Regrets (James Brown song)

Last updated
"Regrets"
Single by James Brown
from the album People
B-side "Stone Cold Drag"
ReleasedJanuary 1980 (1980-01)
Genre Funk, disco
Length4:08
Label Polydor
2054
Songwriter(s) Barbara Wyrick
Producer(s) Brad Shapiro
James Brown chartingsingles chronology
"Star Generation"
(1979)		"Regrets"
(1980)		"Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)"
(1980)
Audio video
"Regrets" on YouTube

"Regrets" is a 1980 single for James Brown. It was a hit for him that year, registering on both the Billboard and Cash Box charts.

Contents

Background

It was composed by Barbara Wyrick. Originally written for Marie Osmond, it was instead recorded by James Brown. Backed with "Stone Cold Drag", it was released as a single on Polydor 2054 in 1980. [1] [2] [3] It also appeared on the album People . [4]

Reception

Writing in The Village Voice , Thulani Davis described it as "sentimental, nice enough but not at all compelling." [5]

It was reviewed by Cash Box in the magazine's January 19, 1980 issue. The reviewer referred to it as an easy ballad and said that it was nicely arranged. [6]

Brown's album People was reviewed in the March 1 issue of Cash Box. With the reviewer both letting the reader know that it was a departure from the uncut funk he did previously and that he wasn't ready to stop the funk yet, the reviewer said that "Regrets" was the most sensitive piece that Brown had done in years. [7] The single was also reviewed by Mike Gardner of Record Mirror that week. Going through the nicknames of Brown, Gardner said that he had finally decided to exercise his excellent vocal chords on something other than the frantic urgings to get on the good foot. He also said that Brown sounded like a watered down Bobby Womack. [8]

The album People was also reviewed by '' Record World in the magazine's March 1 issue. It was one of the picks of the week. With the reviewer saying Brown executes his vocals like no one else can, the reviewer also said, "With "Regrets" already on the charts, look for action with "Stone Cold Drag" to back it up". [9]

Airplay

It was noted by Cash Box in the January 19, 1980 issue as a programmers pick, by Jerry Rushien of WEDR in Miami. [10]

Charts

The single debuted at no. 92 on the Cash Box Top 100 on the week of February 23. It held that position for another week [11] [12] with its last position of no. 98 on week three. [13] [14]

The single debuted at no. 74 on the Record World Black Oriented Singles chart on the week of February 23. [15] It held that position for one more week. [16] [17]

It reached #63 on the Billboard R&B chart. [18] [ better source needed ]

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References

  1. ↑ 45Cat - Record Details, James Brown Regrets
  2. ↑ Ultratop - James Brown – Regrets
  3. ↑ Leeds, Alan. (2008). "James Brown Discography". The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul, 303-313. New York: Plume.
  4. ↑ Cash Box, March 1, 1980 - Page 15 REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS, PEOPLE — James Brown — Polydor PD-1-6258 — Producer: Brad Shapiro — List: 7.98
  5. ↑ Davis, Thulani. "J-a-a-a-ames Brown!". The Village Voice June 9, 1980. Rpt. in The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul. Ed. Nelson George and Alan Leeds. New York: Plume, 2008. 148-154.
  6. ↑ Cash Box, January 19, 1980 - REVIEWS SINGLES REVIEWS, SINGLES TO WATCH, JAMES BROWN
  7. ↑ Cash Box, March 1, 1980 - Page 15 REVIEWS ALBUM REVIEWS, PEOPLE — James Brown — Polydor PD-1-6258 — Producer: Brad Shapiro — List: 7.98
  8. ↑ Record Mirror, March 1, 1980 - Page 8 SINGLES Reviewed by MIKE GARDNER, JAMES BROWN: 'Regrets' (Polydor)
  9. ↑ Record World, March 1, 1980 - Page 35 Record WorldBlack Oriented Music, PICKS OF THE WEEK, PEOPLE
  10. ↑ Cash Box, January 19, 1980 - Page 47 BLACK CONTEMPORARY, PROGRAMMERS PICKS, Jerry Rushien WEDR/Miami Regrets — James Brown — Polydor
  11. ↑ Cash Box, February 23, 1980 - Page 27 CASH BOSX TOP 100, 92, 2/16 -, Weeks On Chart 1
  12. ↑ Cash Box, March 1, 1980 - Page 30 CASH BOX TOP 100, 92, 2/23 92, Weeks On Chart 2
  13. ↑ Cash Box, March 9, 1980 - 98, 3/1 92, Weeks On Chart 3
  14. ↑ Cash Box, March 15, 1980 - Page 4 CASH BOX TOP 100 SINGLES
  15. ↑ Record World, February 23, 1980 - Page 42 Record World Black Oriented Singles, FEB. 23 74, FEB 16 -, WKS. ON CHART 1
  16. ↑ Record World, March 1, 1980 - Page 36 MAR 1 74, FEB 23 74, WKS ON CHART 2
  17. ↑ Record World, March 8, 1980 - Page 79 Record World Black Oriented Singles
  18. ↑ "Regrets (song by James Brown) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
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