"Disco is James Brown"

[remicks]

*****

"Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you know what I'm saying? You hear all the rappers, 90% of their music is me,"
he told the Associated Press in 2003. (LA TIMES)

---- I'm really pleased to find this quote and to see that even as recently as 2003 James Brown was still proud to reference himself with disco .

This when so many who did disco back then now want to say "Who, me? Disco? "

Musically James Brown matters right up there with the few of the very greats. When making a list of the most influencial music makers of what is called the rock n roll era ( 1955 on) James Brown will likely appear on every TOP 10 list created .


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[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by remicks

This when so many who did disco back then now want to say "Who, me? Disco? "

*****

Personally I'm increasingly finding (in the UK at least) that disco/funk at last seems to be getting the credibility & praise that it always deserved & rarely received at the time from the media & music biz people.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by SandraDee

Personally I'm increasingly finding (in the UK at least) that disco/funk at last seems to be getting the credibility & praise that it always deserved & rarely received at the time from the media & music biz people.

I hope that's true . Obviously I will argue forever that disco was the climatic music of modern times .....the dramatic culmination of combining almost all things music resulted in DISCO .

I think the modern day music machine dominated by RAP has a better appreciation than did the rock imbedded establishment that existed during the actual disco era.
And .....with the passing of time I'm sure the disco era will get its proper props from the folks further yet into the future that will not be predispositioned with bias ....

There are artists that have moved on ( Rod Stewart comes to mind ) who today now want to minimize the glory garnered them by their disco involvement.


*****

[SandraDee]

Yes, thank goodness those 'rock dinosaurs' like Rod S. are dying off gradually.

[Bernie]

Did a search on my iTunes library for James Brown:

'Cross the Track 3:22 1974 Maceo & The Macks No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 5 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
(It's Not The Express) It's The JB's Monaurail (Part 1) 4:06 1973 Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 12 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Blow Your Head 4:45 1974 The J.B.'s No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 1 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Damn Right, I Am Somebody (Parts 1 & 2) 6:25 1973 Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 8 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine 2:51 1975 James Brown 70's Party Mix R&B 100 14 of 18 Apple Lossless audio file
Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine 2:51 1975 James Brown 100 All Time Classic Dance Hits of the 1970s R&B 100 8 of 21 Apple Lossless audio file
Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine (Pt 1 & 2) 5:18 1975 James Brown No. 1 Funk Hits R&B 100 1 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Get Up Offa That Thing 4:12 1976 James Brown No. 1 Funk Hits R&B 60 1 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Get Up Offa That Thing 4:13 1976 James Brown Old School Jams R&B 60 7 of 10 Apple Lossless audio file
Gimme Some More 3:05 1973 The JBs James Brown's Funky People R&B 60 1 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Gimme Some More 3:07 1971 The JBs No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 10 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose (In The Jungle Groove Remix) 6:11 1970 James Brown Kurtis Blow Presents The History Of Rap - Volume 1 R&B 80 1 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Givin' Up Food For Funk (Part 1) 3:11 1973 The JBs James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 4 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Hot Pants Road 2:46 1973 The JBs James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 6 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
I Know You Got Soul 4:44 1971 Bobby Byrd No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 2 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
If You Don't Get It The First Time, Back Up And Try It Again, Party 3:35 1973 Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 10 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead 3:52 1991 L.A. Style Essential Hardcore Electronica/Dance 80 18 of 20 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (7" Original Mix With Rap) 3:31 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 2 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (7" Original Mix Without Rap) 3:09 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 1 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Crossover Radio Mix) 3:59 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 4 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Deadly Mix) 5:27 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 7 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Original Mix With Rap) 6:07 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 6 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Original Mix Without Rap) 5:42 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 5 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Rock Radio Mix Vocal By Chris Randall) 3:22 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 3 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Take Outs) 0:55 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 9 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Wide Awake Remix) 5:25 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 8 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Medley, Sex machine / I Got You (I Feel Good) 3:12 2003 K.C. & The Sunshine Band Greatest Hits Live Disco 20 4 of 17 Apple Lossless audio file
Make It Funky 3:18 1971 James Brown No. 1 Funk Hits R&B 60 6 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Make It Funky 3:13 1971 James Brown Sampled The Best of Sampled R&B 60 17 of 21 Apple Lossless audio file
Mama Feelgood 3:30 1973 Lyn Collins James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 5 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Mashed Potatoes 3:37 2005 James Brown Nat Kendrick & The Swans R&B 40 1 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Message From the Soul Sisters 4:16 1970 Myra Barnes No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 7 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Parrty (Part 1) 3:24 1973 Maceo & The Macks James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 11 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Pass The Peas 3:14 1973 The JBs James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 2 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Please, Please, Please 2:45 1956 James Brown Heart of Stone - The Henry Stone Story R&B 40 10 of 18 Apple Lossless audio file
Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses) 4:40 1980 James Brown Get Down Tonight: The Best Of T.K. Records R&B 40 16 of 18 Apple Lossless audio file
Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again 3:26 1973 Lyn Collins James Brown's Funky People R&B 60 7 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Same Beat 3:21 1973 Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 9 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Same Beat (Part 1) 3:19 1973 Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 13 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Soul Power '74 4:12 1973 Maceo & The Macks No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 11 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
Super-Wolf Can Do It (Short Version) 6:22 1980 Superwolf The Sugar Hill Records Story Hip Hop/Rap 40 4 of 10 Apple Lossless audio file
Take Me Just As I Am 3:32 1973 Lyn Collins James Brown's Funky People R&B 40 9 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Nothin' 4:02 1991 Living Colour Biscuits (EP) Rock 40 1 of 6 Apple Lossless audio file
The Boss 3:17 1973 James Brown No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 60 8 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file
The Payback 7:30 1974 James Brown Funk Of The 70's R&B 80 4 of 11 Apple Lossless audio file
The Payback - Part I 3:31 1974 James Brown Can You Dig It? The '70s Soul Experience R&B 80 1 of 23 Apple Lossless audio file
Think (About It) 3:24 1973 Lyn Collins James Brown's Funky People R&B 80 3 of 13 Apple Lossless audio file
Think (About it) 3:25 1972 Lyn Collins No. 1 Rare Groove Hits R&B 80 3 of 12 Apple Lossless audio file

Kind of interesting all the things it called up.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Bernie

James Brown Is Dead (7" Original Mix Without Rap) 3:09 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 1 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Crossover Radio Mix) 3:59 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 4 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Deadly Mix) 5:27 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 7 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Original Mix With Rap) 6:07 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 6 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Original Mix Without Rap) 5:42 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 5 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Rock Radio Mix Vocal By Chris Randall) 3:22 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 3 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Take Outs) 0:55 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 9 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file
James Brown Is Dead (Wide Awake Remix) 5:25 1991 L.A. Style James Brown Is Dead (Single) Electronica/Dance 60 8 of 9 Apple Lossless audio file

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[Bernie]

Originally Posted by remicks

*****

James Brown Is Dead:
You don't remember this one? It was a Techno song from the early '90s that was played everywhere. Of course it wasn't by James Brown... Was going to delete it from my search, but left it in.

Although I don't have much James Brown music, I'm listening to it it all right now and what amazing talent he and his bandmates had.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Bernie

James Brown Is Dead:
You don't remember this one?

I honestly don't .
I'll assume (hope ) that despite its title it was a respectful homage to The Godfather ?


*****

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by remicks

Obviously I will argue forever that disco was the climatic music of modern times .....the dramatic culmination of combining almost all things music resulted in DISCO .

This is so true and something I will always say. Disco managed to bring together so many disparate musical and cultural elements: Black, Latin, Jazz, Classical... It brought together ALL people: white, black, straight, gay...

Just watch that Barry White video of Love's Theme or look at the makeup of M.F.S.B. or the Salsoul Orchestra. I really doubt that such things will ever happen again naturally.

I'm glad James Brown had the balls to say what he said about he being Disco. He really did straddle all those genres and we owe so much to him. Wish I could have seen him perform live, but I guess I'll just have to go out and buy all those missing James Brown albums and enjoy that instead.

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by remicks

I honestly don't . I'll assume (hope ) that despite its title it was a respectful homage to The Godfather?

I have that CD somewhere in my cellar. It was a so called "Hardfloor" production by a Dutch group called L.A. Style. The only lyrics consist of a guy stating "James Brown is dead" and than a hard synth-beat drops in with some standard rappin'. In fact it was heavily inspired by the tracks of Belgian band Praga Khan although they had nothing to do with it.

It wasn't disrespectful, only a little naughty, they wanted to say that a new beat was born and that the old grooves were gone. History has proven otherwise They were asking themselves how the world would react when that news would be announced.

Well, we know now, don't we? It was massive in European clubs BITD.

It soon was followed by "James Brown is still alive".

Here it is:

[Disco Funk]

I never like 'James Brown Is Dead'. I think they did it not just for the shock value, but also to say something like 'disco is dead'. In other words, they wanted to emphasize that they didn't think James Brown's influence was around anymore, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Most disco/house/dance music, if not all of it, can be traced back to the Godfather of Soul.

Now I dislike that LA Style track even more. Long live Soul Brother Number 1.

As a tribute to JB, I've been playing his music all week. Not just his own recordings, but stuff he recorded with Marva Whitney, Vicki Anderson, Lyn Collins, Bobby Byrd, and The JBs, to mention just a few. The Hardest Working Man In Show Business will be on heavy rotation in my CD player until his funeral.

RIP James Brown

Here's a cool version of Cold Sweat, done with a dash of Give It Up Or Turnit Loose:

Cold Sweat

Disco Funk

[remicks]

*****

I can't imagine a crowd dancing to any song saying anything about anyone being dead . I have to say I find that beyond vulgar. I honestly can't even picture it. (! ?)
( Bernie do you really like it that much ??? You've got like eighty versions of it !! )

*****

[disco1999]

In the early 90's vulgar songs was the big thing in the techno rave world. Besides James Brown is Dead, other titles like
Obscure FM - Michael Jackson is in heaven now
(repeated lyrics: Michael Jackson is shot dead in front of a live studio audience)
New York Style - Shut the fuck up bitch u can't sing
RIP - Désolé Madame (I am sorry but your son is dead)

[remicks]

*****

Disco Funk ,

I'm sorry for your pain !
I know you really dig the guy .
One of my all time favorite people past away this year too..... Buck Owens. He's my own favorite local yokel from Bakersfield. And before anyone says anything …. the guy had over twenty No. ! country songs … and made one hell of a contribution to the world of music .
..Like James Brown he was an origianl , a total self-made man . He carved his own path , his music style was his own .... and he lived it .... like James Brown .... his whole life.

And like James Brown , Buck Owens was performing right up until the week he died. That is part of what is so shocking... these are the kind of people in our lives we think will be around forever . There they are, still on stage going strong. And then suddenly without warning … it’s over.

It seems unfair .... but then would they really have wanted it any other way? They lived long lives and to the fullest .... right up until the very end . We should all be so lucky.

RIP Buck Owens and James Brown . ( Never expected to mention those two names in the same sentence but it now seems most fittin’ ) Thanks for all you gave to this wonderful thing called music.


*****

[Simon White]

I suspect that Mr Browns point was that most of the music he made was DANCE music, pure and simple right from things like 'I Got You' and 'Out Of Sight'..therefore he was saying that in effect he was always a disco artist in the same way that Chubby Checker (for instance) was a disco artist because he too made music for dancing, but not in the generally accepted definition of the 70's, i.e. 125 + bpm's, strings, 4/4 , hi hats ect. The very name James Brown defines funk and James brown's influence in popular music is far more important than someone like Elvis Presley.

Things like 'Star Generation' and the truly horrible 'For Goodness Sakes Look At Those Cakes' were The Godfather's attempts to go full on 'Disco' in the 70's and were not good, whereas as virtually everything he did before that in the 70's was utterly fantastic....and were uptempo FUNK records that were played in DISCOS, things like "Sex Machine' 'Body Heat' 'Get Up Offa That Thing' and from the album 'JAM/1980's" 'Nature' & 'Eyesight' (which has the legend 'James Brown New Disco Sound' on the 45 label !)

The fact is, 'Disco' killed James Brown's career in the late 70's and it wasn't until his earlier 70's and late 60's FUNKY work started to be sampled by the Hip Hop crowd that he climbed back into the place he deserved.


How the hell Rod Stewart - who made ONE disco record (and an awful one at that)..got dragged into this I don't know. Considering Rod Stewart was recording white soul lite in the 60's,and then did mostly cover versions and ballad type things he by no stretch of the imagination can be called a disco artist and shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breathe as JB.