James Brown

The Godfather Of Soul, James Brown was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader, as well as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music, as evidenced on new collection Super Bad Live!

James Brown was arguably the most important and innovative R&B artist of the '60s and '70s, a singer, songwriter, and bandleader who rewrote the book on how the music would sound as he redefined soul, laid the groundwork for funk, anticipated the grooves that would drive hip-hop, and even influenced new movements in rock and jazz. This box set collects five albums from James Brown's extensive back catalog, dominated by recordings of Brown's fabled live shows. Live at the Apollo is a classic 1962 concert set from New York's Apollo Theater that documents Brown's dynamic stage show at a time when he was widely regarded as the most exciting performer on Earth. Sex Machine, released in 1970, is another live set that captures Brown's powerhouse stage band the J.B.'s (including Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, and Fred Wesley) tearing through a breathtaking set of extended funk workouts. And Revolution of the Mind is a 1971 release that preserved another show at the Apollo, playing a set that covered his '60s soul hits as well as his more recent funk groovers. Along with the three live discs, this set includes two compilations of Brown's classic funk performances, 70's Funk Classics and In the Jungle Groove.

Sho is Funky Down Here is James Brown’s 1971 fuzzy, psychedelic-funk album, created by his then-bandleader David Matthews. Sho is Funky is the genesis of Brown’s “Talking Loud And Saying Nothing,” later to become a hip-hop sample staple informing A Tribe Called Quest, Large Professor, Brand Nubian and others. Now-Again Records is presenting the first official reissue of the album lacquered directly from the original master tapes at Capitol Studios.

With some 800 songs in his repertoire, James Brown influenced countless contemporary artists from virtually every popular music genre –rock, funk, soul, jazz, R&B, hip hop and rap. His polyrhythmic funk vamps reshaped dance music, and Brown was by far the most sampled artist during the early days of hip hop. Though he would be dogged by legal troubles and controversy in later life, he was a principled artist, adamantly refusing to conform to anyone’s vision. This 3-D set presents five of his best albums, along with 8 bonus tracks from the same period.