RIP James Brown

[nobody]

Oddly enough I just picked up a copy of James Brown Live at the Apollo yesterday. I'll go listen to it now.

[kexodusc]

The man's musical influence is well documented...to me, he will always be known as the world's best interview. Never a dull answer or comment from the man. He was an entertainer even after hours.
Who DOESN'T like James Brown?

[Dusty Chalk]

Wait, James Brown Is Dead?!?!?

Sucks...RIP and all that...

[jrhymeammo]

James Mother F`in Brown!!! I`m glad I got to see him once before he finally kicked it. 9:30 Club in DC about...4 years ago I think. I got to touch him. I know it sounds weird, but I got to touch him.

James Mother ****ing Brown!!!!!!! RIP.

JRA

[basite]

Wait, James Brown Is Dead?!?!?

Sucks...RIP and all that...

just heard it yesterday evening (yesterday morning for you Americans...)

poor man, 73 and dead,
i also saw him once, didn't touch him though.


anyways,

RIP James,

Bert.

[GMichael]

A great loss indeed. Can you imagine how many artists he influenced? And how many of those artists influenced others?

RIP, you'll be sorely missed.

[Worf101]

I posted this on another forum yesterday. Still good here though. Saw the man about 5 times over the years, including twice at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem in the early 70's at the height of his powers.

"I know this means little to many of you out there, you're too young or live in lands too distant to know the impact of this man. But this loss hits me hard, on Christmas day no less. Don't be fooled by the parodies on "Saturday Night Live" or "Mad T.V." or a million other shows. This man was a pure genius. "Versuvius in Kansas" one critic called him.

You may mistake him for a 50's crooner on songs like "Try Me" or "Prisoner of Love", or 60's soul shouter on "Pappa's Gotta Brand New Bag" and "I Feel Good", but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The complex, deep rhythms he hand crafted with Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis and the rest of the J.B.'s were the foundation of modern Rap, R&B and the birthplace of Funk. He's been sampled by more "artists" than any other entity.

You've heard his music without knowing it, hummed his songs without remarking on it and danced to his rhythms without remembering it. You may dismiss his sound as "primitive" or "raw" but to do so only shows your ignorance. Even if you've no musical talent at all just listen and try to understand the rhythmic intricacies on a tune like "Cold Sweat" or "Give It Up, Turn it Loose". Many's a Berkley grad that laughs at it but can't play it.

Like many people, you sometimes don't miss the water till the well runs dry. I'm glad I saw James with the whole band at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, NY about 3 years ago when he turned 70. The best song of the night funny enough, wasn't even one of his. As an encore he did a rousing rendition of "Soul Man", the classic Sam and Dave cut made popular by the Blues Brothers.

The balcony of the old place was bouncing up and down in time to the music... as he and Bobby Bird danced in time. We all danced, Red, Yellow, Black, White and Brown, on an elemental level, in the roots of our beings. That's what I'll remember most, how he made us all "forget our troubles and dance...."

Da Worfster

[bobsticks]

Nice testimonial, Worfster

[3-LockBox]

Prince borrowed heavily from this guy, in song structure and performance, even copying Brown's signature spin move. John (Cougar) Mellencamp actually sites Brown as an influnce even though if you'd ever seen Mellencamp in his youth, it was very obvious. No, you couldn't call Mellencamp's early music funk, but song's like R-O-C-K In The USA, Crumblin Down, Pop Singer, the bridge in Jack And Diann all showed Brown's influence. Hell, even Led Zeppelin paid an omage to Brown with their performance of The Crunge off the Houses Of The Holy album.

Brown's take on R&B was the birthplace of funk, with its intricate structure and attacking beat (some called it a marriage of Soul and Jazz) it was indeed a discipline the way Brown's band played it. He was an influence of epic proportions, every bit as influencial as the Beatles, Elvis, Chuck Berry or Sinatra.