James Brown 40

"Please, Please, Please"; "Think"; "Try Me";"The Amazing James Brown" plus four bonus tracks.An early version of The Famous Flames (with ever evolving name changes) was formed by Bobby Byrd in 1953 featuring among others, the one and only James Brown.

Brown's rags-to-riches-to-rags story has heroic and tragic dimensions of mythic resonance. Born into poverty in the South, he ran afoul of the law by the late '40s on an armed robbery conviction. With the help of singer Bobby Byrd's family, Brown gained parole and started a gospel group with Byrd, changing their focus to R&B as the rock revolution gained steam. The Flames, as the Georgian group was known in the mid-'50s, signed to Federal/King and had a huge R&B hit right off the bat with the wrenching, churchy ballad "Please, Please, Please." By that point, the Flames had become James Brown & the Famous Flames; the charisma, energy, and talent of Brown made him the natural star attraction. All of Brown's singles over the next two years flopped, as he sought to establish his own style, recording material that was obviously derivative of heroes like Roy Brown, Hank Ballard, Little Richard, and Ray Charles. In retrospect, it can be seen that Brown was in the same position as dozens of other R&B one-shots: talented singers in need of better songs, or not fully on the road to a truly original sound.

Brown's rags-to-riches-to-rags story has heroic and tragic dimensions of mythic resonance. Born into poverty in the South, he ran afoul of the law by the late '40s on an armed robbery conviction. With the help of singer Bobby Byrd's family, Brown gained parole and started a gospel group with Byrd, changing their focus to R&B as the rock revolution gained steam. The Flames, as the Georgian group was known in the mid-'50s, signed to Federal/King and had a huge R&B hit right off the bat with the wrenching, churchy ballad "Please, Please, Please." By that point, the Flames had become James Brown & the Famous Flames; the charisma, energy, and talent of Brown made him the natural star attraction. All of Brown's singles over the next two years flopped, as he sought to establish his own style, recording material that was obviously derivative of heroes like Roy Brown, Hank Ballard, Little Richard, and Ray Charles. In retrospect, it can be seen that Brown was in the same position as dozens of other R&B one-shots: talented singers in need of better songs, or not fully on the road to a truly original sound.

"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). It went to #1 on the Soul Albums chart for two weeks and cracked the Pop Albums chart in the Top 40. It was Brown's only studio album to be certified Gold. "The Payback" is considered a high point in Brown's recording career, and is now regarded by critics as a landmark funk album.

Le James Brown funk c'est le James Brown qui ne se contente pas du langage R&B et surtout soul des 60's. La soul, ce médium positif, qui n'a pas coupé le cordon avec le gospel, et tente d'allier sophistication des arrangements et pop music (au vrai sens de musique populaire). Leurs génies même ne lui suffisent pas. Et contrairement à un Nat King Cole, James n'aspire pas à rentrer dans une case façonnée par les Blancs. Il sait très bien qu'à son apogée, LeRoi Jones écrira « James Brown est notre poète noir n°1 ». Mais avant de porter une telle armure, James Brown ne pouvait échapper au conte de fée que la bannière étoilée aime raconter à ses enfants les soirs d'hiver près de la cheminée. Ces histoires improbables d'un moins que rien langé dans les eaux anthracites des caniveaux des bleds pouilleux du sud de l'Amérique, qui se termine sur des affiches placardées en lettres de feu dans les plus grandes salles de concerts du territoire et du reste du monde.

"Integral James Brown 1957-1962" is a comprehensive collection of James Brown's early work. This album showcases some of his most influential recordings during the formative years of his career.

"Integral James Brown 1957-1962" is a comprehensive collection of James Brown's early work. This album showcases some of his most influential recordings during the formative years of his career.

New 3CD collection from the Godfather of Soul! Mr Dynamite! The Amazing Mr Please Please Please! The hardest Working Man in Showbusiness!