LibGuides: James Brown: Home

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James Brown - I Feel Good (Legends of Rock 'n' Roll)

2012 Hall of Fame Inductee Bobby Bennett of the Famous Flames

The Famous Flames provided vocals and choreography for James Brown from their formation in 1953 until their departure in 1968. The Famous Flames were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Books

James Brown by James Brown; Bruce Tucker
Call Number: ML420.B765 A3 1986
From his dirt-poor childhood in an Augusta brothel to wealth and world fame and his recent incarceration, James Brown takes a unique look behind the closed doors of poverty, segregation, politics, and the music industry.
James Brown by John Scannell
Call Number: ML420.B765 S33 2012
Foregrounding the funk style "invented" by legendary musician James Brown, this study concerns itself with how the experience of time in popular music is reflective of broader social, political or, more simply, existential, conditions.
The Hardest Working Man by James Sullivan
Call Number: ML420.B765 S85 2008
Since James Brown's death in December 2006, the Godfather of Soul has received many stirring tributes. Yet few have addressed his contribution in the darkest hour of the Civil Rights movement. Telling for the first time the story of his historic Boston Garden concert the day after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, The Hardest Working Man captures the magnificent achievements that made Brown an icon of American popular culture.
The James Brown Reader by Alan Leeds (Editor); Nelson George (Editor)
Call Number: ML420.B765 J36 2008
ISBN: 0452289467
Nelson George and Alan Leeds have assembled the first comprehensive collection of writings about the late, great Godfather of Soul, creating a fascinating mosaic of the man and the musician.
The Life of James Brown by Geoff Brown
Call Number: ML420.B765 B76 2008
This is the definitive biography of this extraordinary and controversial superstar, encompassing his entire life, until his death on Christmas day, 2006.
The One:The Life and Music of James Brown by R. J. Smith
Call Number: ML420.B765 S65 2012
A tribute to the life and achievements of the "Godfather of Soul" covers his unconventional youth in a segregated South, his complicated family life, and his work as a civil rights advocate and entrepreneur.

Audio

James Brown : live at the Apollo by James Brown
Call Number: CD BROWN-J JAMES-L-A 1987
Thank God someone thought to record the Godfather in concert at this vital stage of his career--and at the ultimate shrine of black American music, to boot. There is no more exciting document of live performance in the history of R&B: powered by tireless drummer Clayton Fillyau, James Brown and the Famous Flames tear their way through a slew of King hits taking soul power to the very edge of gospel abandon in the process.
James Brown sings raw soul by James Brown
Call Number: CD BROWN-J JAMES-S 1996
Brown's '60s studio albums were often assembled with all the care and attention to sequencing of a grocery list, mixing disparate tracks that were frequently recorded years apart. Raw Soul is no exception, setting propulsive early funk like "Let Yourself Go" next to oldies retreads, concert recordings, slickly produced pop-soul ballads, and filler instrumentals.
The payback by James Brown
Call Number: CD BROWN-J PAYB 1992
The Payback is a 1973 double album by James Brown. It was originally scheduled to become the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Hell Up in Harlem, but was rejected by director Larry Cohen for "not being funky enough." It went to #1 on the Soul Albums chart for two weeks and cracked the Pop Albums chart in the Top 40.
In the jungle groove by James Brown; Bruce Tucker
Call Number: CD BROWN-J IN-JUN 1986
Originally issued to capitalize on the popularity of Brown's music in hip hop circles at the time, this CD includes the first album release of the much-sampled single "Funky Drummer" (1969), along with a selection of previously unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and remixes.
Say it loud : I'm black and I'm proud by James Brown
Call Number: CD BROWN-J SAY-I 1996
As a chance to hear James Brown as a full-album artist, Say It Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud is well worth owning. Recorded in 1969, at the height of Brown's powers, this does contain several known songs, chief among them the fierce title track and the sexy "Licking Stick." But listen to Brown tear into the mournful "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry" or the bluesy "Let Them Talk" and you will get a true sense of the breadth of his many talents.

Interview with R.J. Smith on Bullseye

R.J. Smith is a former senior editor at Los Angeles Magazine and a music journalist who's written for the Village Voice and Spin. For his latest project, he took on the task of profiling the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Smith's extensive biography, called The One: The Life and Music of James Brown follows the musician from his childhood, raised in a whorehouse, wearing burlap sack underwear, to stardom, and then to reinvention. Download or listen here

Archival Collections

Listed below are notable collections and items from the Rock Hall's Archives. You can find more by searching our catalog here.

James Brown Artist Files
Rolling Stone Collection
James Brown Photographs
Eric Caidin Collection of Photographs
James Brown at Irving Plaza (Audio)
Part of the James Brawley Collection; Concert date: May 22, 1980 at Irving Plaza in NYC
Soul Session with James Brown (Video)
From the Terry Stewart Collection; Dated 1987

Video

All our video on James Brown can be found here.

James Brown : live at the Boston Garden, April 5, 1968 by WGBH Educational Foundation
Call Number: VID BROWN-J LIVE-B 2009
ISBN: 1603992529
This is the actual April 5, 1968, concert James Brown gave at the Boston Garden on the day following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. American cities were already on fire, and the mayor of Boston considered cancelling the performance that evening. A deal was brokered for James Brown's show to be shot by Boston public television station WGBH and broadcast live to the whole city. James Brown gave the performance of his life. Contains bonus audio from the radio simulcast of the concert.
T.A.M.I. show : teenage awards music international by Dick Clark Productions
Call Number: DVD COLL TAMI 2009
Publication Date: 778212490
Filmed just eight months after The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, THE T.A.M.I. SHOW introduced rock n soul youth culture to America in the first concert movie of the rock era. One of the rarest and most sought-after performance films from its time, the 1964 concert event featured future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Supremes and many other American and British Invasion hitmakers in their prime.
The best of Soul train by Ralph Quatrucci
Call Number: DVB COLL SOUL-B 2010
Each DVD features the best moments from original Soul Train episodes, including on-air interviews with artists, the illustrious Soul Train dancers, and even classic commercials from Soul Train sponsors Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen! The Best of Soul Train features performances from a who's-who of classic soul artists, including Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The O'Jays, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers, Barry White and many, many more! On top of that, the DVD set includes over three hours of bonus features, including exclusive interviews with Don Cornelius, Smokey Robinson, and Jody Watley, among others.

James Brown: Home

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