"The Singles Volume 1: The Federal Years 1956-1960" by JAMES BROWN featuring The Famous Flames and Bea Fords (September 2006 US Hip-O Select/Polydor 2CD Set - Suha Gur Remasters) - No. 1 in a Series of 11 - A Review by Mark Barry...

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BLUES, VOCAL GROUPS, RHYTHM 'n' BLUES and ROCK 'n' ROLL ON CD   

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"…Please, Please, Please…" 

A million miles removed from his Sixties Soul and Seventies Funk - this gorgeously produced and presented 2CD set concentrates on the beginning - James Brown And His Famous Flames as a Rhythm 'n' Blues belter (his first 19 singles). Here are the drop-to-your-knees details...

US released 26 September 2006 - "The Singles Volume 1: The Federal Years 1956-1960" by JAMES BROWN is the first of 11 Volumes of double-CDs covering his entire singles output between 1956 and 1981. Hip-O Select/Polydor B0007029-02 (Barcode 602517000575) breaks down as follows (all entries are American singles unless otherwise stated):

Disc 1, 21 tracks, 53:41 minutes:

1. Please, Please, Please

2. Why Do You Do Me (tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of his debut 7" single on Federal 12258 released March 1956 - a USA R&B No.5)

3.I Don't Know

4. I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On (tracks 3 and 4 are the A&B-sides of Federal 11264 released June 1956)

5. No, No, No, No

6. Hold My Baby's Hand (tracks 5 and 6 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12277 released July 1956)

7. I Won't Plead No More

8. Chonnie-On-Chon (tracks 7 and 8 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12290 released October 1956)

9. Just Won't Do Right

10. Let's Make It (tracks 9 and 10 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12289 released January 1957)

11. Gonna Try

12. Can't Be The Same (tracks 11 and 12 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12292 released March 1957)

13. Message With The Blues

14. Love Or A Game (tracks 13 and 14 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12295 released May 1957)

15. You're Mine, You're Mine

16. I Walked Alone (tracks 15 and 16 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12300 released July 1957)

17. That Dood It

18. Baby Cries Over The Ocean (tracks 17 and 18 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12311 released November 1957)

19. Begging, Begging

20. That's When I Lost My Heart (tracks 19 and 20 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12316 released February 1958

21. Try Me (Demo Version)

[Notes: 1 to 12 credited to JAMES BROWN With The Famous Flames

13 and 14 credited to JAMES BROWN

Remainder credited to JAMES BROWN And The Famous Flames]

Disc 2, 20 Tracks, 51:51 minutes:

1. Try Me (I Need You)

2. Tell Me What I Did Wrong (tracks 1 and 2 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12337 released October 1958 - a USA R'&B No.1)

3. I Want You So Bad

4. There Must Be A Reason (tracks 3 and 4 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12348 released February 1959 - A USA R&B No.20)

5. I've Got To Change [Mono Version]

6. It Hurts To Tell You [Mono Version] (tracks 5 and 6 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12352 released April 1959)

7. I've Got To Change [Stereo Version]

8. It Hurts Me To Tell You [Stereo Version] (tracks 7 and 8 are the A&B-sides of Federal S-12352 released May 1959)

9. Double Bee

10. Bucket Head (tracks 9 and 10 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12360 released July 1959)

11. It Was You

12. Got To Cry (tracks 11 and 12 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12364 released August 1959)

13. Good Good Lovin'

14. Don't Let It Happen To Me (tracks 13 and 14 are A&B-sides of Federal 12361 released October 1959)

15. I'll Go Crazy

16. I Know It's True (tracks 15 and 16 are the A&B-sides on Federal 12369 released January 1960 - A USA R&B No. 15)

17. Think

18. You've Got The Power (tracks 17 and 18 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12370 released April 1960 - a USA R&B No. 7 - B-side No. 14 R&B)

19. This Old Heart

20. Wonder When You're Coming Home (tracks 19 and 20 are the A&B-sides of Federal 12378 released August 1960 - A USA R&B No. 20)

[Notes: all tracks are Mono except where stated, all tracks James Brown And The Famous Flames except "You've Got The Power" which is James Brown And The Famous Flames - Duet Vocals with Bea Ford]

The 28-page sepia-feel booklet is gorgeous - jam-packed with detail by fan/world authority and keeper of the famous flame - ALAN LEEDS. You get song-by-song histories, cool trade adverts and Federal singles pepper the text and there's a detailed Sessionography on the last pages. HAREY WEINGER and PAT LAWRENCE produced while SUHA GUR did the superlative remasters from original Mono Single mixes (except "Bucket Head" restored from 45). The audio is fantastic and I've sung this Engineer's skills before (Howard Tate, Eddie Kendricks, Grace Jones, Joe Cocker, Kool & The Gang, John Mayall, Cat Stevens, Cream - the Suha Gur list is long).

However - despite opening strongly with "Please, Please, Please" and its equally tasty B-side - you couldn't describe much of Disc 1 as 'classic' - it fact its plodding in places and downright uninspired in others. And outside of "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me (I Need You)" and "Think" - it's all too easy to see why much of it didn't chart or elicit interest from DJs. That's not to say there aren't gems in here like the groovy dancer "Tell Me What I Did Wrong" where Brown finally finds something of that legendary mojo. The STEREO VERSION of the "It Hurts To Tell You" single is an amazing entry - quite extraordinary sound and a genuine rarity. 

The "Try Me (Demo Version)" is dubbed off a 78" Acetate and sounds awful - a historical curio tagged onto the first 10 singles of his career on Disc 1. The largely instrumental "Bucket Head" is fun as is the boppin' "Good Good Lovin'" - one of his underground classics and a tune that should have charted. The pleader "I'll Go Crazy" is typical of his "if you leave me" type songs and I dig the Bluesy duet with Bea Ford on "You Got The Power" (the B-side to "Think"). Another cool tune is "You're Mine, You're Mine". The whole compilation is good rather than being great - but there is that audio and presentation...

Born in 1933 - passed in 2006 - James Brown changed the world of music forever - and so much for the better. The Godfather would hit his Soul stride with the arrival of the Swinging Sixties - but this is where that unbelievable career started to cook...

"The Singles Volume 10: 1975-1979" by JAMES BROWN featuring The JB's and Martha High (2011 US Hip-O Select 2CD Anthology - Seth Foster Remasters) - No. 10 in a Series of 11 - A Review by Mark Barry

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70ts Soul, R'n'B, Funk, Jazz Fusion
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"…Get Up Offa That Thing…And Dance 'Til You Feel Better…"

I've been diligently collecting this series of 2CD sets since they started in 2006, and this 10th installment is the fifth twofer to cover his extraordinary Seventies output (Volumes 6, 7, 8 and 9 are the others and feature 1970 to 1975).

Volume 9 had a feeling of JB winding down in terms of quality – treading water a lot of the time, and despite Volume 10 feeling somewhat the same, there is still greatness to be heard on this latest edition. Details first...

All tracks are credited to JAMES BROWN except where noted and the pairing of numbers below are the A & B-sides of US 7" singles. 

Released 11 February 2011 on Hip-O’s own website in the USA (British released Monday 28 March 2011) - "The Singles Volume 10: 1975-1979" by JAMES BROWN on Hip-O Select/Polydor B0015279-02 (Barcode 602527622408) is a 2CD set of Remasters and breaks down as follows…(all catalogue numbers are US 7” singles unless otherwise noted):

Disc 1 (77:23 minutes):

1. Superbad, Superslick Part I

2. Superbad, Superslick Part II

Tracks 1 and 2 are Polydor PD 14295, released September 1975 (for 2, see also Track 5)

3. Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs      

4. Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs - Short Version

Tracks 3 and 4 first appeared as a Promo 7” single in November 1975 on Polydor PRO-005, then was issued as a Stock Copy in January 1976 on Polydor PD 14303

5. Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)

Tracks 5 (and 2 above) are the A&B sides of Polydor PD 14301, released December 1975

6. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons

7. Goodnight My Love

Tracks 6 and 7 are Polydor PD 14304, released March 1976

8. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time – Part 1

9. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time – Part 2

Tracks 8 and 9 are People PE 664, released May 196 [credited to THE J.B.’S with JAMES BROWN]

10. Get Up Offa That Thing

11. Release The Pressure

Tracks 10 and 11 are Polydor PD 14326, released June 1976

12. I Refuse To Lose        

13. Home Again

Tracks 12 and 13 are Polydor PD 14354, released August 1976

14. Bodyheat (Part 1)

15. Bodyheat (Part 2)

Tracks 14 and 15 are Polydor PD 14360, released December 1976

16. Kiss In 77

17. Woman

Tracks 16 and 17 are Polydor PD 14388, released April 1977

Disc 2 (75:36 minutes):

1. Give Me Some Skin

2. People Wake Up And Live

Tracks 1 and 2 are Polydor PD 14409, released July 1977 [credited to JAMES BROWN AND THE J.B.’S]

3. Summertime

4. Take Me Higher And Groove Me

Tracks 3 and 4 are Polydor PD 14433, released November 1977 [A-side credited to MARTHA and JAMES (Duet Vocal With Martha High)]

5. If You Don’t Give A Dogone About It

6. People Who Criticize

Tracks 5 and 6 are Polydor PD 14438, released January 1978 [credited to JAMES BROWN and The New J.B.’s]

7. Love Me Tender

8. Have A Happy Day

Tracks 7 and 8 are Polydor PD 14460, released March 1978 [credited to JAMES BROWN and The New J.B.’s] (Track 7 was used again — as a B-side to track 11)

9. Eyesight

10. I Never, Never, Never Will Forget

Tracks 9 and 10 are Polydor PD 14465, released April 1978

11. The Spank

Track 11 (and Track 7) are Polydor PD 14487, released July 1878

12. Nature (Part I)

13. Nature (Part II)

Tracks 12 and 13 are Polydor PD 14512, released September 1978

14. For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes (Part 1)

15. For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes (Part 2)

Tracks 14 and 15 are Polydor PD 14522, released October 1978

16. Someone To Talk To (Part I)

17. Someone To Talk To (Part II)

Tracks 16 and 17 are Polydor PD 14540, released December 1978

18. It’s Too Funky In Here

19. Are We Really Dancing

Tracks 18 and 19 are Polydor PD 14557, released May 1979

Like Volumes 8 and 9 (see separate reviews), the 28-page booklet by noted JB expert and former tour manager ALAN LEEDS and is a joy to look at — a hugely informative read that's packed to the gills with track histories, concert posters, trade adverts, magazine covers and a thoroughly detailed recording Sessionography. The inlay beneath the see-through CD tray has an advert for a concert at the Miami Baseball Stadium with a string of guests including B.B. King - it's exceptionally well done...

And again (as in previous issues) SETH FOSTER has expertly handled the first-generation master tapes for the single mixes - he's done a truly superlative job — warm, clear and fabulously alive. There is hiss on some cuts like "Summertime" - but mostly the music jumps out of the speakers at you — gorgeous sound. The word "Limited Edition" is embossed in gold lettering on the rear inlay (it doesn’t give numbers, but presumably it's a worldwide limited edition of 5000 copies like its predecessor).

Disc 1 opens strongly with 2 great driving-funky singles — “Superbad, Superslick” and “Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs” (I think the shortened B-side is better than the longer An on Dooley’s). The sample of David Bowie’s “Fame” provides the backbeat for “Hot [I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved)” where James steals back a little of what everyone stole from him. Unfortunately there follows a cringingly bad disco version of the Nat King Cole 1946 standard “[I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” with an equally cruddy version of the Jesse Belvin 1956 hit “Goodnight My Love” on the flip. Things improve on “Everybody Wanna Get Funky…” even if the false crowd start irritates a bit – it’s good – but what comes next is another league altogether. “Get Up Offa That Thing…And Dance ‘Til You Feel Better…” was shouted by JB at a lack-lustre audience and he had a hit in his brain. Done with a new band and fresh enthusiasm, they got it down in one take – and it funks like a mother. 

It’s followed by another double-winner – the fast and funky jam “I Refuse To Lose” and its bluesy B-side “Home Again” (great stuff and both sounding spectacularly clear). “Bodyheat” is superb funk too - fully deserving its Number 13 position on the USA R&B charts. “Kiss In 77” is JB in Teddy Pendergrass loverman territory and it only half works, but its B-side “Woman” is far better – stylistically harking back to his 1966 King Records classic “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”.

Disc 2 has its dogs as well – his terrible cover of Presley’s “Love Me Tender” no matter how heartfelt it was smacks of opportunism almost a full year after Elvis’ death, while the cloying “Someone To Talk” is sappy pap. His duet with Martha High on the Gershwin cover of “Summertime” is actually quite good, but when we get to tracks like “Eyesight” and “Nature”, Brown just sounds out of time – and worse – he even sounds naff. It ends on a good note though – “It’s Too Funky In Here”.

To sum up – Volume 10 is similar to Volume 9 – the good and great vying with precisely the opposite (Volumes 7 and 8 are much better). But if you really want to know why he got the title "The Godfather of Soul" in the first place - and especially why funk fans dig him so much - then buy this superbly featured reissue and concentrate only on the good stuff.

By the end of the Seventies, James Brown wasn’t troubling the national charts too much, but there’s enough on here to convince that JB truly was a genius. When all others had fallen by the wayside, he was still capable of producing the goods…

"You Shook Me: The Chess Masters Volume 3, 1958 to 1963" by MUDDY WATERS - A Review Of The 2012 Hip-O Select 2CD Remasters - With 7" Singles and Album Discography...

AMAZON UK Purchase-Link Above - AMAZON USA Link Below

"...Take The Bitter With The Sweet..." 

Part 3 in Hip-O Select's ongoing reissue series - "You Shook Me: The Chess Masters Volume 3, 1958 to 1963" was USA released December 2012 as a 2CD set on Hip-O Select/Geffen/Chess/Universal B10017581-02 (Barcode 602537164653). 

Disc 1 has 26 tracks at 71:16 minutes - Disc 2 has 23 tracks at 73:03 minutes. 

In order to properly show what's on offer - I've provided a track-by-track Discography with song placements after each title - [16/1] is Track 16 on Disc 1 - [1/2] is Track 1 on Disc 2 etc. It breaks down as follows...

7" SINGLES:

1. Chess 1718 (released 1959)

Mean Mistreater [3/1] b/w Walking Thru The Park [1/1]

2. Chess 1733 (released 1959)

Take The Bitter With The Sweet [7/1] b/w She's Into Something [8/1]

3. Chess 1739 (released 1959)

Recipe For Love [14/1] b/w Tell Me Baby [16/1]

4. Chess 1748 (released 1960)

I Feel So Good [11/1] b/w When I Get To Thinking [17/1]

(Note: In the booklet Track 13 "Love Affair" is mistakenly credited as being Chess 1748 also - when it's the A-side of Chess 1758)

5. Chess 1752 (released 1960)

I'm Your Doctor [21/1] b/w Read Way Back [20/1]

6. Chess 1758 (released 1960)

Love Affair [13/1] b/w Look What You've Done [on Volume 2 - see Notes]

7. Chess 1765 (released 1960)

Tiger In Your Tank [23/1] b/w Meanest Woman [25/1]

8. Chess 1774 (released 1960)

Got My Mojo Working [7/2] b/w Woman Wanted [19/1]

[Note: the A-side is live while the B-side is a non-album studio cut. The original 45 A-side is also a 2:40 minutes Edit of "Got My Mojo Working Part 1" from the live "Muddy Waters At Newport" LP. Unfortunately, this set doesn't include that edit as a separate track - instead 7/2 is the full album cut at 4:27 minutes]

9. Chess 1796 (released 1961)

Messin' With The Man [12/2] b/w Lonesome Bedroom Blues [11/2]

[Note: "Messin' With The Man" became "Messin' With The Kid" - the opening track on Rory Gallagher's superb 1972 album "Live! In Europe"]

10. Chess 1819 (released 1962)

Going Home [13/2] b/w Tough Times [16/2]

11. Chess 1827 (released 1962)

Muddy Waters Twist [15/2] b/w You Shook Me [17/2]

[Note: "You Shook Me" covered on by Led Zeppelin on their 1969 debut album "Led Zeppelin"]

12. Chess 1839 (released 1962)

You Need Love [18/2] b/w Little Brown Bird [19/2]

[Note" "You Need Love" morphed musically and lyrically into "Whole Lotta Love" on the "Led Zeppelin II" album - also uncredited as originally being written by Willie Dixon]

13. Chess 1862 (released 1963)

Five Long Years [21/2] b/w Twenty-Four Hours [23/2]

7" SINGLE NOTES:

The following 5 x 7" singles were also released between 1958 and 1963 - but because they were recorded earlier - all but one of the ten tracks feature on Volume 2 in this series (released by Hip-O Select in the USA in December 2004 as "Hoochie Coochie Man").  "Love Affair" (on Chess 1758) is the track featured on this "Volume 3" set.

14. Chess 1680 (released 1958)

I Live The Life I Love (I Love The Life I Live) [13/2 on Volume 2] b/w Evil [18/2 on Volume 2]

15. Chess 1692 (released 1958)

I Won't Go On [21/2 on Volume 2] b/w She's Got It [22/2 on Volume 2]

16. Chess 1704 (released 1958)

Close To You [25/2 on Volume 2] b/w She's Nineteen Years Old [24/2 on Volume 2]

17. Chess 1724 (released 1959)

Ooh Wee [23/1 on Volume 2] b/w Clouds In My Heart [7/2 on Volume 2]

18. Chess 1758 (released 1960)

Love Affair [13/1 on Volume 3] b/w Look What You've Done [15/2 on Volume 2]

ALBUMS:

1. "Muddy Waters Sings Big Bill Broonzy"

Chess LP 1444 (released January 1960 in Mono)

Side 1:

Tell Me Baby [16/1]

Southbound Train [9/1]

When I Get To Thinking [17/1]

Just A Dream (On My Mind) [10/1]

Double Trouble [18/1]

Side 2:

I Feel So Good [11/1]

I Done Got Wise [15/1] [aka "Baby, I Done Got Wise"]

Mopper's Blues [6/1]

Lonesome Road Blues [5/1]

Hey, Hey [12/1]

2. "Muddy Waters At Newport"

Chess LP 1449 (released December 1960 in Mono, 2001 expanded CD remaster)

Side 1:

I Got My Brand On You (Live) [1/2]

I'm Your Hoochie Koochie Man (Live) [2/2] [aka "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man"]

Baby, Please Don't Go (Live) [3/2]

Soon Forgotten (Live) [4/2]

Tiger In Your Tank (Live) [5/2] [aka "(I Wanna Put A) Tiger In Your Tank"]

Side 2:

I Feel So Good (Live) [6/2]

Got My Mojo Working (Live) [7/2]

Got My Mojo Working, Part 2 (Live) [8/2]

Goodbye Newport Blues (Live) [9/2]

[Note: "Goodbye Newport Blues" features OTIS SPANN on Lead Vocals and Piano]

The 2001 CD bonus tracks on MCA/Chess CD 088 112 515-2 [Mono Studio Tracks] are:

I Got My Brand On You [26/1] (Previously Unreleased - 1st issued here)

Soon Forgotten [24/1] (1st issued "One More Mile - Chess Collectables" 2CD set from 1994)

Tiger In Your Tank [23/1] (Chess 7" single 1765 A)

Meanest Woman [25/1] (Chess 7" single 1765 B)

3. "They Call Me Muddy Waters"

(Compilation LP released December 1970 in the USA on Chess CH-1553)

Crawlin' Kingsnake [4/1]

4. "Rare And Unissued"

(Compilation LP released 1984 in the USA on Chess CH-9180)

[mistakenly credited in booklet as Chess LP 2057]

Deep Down In My Heart [22/1]

5. "The Chess Box"

(Major retrospective 6LP (CH6-80002) and 3CD Box Set (CHD3-80002) released October 1989)

Blues Before Sunrise [2/1]

6. "You Shook Me - The Chess Masters Vol. 3, 1958-1963"

Hip-O Select/Geffen/Chess/Universal B10017581-02 (released December 2012)

Real Love [10/2] (Previously Unreleased In The USA)

Down By The Deep Blue Sea [14/2] (Previously Unreleased In The USA)

Sweet Black Angel (aka Black Angel Blues (Instrumental) [20/2] (Previously Unreleased)

Brown Skin Woman [22/2] (Previously Unreleased In The USA)

The 3-way card digipak has a textured feel and is a lot less elaborate than its Volume 2 predecessor (book form 2CD set). And while the 28-page booklet has pretty colour photos and July 2012 liner notes by MARY KATHERINE ALDIN - it feels way too slight for such an important release and artist of this stature. Having said that the set's been compiled by great names like ANDY McKAIE and remastered/restored by one of Universal's top engineers - ERICK LABSON - a man with well over 1,100 tape transfer credits to his name (inlcuding most of the huge Chess Records catalogue). It sounds wonderful - clean, full of presence and not too trebled for the sake of it.

As you can see from the Discography provided above - musically you get two whole albums worth - a raft of non-album single sides - and the many straggler tracks issued since the Sixties on albums and CD retrospectives down through the decades. Muddy's band reads like a who's who of Blues luminaries - Little Walter on incenduary Harmonica, Otis Spann his long-time piano-playing sidekick, Jimmy Rogers provided tasty Guitar, the legendary Willie Dixon on Upright Bass and many more... And of the 4 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED tracks surfacing here - "Sweet Black Angel" and "Brown Skin Woman" are the best.

I can only hope Hip-O Select up the packaging and presentation for Volume 4 - if ever a master of the genre deserved it - then Morgan McKinleyfield is that Mojo man...

HIP-O SELECT CD compilations for MUDDY WATERS to date (2014):

1. "Rollin' Stone: The Golden Anniversary Collection"

(June 2000 USA 2CD Set on Hip-O Select/Chess CHD-112301)

(Volume 1 - covers 1947 to 1952 on the Aristocrat and Chess labels)

2. "Hoochie Coochie Man - The Complete Chess Masters Volume 2, 1952-1958"

(December 2004 USA 2CD BOOK PACK on Hip-O Select/Chess B0002758-02) [SEE REVIEW]

3. "You Shook Me - The Chess Masters Vol. 3, 1958-1963"

(December 2012 USA 2CD set on Hip-O Select/Geffen/Chess/Universal B10017581-02)