| "Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by James Brown and his Famous Flames | ||||
| from the album James Brown and His Famous Flames Tour the U.S.A. | ||||
| B-side | "You Don't Have to Go" | |||
| Released | August 4, 1962 | |||
| Recorded | March 22, 1962 | |||
| Studio | King Studios (Cincinnati, Ohio) | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
| Length | 2:49 | |||
| Label | King 5672 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | James Brown | |||
| James Brown and his Famous Flames singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio video | ||||
| "Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." on YouTube | ||||
"Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." is a rhythm and blues song by James Brown and his Famous Flames. Released in 1962 as a single by King Records, it reached #82 on the Pop chart and #21 on the R&B chart. [1] The title refers to the Mashed Potato dance popular at the time.
The song is a travelogue set over a strummed guitar/organ riff with a muted trumpet providing a jazz counterpoint to the vocal delivery. The bridge consists of the entire band repeating a two-chord riff.
In the song, Brown asserts "Here I am and I'm back again," then states his plan to bring the mashed potatoes to the cities he will tour. He then name checks his itinerary, starting with New York City and ending with his home town, Augusta, Georgia.
A version without James' travelling dance monologue was released by King Records on the 1963 album A Carnival of Songs under the title "Limbo Jimbo". [2]