Let me take you back to the scene of the “time.”
The National Guard Armory in Columbus, March of 1970. A full-on revolt is taking shape backstage at a concert by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Damn near his entire band is threatening to quit over unpaid wages. Mr. Brown, a fervent taskmaster, isn’t about to be steamrolled by the members of his band. He instructs his musical right-hand man, Bobby Byrd (along with then- agent Bob Patton), to reach out to a Cincinnati, Ohio-based outfit known as the Pacemakers. The Pacemakers were led by lead/rhythm guitarist Phelps “Catfish” Collins and bassist William “Bootsy” Collins.
The band would receive no rehearsal time. In reality, they didn’t really need it, due to the fact that like many up-and-coming Black bands, they knew the James Brown repertoire inside and out. They were prepared to take it to the stage with little to no second guessing. In other words, this would be the night that they would stop being the Pacemakers. They were now The J.B.’s.
While their period as The J.B.’s would only last a little more than a year, it would prove to be one of the most innovative chapters in Mr. Brown’s storied career. The J.B.’s would prove to be the perfect band to take Soul Brother Number One into the Black Power era that defined the start of the 1970s. Their stint with Mr. Brown would include less than 10 tracks and one “almost live” album. The prime moments of that exciting period are given the spotlight here.
“GET UP I FEEL LIKE BEING A SEX MACHINE”-JULY 1970
Generally regarded as the pinnacle of Brown’s association with the Collins Brothers, “Sex Machine” proudly exclaims, sexual bodaciousness if you will. The vocal interplay between Brown and Byrd is as effective as the instrumental interplay between Bootsy and Catfish. Compared to other tracks from this period, “Sex Machine” features very little in terms of horns.
“SUPERBAD”-OCTOBER 1970
“WATCH ME, I GOT IT!!!” “WATCH ME, I GOT IT!!! HEY!!!”
The frenetic and bold groove of “Superbad” would appear in record stores in the fall of 1970, sporting an almost snake charmer-like sax solo by Robert “Chopper” McCullough.
“GIVE IT UP OR TURN IT LOOSE”-RECORDED JULY 23, 1970
Although it was never released as a single, “Give It Up Or Turn It Loose” would prove to be as enduring as any of the Bootsy/Catfish singles that would be released during that time. While the first version more than holds its own in the tight groove department, this version would go on to become a dancefloor classic well into the 1990s. The breakbeat contained in this version would help to kickstart the Rap/Hip-Hop movement that would emerge less than a decade later.
“TALKING LOUD AND SAYING NOTHING”-FEBRUARY 1972
Originally recorded while Brown was still under contract to King Records, “Talking Loud And Saying Nothing” at first sported a more rock-sounding arrangement complete with fuzz guitar. It would be re-recorded in October of 1970 with a more straightforward bouncing groove powered by Bootsy’s rock steady bass and Jabo Starks in the pocket groove. The Polydor Records release would come almost a year after the band had departed.
“GET UP, GET INTO IT, GET INVOLVED”-DECEMBER 1970
Perhaps the most politically themed of any JB single released during this time “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved” commands his audience to not sit on the sidelines, but to speak out against any and all forms of suppression. It would serve as another powerful breakbeat in the early days of the Hip-Hop movement.
“SOUL POWER”-MARCH 1971
Easily the most righteous tribute to the concept of Soul to ever come from a prime figure of Funk, “Soul Power” would peak at number 3 on the Billboard R&B singles charts. The complete 12-minute version would finally be released on the 1996 CD compilation Funk Power: A Brand New Thang.
“THE GRUNT”-THE J.B.’s-AUGUST 1970
Easily the most powerful piece of Funk that has emerged out of the Collins Brothers’ association with James Brown, “The Grunt” is the only track that features Bootsy, Catfish, drummer Frankie “Kash” Waddy (who would serve in that capacity in Bootsy’s Rubber Band six years later) and five other members of The J.B.’s in the writer’s credits of the track. Like many other JB tracks, “The Grunt” has been sampled numerous times, including various tracks by Rap legends Public Enemy.
By March of 1971, after relentless touring as well as relentless hassles from the Boss, Bootsy, Catfish, and numerous other band members would make a quick-fast exit. In plotting their next move, the band makes its way to Detroit.
They would cross paths with a vocalist named Mallia Franklin, an associate of producer/bandleader George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic. Once they make a direct connection to Clinton, a new era is about to emerge victorious: the era of P-Funk!
-Tim Kinley
Photo: James Brown in a publicity photo, flanked by Bobby Byrd (L) and Bootsy Collins (R).
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