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James Brown - The Singles Volume 2: 1960-1963 - Amazon.com Music
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This is a fantastic collection. For those of us who followed Mr. Brown's early development, this volume presents something for everybody, and a clear picture of a great R&B singer searching for a clear identity. Solid instrumentals are featured here too. Among the best are "Suds," "Hold It," "Night Train," "Can You Feel It," and "Every Beat of My Heart." IMHO...the vocals here show a tremendous growth in James' sensitivity. Tunes like "Just You and Me Darling," "I Don't Mind," and "Come Over Here" show a "wild" yearning to piece together very simple, even crude themes. With "I've Got Money," "Signed, Sealed and Delivered" and "Oh Baby Don't You Weep," he reaches the zenith of his hard R&B offerings. James' version of "The Bells" is definitely one of the all time greats! It's a complete reworking of the Dominoes song, which featured Clyde McPhatter. The arrangement is brilliant, eerie but beautiful. JB's phrasing is wonderful, as he cries and pleads along with the Band. "I've Got Money" deserves special mention also. James' tough, hard vocal present him in complete control, with the hot smokin' band, shouting the blues over an outrageous rhythmic drum pattern laid down by Clifton Fillyau. Of course, the pop version of "Prisoner of Love" here was among a handful of tunes that King Records used to attempt a blatant crossover with its prize artist. Fortunately James went his own way, and in spite of so many legal issues that insued, his endurance was historic. Some of these soapy songs would fit into the JAMES BROWN SHOW nicely, notably the aforementioned "Prisoner...," which became an integral part of James' "gutbucket" stagecraft. This volume is loaded with recordings that get better with every listen, perhaps especially in retrospect. As the great Pavarotti once exclaimed, ..."its genius, you just have to listen."
Didn't order one when this series came first available, thought (owning Startime 4-cd box and Messing with the blues had some songs on them which are on this item) was enough of this period (early sixties). Then last month I bought The Who's BBC sessions and on that album was one JB cover I never heard of: Just you and me, darling. I checked where the original was on and came to this 2cd. While in most parts of the world this item is sold for very high prices because it was out of print, on this Amazon site there are still a couple available. Read elsewhere in the reviews section why.Very satisfied with some new tunes (to me). Following JB since mid sixties and owning 20 plus cd's and some LP's and 14 singles.
One fact THAT VIRTUALLY NO ONE commenting on this set has mentioned is that JAMES BROWN did NOT record these tunes alone. He did it with the help of some other men with whom he started his career. Those men were a singing group called THE FAMOUS FLAMES.
Yes, believe it or not (and I know that this is going to be a shock to some of you ), JAMES BROWN DID NOT BEGIN HIS CAREER AS A SOLO ARTIST. In 1953, singer/songwriter BOBBY BYRD formed the Famous Flames. He is also credited as the man who DISCOVERED JAMES BROWN . James was an inmate in a Georgia Youth Detention Center, serving a 8-16 year stretch for armed robbery. Bobby Byrd struck up a friendship with Brown at a baseball game when Byrd's team played the prison team of which Brown was a member. Byrd's family sponsored his release from prison,and secured employment for him (a condition of his release), and Brown moved in with the Byrd family. James Brown joined Bobby Byrd's group, the Flames , and the rest , as they say, is history.
"Please Please Please" was the first hit, in 1956, A million-seller, this song was the first hit for the Famous Flames.In this original group was Bobby Byrd,Fred Pullium, Nash Knox, Sylvester Keels, and brothers Roy and NaFloyd Scott. James Brown and his former cellmate, Johnny Terry,joined the group. After that first hit, King Records management did something that many record companies have done before and since to ruin and break up groups.After the first 5000 copies of Please Please Please were issued , credited simply to "THE FAMOUS FLAMES" , the group's label credit was changed on future copies to "JAMES BROWN & THE FAMOUS FLAMES" a move that caused much dissention within the group, causing a breakup. (The group initially recorded for King Records' Federal Label).
For the next 2 years , Brown traveled alone, hiring interim groups of singers to be The Famous Flames, most of whom didn't last.He also hired a road band, the J.C. Davis Group. Also a period of flop singles were recorded during this time, which almost caused King Records to drop the group.
The changing point was the recording of the song "Try Me' in 1958. This song became the group's second million-seller, and the #1 selling Rhythm and Blues song of that year. At this point , James Brown requested that the original Famous Flames return. Not all of them did. Only group founder Bobby Byrd, Brown's old friend Johnny Terry, and guitarist NaFloyd Scott. The other original members faded into obscurity. Scott was added to James band, the old J.C. Davis outfit, which he had employed in the interim, and new Flames Bobby Bennett and Lloyd Stallworth (nicknamed "Baby Lloyd") were added. These five men , Brown, Byrd,Bennett, Terry, and Stallworth, became the longest lasting and definitive lineup of The Famous Flames ,lasting over 10 years.This is the lineup that had hit after hit for the next several years , including "I'll Go Crazy", Bewildered","Think",'Good Good Lovin'" , "Oh Baby Don't You Weep", "I Don't Mind", "This Old Heart","Lost Someone",and numerous other hits between 1958 and 1964.And The Famous Flames are on almost all of the songs on this collection. As an important side point: The Famous Flames were a VOCAL GROUP.Brown already HAD a band, the James Brown Orchestra. THE FAMOUS FLAMES WERE NOT A BAND.
I'm mentioning all of this , because over the decades, true music history needs to be clarified:
Although the passing of time, and attempts made by certain groups and individuals to re-write history, (not to mention many uninformed DeeJays nationwide) who have in recent years unfairly tended to credit James Brown as the SOLE artist on their songs, it should be made clear that they were recorded and made hits by the ENTIRE GROUP, "James Brown and The Famous Flames". These were the songs that established Brown's career, and they were recorded by ALL OF THEM, ...not just him. The Famous Flames were a "group", and Brown was initially just one of the members...just like all of the rest.
In addition, claims made by uninformed individuals that the Famous Flames were a "band" or were backup musicians are also INCORRECT . The Famous Flames were a SINGING GROUP . The "band" was the James Brown Orchestra...a totally separate entity from The Famous Flames. Musicians like FRED WESLEY, MACEO PARKER, JABO STARKS, CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD, BOOTSY COLLINS,ST.CLAIR PINCKNEY,etc , were NOT The Famous Flames.They were members of The James Brown Orchestra.
James Brown and The Famous Flames became major stars,quickly becoming the top-ranking R&B group in America, due to their explosive high-octane performances across the U.S., including the one at the Apollo Theatre in New York in 1962,which became the basis of their million-selling "Live At The Apollo" album, for which,sadly, Brown was credited alone, but The Flames had an important co-starring role on the album, and were included in the album's intro. and 1964's Top 10 album,"Pure Dynamite: Live at The Royal". They also appeared in two Hollywood motion pictures, "The T.A.M.I. Show", and Ski Party" (both now on DVD.They also appeared on numerous national TV shows,including American Bandstand, The Ed Sullivan Show (twice),and many others.and also drew huge fans abroad. The Famous Flames stopped recording in 1964,(but still toured with Brown), and finally broke up in 1968, as Brown began to think in terms of solo success.
In 1986, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted James Brown as a charter member. He was inducted as a solo artist,which caused much controversy among fans, who knew that he started with The Famous Flames, who should have been inducted WITH HIM, but were not.
It wasn't until 2012 That THE FAMOUS FLAMES were finally inducted into THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. Finally joining James Brown in the HALL OF FAME were: group founder BOBBY BYRD,JOHNNY TERRY,BOBBY BENNETT,and LLOYD STALLWORTH. The Famous Flames deserved their due...and with their induction, they finally GOT IT.
In the interest of restoring HISTORICAL ACCURACY, please note that this collection , as well as Volume 1 of this series, features JAMES BROWN and THE FAMOUS FLAMES ...not James Brown ALONE.
Nice to see Volume 2 available again! This is not intended as a review, though the Five Stars definitely applies. Can anyone who's bought this "new" one confirm that it's a legit release from Hip-O/Universal?
Great that all volumes have become available again, as some (among which this second volume)went at ridiculous prices. The whole 'singles' series is great. Another nice effort from Hip-O-Select. Getting the original A's & B's seems to bring me closer to the experience it must have been to discover at the time Mr. Brown, (an experience I couldn't have had here in little Belgium anyway, had I been born, but still...) which is nice just after reading Peter Guralnick's Sweet Soul Music book. Still it's a release for freaks and complettists of course.
I've bought all 5 volumes so far and they're all great. Really nicely presented with loads of information. A couple of minor criticisms though. The print in the booklet is really small so quite a challenge for an old codger like me. The second thing is more to do with the packaging. For some inexplicable reason Universal insist on sticking the Bar code and Title on a sticky label attached to the top of the CD case. Each one takes about 10 minutes to peel/scrape off and annoyingly leaves deposits of sticky glue on the case. Universal, please desist from this annoying practice! Having said that, these are minor gripes and Alan Leeds and Harry Weinger are to be congratulated for presenting James Brown's musical legacy with the care and attention it deserves.
Hip-O Selectから出ている、「ジェームス・ブラウン・シングル全集」第５巻は、１９６７／１１月リリースの「 I CAN'T STAND MYSELF」から、６９／３月の「You Got to Have a Job (If You Don't Work - You Can't Eat)」まで、全４３トラック。 個人的には、いよいよ佳境に入ってきたな、って感じ。 「 I CAN'T STAND MYSELF」「I GOT THE FEELIN'」「LICKING STICK」「Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud」「Give It Up or Turnit a Loose」「Soul Pride」など、馴染みの曲が並ぶ。
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