For those unaware, revered as a pioneering soul and funk icon (not to mention as The Hardest Working Man in Show Business), James Brown would at first seem an unlikely subject for an entry in Bear Family’s long-running Rocks series.

But undeniable evidence that Mr. Dynamite proudly belongs in any pantheon of great and timeless rock and rollers defines this compilation (after all, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 1986).

During Brown’s early years at Syd Nathan’s Cincinnati-based Federal and King Records, Soul Brother Number One engaged in plenty of righteous rocking with his Famous Flames vocally backing him up, from the thundering jumpers I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On and the Little Richard-inspired Chonnie-On-Chon to a daffy Coasters-like That Dood It and into the screaming testifiers I’ll Go Crazy, This Old Heart, Think, Good Good Lovin’, Dancin’ Little Thing, and Shout And Shimmy.

In January of 1956, James Brown and his vocal group The Famous Flames signed to Federal Records, a subsidiary of King set up in 1950 to release mainly rhythm and blues records. In February the group entered King’s studio on Brewster Avenue for their first recording session. However, the mood soured as Syd Nathan loudly and profanely made it clear that he hated the first song, titled “Please, Please, Please.” He only allowed it to be recorded after an angry argument with producer Ralph Bass!

The song went on to be a hit when it was released in March, but Nathan remained unconvinced of Brown’s potential. It wasn’t until 1958 when Brown had his next hit with the ballad “Try Me” that he would begin to earn Nathan’s respect. From that, the two men would go on to forge a deep friendship, despite an increasingly frustrating business relationship.

In the 1950s, most of Brown’s songs stayed within the musical framework of the era’s R&B sound. But slowly, his musical vision came into sharper focus. His 1960 hit “Think” is a good example of this. Setting aside the more relaxed sound of the original version by his label mates, the “5” Royales, Brown revved the song up with a propulsive and insistent beat, driven by hard-hitting drums and punctuated by wild saxophone. His arrangement was basically the start of his deconstruction of 1950s R&B, taking the essential pieces and hardening them into a radically different sound. The sound of James Brown.

James Brown’s star was ascendant from 1958 onwards, pushed by a relentless touring and recording schedule. From 1958 to 1967, over fifty singles would be released under his name, most of them on the King label, and fifteen albums, including the legendary 1963 album The James Brown Show Live at The Apollo. Emerging as a star at the same time that soul music, a rich melding of blues, rhythm and blues and gospel, became the dominant sound of Black America, James Brown was an undeniable force in the genre, with his innovative music and exciting live performances leading the way.

In the mid-1960s, Brown released a series of singles that proved he was an explosive and exciting musical visionary, an artist determined to push beyond boundaries. They would establish the template for James Brown’s changing musical style, which placed the overall rhythm of the song over melody or chord changes. The first of these, “Out of Sight,” released in 1964, was a bold declarative musical statement of Brown’s intentions. This was music born in part from his live performances, where the band would “vamp” on a chord, holding a pattern as Brown worked his patented dance moves across the stage.

“Out of Sight” introduced this bold new sound, bringing the “vamp” to the radio. This sound would soon have a name of its own. But for now, it was simply James Brown music. “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” and “I Feel Good (I Got You),” both released in 1965, became his biggest hits yet and arguably remain the songs most identified with him. Again, they are striking examples of Brown’s restless musical vision: they intensified the sound heard on “Out of Sight,” “Brand New Bag,” in particular.

By 1967, James Brown was a superstar, with multiple top ten records, a Grammy award, appearances in film and television. He was busily establishing himself as an entrepreneur and was seen as a spokesman for the rising Black Pride movement. At King Records, Brown was the top seller and undeniable star. Earlier in 1964, he and Syd Nathan had a falling out and Brown refused to record for King. The legal standoff ended in 1965, in time for “Brand New Bag” to come out on King. Since then, James Brown seemingly ruled the label as he racked up the hits and sales.

Also along the way, he constantly invented and perfected new grooves and beats to anoint himself as the baddest R&B singer in the land while never allowing the sweat to dry from any stage he muscularly commanded. This collection offers 30 sizzling house rockers by The Godfather of Soul (or Funk - take your pick) from his crucial primordial era, closing with his earth-shattering game-changers Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag and I Got You (I Feel Good), which permanently shifted the axis of soul music with their singular funky vision.

There are even a handful of Brown’s all-too-often overlooked instrumentals, where he usually played drums or organ with his mighty band and grooved like a man possessed. Yes, James Brown could rock- and this scintillating compilation contains the invaluable goods!

So what we have here is a chance for Bear Family Records® to provide the ultimate James Brown compilation here on the brilliantly pleasing new James Brown - Rocks CD.

And, unlike usual Best Of CDs which end in 1962, they bring forth the complete story of his best recordings for Federal and King, from 1956 to 1965! And all transcribed from digital copies of the original master tapes!

1. That Dood It; 2. I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On; 3. And I Do Just What I Want; 4. Tell Me What Did I Wrong; 5. Shout And Shimmy; 6. This Old Heart; 7. You Don’t Have To Go; 8. Chonnie-On-Chon; 9. There Must Be A Reason; 10. Come Over Here; 11. I’ll Go Crazy; 12. Love Don’t Love Nobody; 13. Good Good Lovin’; 14. I’ll Never, Never Let You Go; 15. Signed, Sealed And Delivered; 16. No, No, No, No; 17. Three Hearts In A Tangle; 18. Can’t Be The Same; 19. Think; 20. Hold It; 21. Just You And Me, Darling; 22. Night Flying; 23. Don’t Let It Happen To Me; 24. Dancin’ Little Thing; 25. Let’s Make It; 26. Choo-Choo (Locomotion); 27. Baby Cries Over The Ocean; 28. Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.; 29. I Got You (I Feel Good); 30. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag

Official Purchase Link

www.jamesbrown.com