James Joseph Brown was an American singer and musician. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by various honorific nicknames, some of which include "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 at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.
Daniel Earl Hartman was an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter and original frontman for several bands, including The Soploids, Mak and the Turnarounds, Our Wringer, Last Wing, and Orion. Among songs he wrote and recorded were "Free Ride" as a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and the solo hits "Relight My Fire", "Instant Replay", "I Can Dream About You", "We Are the Young" and "Second Nature". "I Can Dream About You", his most successful song, reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 and No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985. The James Brown song "Living in America", which Hartman co-wrote and produced, reached No. 4 on March 1, 1986.
John Watson Jr., known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career spanned forty years, and encompassed rhythm and blues, funk and soul music.
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."
Get On the Good Foot is the 34th studio album by American funk and soul musician James Brown. It was released as a double LP on November 20, 1972, by Polydor Records.
Black Caesar is a soundtrack album recorded by James Brown for the film of the same name and released in 1973. The album also features The J.B.'s and Lyn Collins.
I'm Real is the 54th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in 1988 on Scotti Bros. Records. All of the tracks were produced, written and arranged by Full Force, with the exception of "I'm Real" and "It's Your Money $".
Bodyheat is the 44th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in December 1976, by Polydor Records. It includes the singles "Bodyheat" and "Kiss in '77". It was produced and arranged by James Brown. The cover and art work was by the Virginia Team.
Try Me! is the second studio album by James Brown and the Famous Flames. It is a collection of singles, B-sides, and outtakes from their first album, Please Please Please. It was reissued by King Records in 1964 under the title The Unbeatable James Brown: 16 Hits.
"Regrets" is a song by Barbara Wyrick. Originally written for Marie Osmond, it was instead recorded by James Brown. Released as a single in 1980, it reached #63 on the R&B chart. It also appeared on the album People. Writing in The Village Voice, Thulani Davis described it as "sentimental, nice enough but not at all compelling."
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.
Take a Look at Those Cakes is the 47th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in December 1978, by Polydor Records. It was arranged by Brown and St. Clair Pinckney. The cover artwork was credited to Christoph Blumrich.
Mutha's Nature is the 45th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in 1977, by Polydor Records. It was arranged by Charles Sherwell and James Brown, with Sarah Pergantis credited for the cover illustration.
The Original Disco Man is the 48th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in July 1979, by Polydor Records. Brandye were credited for backing vocals and the front cover photograph was taken by Joel Bernstein.
Sex Machine Today is the 40th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in May 1975, by Polydor Records.
Jam 1980's is the 46th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in March 1978, by Polydor Records and arranged by James Brown with Sweet Charles Sherrell arranging "Nature".
Get Up Offa That Thing is the 43rd studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in July 1976, by Polydor Records.
Everybody's Doin' the Hustle & Dead on the Double Bump is the 41st studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in September 1975, by Polydor Records.
Hot is the 42nd studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released on January 1, 1976, by Polydor Records.
Soul Syndrome is the 50th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in 1980, by TK Records.
