Please, Please, Please don't go
I don't remember hearing my first James Brown song. They were always just there.
I do remember when I was old enough to understand why I liked them. I remember my first JB concert (Atlantic City, 2003...the only time I ever heard him play "It's a Man's World") and going with Jessica. Everyone thought we were brother and sister and the crochety old people behind us refused to get up and dance. I remember seeing him in summer 2004 and realizing his appeal to all races, all genders and sexualities. At that concert, he was un-impressed with the venue and kept his set short: no cape routine, no extra songs. His limo was outta there before the band had even finished playing him off.
I remember how his screams were the pain of american slave labour, the joy of overcoming, the agony of his personal life, the ecstasy of life rolled into one wordless sound. I remember the first time I straightened my hair, using a photo of JB in the 50's as inspiration. I remember seeing this black man proudly wearing make-up and sequins in public and daring someone to mock him for it.
I remember not being able to count or notate the rhythmic breaks in "Cold Sweat" (try it and see...it's impossible). I remember trying to spin around without knocking over the mic stand.
I remember how this wild man scared people who didn't understand him. I understood that because I scare people in the same way. I remember his commitment to peace. I remember him sticking up for all minorites (including gays) at a time when the rest of America didn't.
I think of his sweat and all the times I've sweated dancing to his songs. I remember his commitment to the stage. I think of the toll unhealthy living took on him. I think of how that same unhealthy living fuelled and inspired him. I think of hearing him in Michael Jackson and Prince and Run DMC and Usher and Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams and Beastie Boys and every male pop/r n b/soul/hip-hop star that came after him.
I think of people who say he was such a difficult man, and then I think of how those difficulties made for flawless evenings. I remember his shows, where by the time he deigned to appear, the audience was invariably already in a state of euphoria:
thegodfatherofsoulthefunkypresidentsoulbrothernumberonemisterdynamitebutanejamesthehardestworkingmaninshowbusinessmisterpleasepleasehimselftheforeignminesteroffunkjamesbrown!jamesbrown!jamesbrown!jamesbrown!
Much as he tried to upstage Jesus Christ on his own birthday, it's impossible for this reason: James Brown is not dead. James Brown will never die. As funky music lives on, so will he. Anytime any musician anywhere comes in on the one, takes it to the bridge, begs for a hit......James Brown lives.
Where to start.....
The air @ Massey Hall was tingling....we all knew it was gonna be special.
Jacksoul is stronger than I remember them being...they're still a lil too Can-Con AM radio for me, but whatever.
9:15 PM The Soul Generals take the stage, and play in The Bittersuites and the announcer. And then... Mr. Dynamite, The Funky President, The Hardest Working Man in Showbusiness, Mr Please Please himself, THE GODFATHER OF SOUL James Brown entered (wearing a black satin and rhinstone tux). 3rd time seeing him and it's still a goddamn thrill. JB kicked it off old-school with "Make it Funky" and segued right into "Get Up Offa That Thing" (which he rarely plays live). "Too Funky in Here"....and it actually was! The lead guitarist finished his first solo and JB screamed "feeling hot tonight, are ya? Playing hot tonight? Do you want some more? Ya want some of this?" and made him play *another* solo. Later he joked about giving them a raise....and in the same breath rescinded the offer.
"Doing it to Death". "Blues in The Night". "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time". Talked about Massey Hall being one of the best halls and his first gig there way back in the early 60's. Talked about Michael Jackson ("everyone makes some mistakes in life. I love Michael"). Sang "If I Ruled the World" for real (no good gods or screaming), and with a low-down dirty "Que pasa, people, que pasa? HIT ME!!!!" took us up into "Get on the Good Foot" Wifey Tommi Rae runs on doing a not-bad cover of sam & dave's "Hold On I'm Coming" which JB took over and went into Outkast's "I Like the Way You Move". The Godfather....covering Outkast.....this is where I broke through consciousness and onto a sweet cloud of funk. What could he do at this point? Did someone say break into his 1954 chart-topper "Try Me"? Cuz that's exactly what he did. Now we are on a collision course with fierce-ness... "I Feel Good". The godfather was feeling mighty good, b/c he broke out his legendary red sequinned cape/fake heart attack routine:
When we finished screaming, goddamn if he didn't turn around and do it again, this time with GREEN sequins!!!! I couldn't take it. Knowing this, he gave it to us one more time, this time with iridescent white sequins. Riot in the the theater. People rushed the stage, hollerred for Jesus, and carried wondered how life could ever return to normal. He launched "Sex Machine" and rocked it out....a good 15 minutes of solid jam-FUNK. He grabbed Tomi Rae by the waist, left the stage, and on his way out reached into the front row and shook my my hand.....which is when I took *this* NASTY HAWT PIC
. The funky drummer threw me his bashed up stick.....and the show was over.
The show *was* over. The band leaves the stage, the stagehands start cleaning up.....but the audience doesn't move. Did someone say Ignunt? People were hollerin', throwing things from the balcony, clutching their bosom, chanting "James Brown" loud enough to be heard in the belly of hell, but Mr. Brown is legendary for not doing encores.....hasn't done one in over a decade, since his 40th anniversay show @ the apollo. At the show this summer, his limo was gone before the band was even finished playing him out. I grab my bag, turn to leave, when an IN-HUMAN ROAR picks up. JB came back out in a towel, the soul generals half-undressed, made mincemeat of the stage hands union rules re: strike time AND WENT ON WITH HIS BAD SELF. For another 15 minutes. Pandemonium. Wifey did the thing of holding the mic out into the audience to sing along and I was the first one. With no stage lights, no music stands, no music, half the band mics taken away, wearing a towel, he WENT ON WITH HIS BAD SELF. This is why he is the Godfather of soul. There will never be another.
Funny Addendum: hung out after to see if I score some face time. The crowd was huge, he rushed to his car, and decreed he would sign 3 autographs...one for a lil kid, one for an older man who had JB: Live at th Apollo double LP, and me. This is when I snapped this pic:
and then reality went into an alternate universe...JB, looked at me, and said (quote) " Keep the hair..people done been makin fun of my hair for years, but I don't care...keep the hair." and then he sang "JB DON'T CARE! OOWWW!! KEEP THE HAIR!!!"
If you can make head or tails of this, pls let me know....I would love to know what he wrote:
James Brown singing about my hair. Playing an encore. Covering Outkast. Doing the cape *three times*. Rocking Massey Hall to bits.
Good God.
I made after getting home from the last time I saw JB in concert. I was wearing the shirt I wore to this show when I found out he left this earth. No matter what I will remember or think of him in the future, I will remember the night James Brown sang about my hair.
I do remember when I was old enough to understand why I liked them. I remember my first JB concert (Atlantic City, 2003...the only time I ever heard him play "It's a Man's World") and going with Jessica. Everyone thought we were brother and sister and the crochety old people behind us refused to get up and dance. I remember seeing him in summer 2004 and realizing his appeal to all races, all genders and sexualities. At that concert, he was un-impressed with the venue and kept his set short: no cape routine, no extra songs. His limo was outta there before the band had even finished playing him off.
I remember how his screams were the pain of american slave labour, the joy of overcoming, the agony of his personal life, the ecstasy of life rolled into one wordless sound. I remember the first time I straightened my hair, using a photo of JB in the 50's as inspiration. I remember seeing this black man proudly wearing make-up and sequins in public and daring someone to mock him for it.
I remember not being able to count or notate the rhythmic breaks in "Cold Sweat" (try it and see...it's impossible). I remember trying to spin around without knocking over the mic stand.
I remember how this wild man scared people who didn't understand him. I understood that because I scare people in the same way. I remember his commitment to peace. I remember him sticking up for all minorites (including gays) at a time when the rest of America didn't.
I think of his sweat and all the times I've sweated dancing to his songs. I remember his commitment to the stage. I think of the toll unhealthy living took on him. I think of how that same unhealthy living fuelled and inspired him. I think of hearing him in Michael Jackson and Prince and Run DMC and Usher and Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams and Beastie Boys and every male pop/r n b/soul/hip-hop star that came after him.
I think of people who say he was such a difficult man, and then I think of how those difficulties made for flawless evenings. I remember his shows, where by the time he deigned to appear, the audience was invariably already in a state of euphoria:
thegodfatherofsoulthefunkypresidentsoulbrothernumberonemisterdynamitebutanejamesthehardestworkingmaninshowbusinessmisterpleasepleasehimselftheforeignminesteroffunkjamesbrown!jamesbrown!jamesbrown!jamesbrown!
Much as he tried to upstage Jesus Christ on his own birthday, it's impossible for this reason: James Brown is not dead. James Brown will never die. As funky music lives on, so will he. Anytime any musician anywhere comes in on the one, takes it to the bridge, begs for a hit......James Brown lives.
Where to start.....
The air @ Massey Hall was tingling....we all knew it was gonna be special.
Jacksoul is stronger than I remember them being...they're still a lil too Can-Con AM radio for me, but whatever.
9:15 PM The Soul Generals take the stage, and play in The Bittersuites and the announcer. And then... Mr. Dynamite, The Funky President, The Hardest Working Man in Showbusiness, Mr Please Please himself, THE GODFATHER OF SOUL James Brown entered (wearing a black satin and rhinstone tux). 3rd time seeing him and it's still a goddamn thrill. JB kicked it off old-school with "Make it Funky" and segued right into "Get Up Offa That Thing" (which he rarely plays live). "Too Funky in Here"....and it actually was! The lead guitarist finished his first solo and JB screamed "feeling hot tonight, are ya? Playing hot tonight? Do you want some more? Ya want some of this?" and made him play *another* solo. Later he joked about giving them a raise....and in the same breath rescinded the offer.
"Doing it to Death". "Blues in The Night". "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time". Talked about Massey Hall being one of the best halls and his first gig there way back in the early 60's. Talked about Michael Jackson ("everyone makes some mistakes in life. I love Michael"). Sang "If I Ruled the World" for real (no good gods or screaming), and with a low-down dirty "Que pasa, people, que pasa? HIT ME!!!!" took us up into "Get on the Good Foot" Wifey Tommi Rae runs on doing a not-bad cover of sam & dave's "Hold On I'm Coming" which JB took over and went into Outkast's "I Like the Way You Move". The Godfather....covering Outkast.....this is where I broke through consciousness and onto a sweet cloud of funk. What could he do at this point? Did someone say break into his 1954 chart-topper "Try Me"? Cuz that's exactly what he did. Now we are on a collision course with fierce-ness... "I Feel Good". The godfather was feeling mighty good, b/c he broke out his legendary red sequinned cape/fake heart attack routine:
When we finished screaming, goddamn if he didn't turn around and do it again, this time with GREEN sequins!!!! I couldn't take it. Knowing this, he gave it to us one more time, this time with iridescent white sequins. Riot in the the theater. People rushed the stage, hollerred for Jesus, and carried wondered how life could ever return to normal. He launched "Sex Machine" and rocked it out....a good 15 minutes of solid jam-FUNK. He grabbed Tomi Rae by the waist, left the stage, and on his way out reached into the front row and shook my my hand.....which is when I took *this* NASTY HAWT PIC
. The funky drummer threw me his bashed up stick.....and the show was over.
The show *was* over. The band leaves the stage, the stagehands start cleaning up.....but the audience doesn't move. Did someone say Ignunt? People were hollerin', throwing things from the balcony, clutching their bosom, chanting "James Brown" loud enough to be heard in the belly of hell, but Mr. Brown is legendary for not doing encores.....hasn't done one in over a decade, since his 40th anniversay show @ the apollo. At the show this summer, his limo was gone before the band was even finished playing him out. I grab my bag, turn to leave, when an IN-HUMAN ROAR picks up. JB came back out in a towel, the soul generals half-undressed, made mincemeat of the stage hands union rules re: strike time AND WENT ON WITH HIS BAD SELF. For another 15 minutes. Pandemonium. Wifey did the thing of holding the mic out into the audience to sing along and I was the first one. With no stage lights, no music stands, no music, half the band mics taken away, wearing a towel, he WENT ON WITH HIS BAD SELF. This is why he is the Godfather of soul. There will never be another.
Funny Addendum: hung out after to see if I score some face time. The crowd was huge, he rushed to his car, and decreed he would sign 3 autographs...one for a lil kid, one for an older man who had JB: Live at th Apollo double LP, and me. This is when I snapped this pic:
and then reality went into an alternate universe...JB, looked at me, and said (quote) " Keep the hair..people done been makin fun of my hair for years, but I don't care...keep the hair." and then he sang "JB DON'T CARE! OOWWW!! KEEP THE HAIR!!!"
If you can make head or tails of this, pls let me know....I would love to know what he wrote:
James Brown singing about my hair. Playing an encore. Covering Outkast. Doing the cape *three times*. Rocking Massey Hall to bits.
Good God.
I made after getting home from the last time I saw JB in concert. I was wearing the shirt I wore to this show when I found out he left this earth. No matter what I will remember or think of him in the future, I will remember the night James Brown sang about my hair.