​​Seeing the Light: A Personal Intro to the Godfather

My all-time favorite movie is The Blues Brothers from 1980—the one that I could and would watch any time & anywhere I found it, and especially my go-to one when I am feeling down—so I don’t know how many times I might have watched it 😎😎

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My first time ever listening to the Godfather of Soul must have been through the Blues Brothers –  thru “Reverend Cleophus James”; Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) are on a mission from God to save the Catholic orphanage in which they were raised from foreclosure. And before they decide they should reunite the band and organize a performance to earn the $5,000 needed to pay the orphanage's back taxes, they visit the Triple Rock Church.

The scene at the Church with James Brown's memorable performance of 'The Old Landmark' is considered one of the greatest movie musical acts ever. His energy, stage presence, and powerful vocals are unforgettable for the audience (and on Jake as well, as he experiences a spiritual awakening and “sees the light”).​​

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Pre-70s Soul vs. The 1970s Funk Revolution

James Brown, the American singer-dancer is certainly one of the main architects of funk. Over the course of his 50+ years of career, he is known to release innumerable singles, and from 1959 onwards, he averages 3+ albums per year, while also creating genres. He is the most sampled recording artist and “the Hardest Working Man in Show Business”. 

For a career marked by continuous output, it is very challenging to write summaries for a specific year or even a period… still, (I hope) it wouldn’t be too wrong to say he had the "pre-70s," “the 70s,” and “late 80s and onwards” in his career.

Pre-70s James Brown is a soul singer with intense energy and a fantastic band. His music is characterized by his unique blend of R&B, soul, and gospel, which he then calls "the big beat," and it is marked by his gospel-infused vocals, driving rhythms, and elaborate orchestration. Then, and really always, he is recognized for his upbeat live performances, which frequently involve call-and-response exchanges with the audience. His band features sharp horn sections, but the emphasis is on a strong backbeat from the rhythm section.

Come the 70s,  his music moves toward a funkier sound (with a heavier emphasis on the groove and tighter drumming patterns and prominent basslines), as he evolves into the Godfather of Soul, leading a tight, funky band that even stretches the genre.

Of course, this is not an abrupt transition; his work prior to the 1970s still has funk elements, and there are still great, funky songs from that era, while some of his work from the 1970s still heavily references R&B and soul.

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Overall, the 1970s marks a period of significant evolution in James Brown's sound. And the year 1970 marks a pivotal moment in the history of funk music. It isn't only about James Brown's continuous output of iconic albums; it is also the year the legendary backing band—the “original” J.B.'s forms. 💥 💥

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March 1970: The Birth of the "Original" J.B.’s

Prior to 1970, James Brown relies on various backing bands, collectively known as The James Brown Band or The James Brown Orchestra, and they are mostly from the jazz tradition. However, in March 1970, a pay dispute leads to a walkout by most of the members, and Brown starts again by putting together a new group of gifted musicians who would go on to become known as the J.B.'s.

Brown's transformation is mostly due to the "original" J.B.'s; the band introduces a harder, more stripped-down rhythmic approach to James Brown's music, with their funky grooves and upbeat performances becoming a defining feature of his sound in the 1970s.

Two key figures in the early J.B.'s are the Collins brothers: bassist Bootsy Collins and guitarist Catfish Collins. Bootsy's basslines and Catfish's percussive guitar work provide the syncopated skeleton that Brown requires for his 70s catalog. 🎸 Clyde Stubblefield is one of the other gifted musicians from the original J.B.'s group. 🥁 

(The Collins brothers and some other members of the “original” J.B.’s depart the band a year later, despite the band’s undeniable success in 1970; the Collins Brothers go on to play important roles in the development of Parliament-Funkadelic.) 

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The 1970 Catalog: From "Sex Machine" to "Ain't It Funky"

There are 5 albums from 1970 (so-called live album, the iconic Sex Machine, the socially conscious Hey America, the big band, funk & jazz vocal Soul on Top, again the well-received It’s a New Day— Let a Man Come in, and the mostly instrumental Ain’t It Funky, the funk essential); and of course the singles 'Super Bad,' 'Funky Drummer,' 'Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine' and 'Brother Rapp,' to name a few. The J.B.s also come up with their own singles, 'These are the J.B.s' and 'the Grunt.' 🎶

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Out of this vast output from only one year, my preference would be the instrumental, less JB-like, more JB Band-like Ain’t It Funky; yes, there are no vocals, but (almost) all songs are written by JB. The album is a classic of funk, with tracks like 'Ain't it Funky Now' (originally released in 69) and 'Cold Sweat' (originally released in 67). The album's taut horn arrangements and continuous grooves say it all: James Brown is central to funk music. ⭐

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Gülben - 04/2024

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📌 Official Site

📖 John Doran writes “10 of the best - James Brown” for The Guardian

📖 Tristan Ettleman ranks The James Brown Albums at Medium​​