issued in the United States in 2000 as part of a reissue series of Kuti's albums. The album was reissued as The Best of the Black President in 2009 by Knitting Factory Records and received universal acclaim from music critics. A companion 2-CD compilation, also released in 1999, was reissued in the U.S. in 2013 by Knitting Factory as The Best of the Black President 2.
Lanquidity is a 1978 studio album by American jazz musician Sun Ra.
The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings is a 3-CD box set compilation by Ray Charles, released in 1991.
"Red Alert" is a song by English electronic music duo Basement Jaxx. It was released on 19 April 1999 by record label XL as the first single from their debut album, Remedy (1999). The vocals from the track were provided by Blu James. It reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and became their first number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. As of July 2019, the single has sold 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom, allowing it to receive a Gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry.
Dark Magus is a live double album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded on March 30, 1974, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, during the electric period in the musician's career. Davis' group at the time of the concert included bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, percussionist Mtume, saxophonist Dave Liebman, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas. He also used the show to audition saxophonist Azar Lawrence and guitarist Dominique Gaumont. Dark Magus was produced by Teo Macero and featured four two-part recordings with titles from the Swahili words for the numbers one through four.
There's a Riot Goin' On is the fifth studio album by American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. It was recorded from 1970 to 1971 at Record Plant Studios in Sausalito, California and released later that year on November 1 by Epic Records. The recording was dominated by band frontman/songwriter Sly Stone during a period of escalated drug use and intra-group tension.
Motherlode is a 1988 James Brown compilation album. Created as a follow-up to the successful 1986 compilation In the Jungle Groove, it similarly focuses on Brown's funk recordings of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It includes live performances and remixes as well as studio recordings, most of them previously unissued. Writing in 2007, critic Robert Christgau called it "the finest of the classic [James Brown] comps". Highlights include a live "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud", the first album release of "I Got Ants in My Pants ", the latter-day UK chart hit "She's the One", and a nine-minute-long remix of "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul" from the Slaughter's Big Rip-Off soundtrack.
