James Brown discography

James Brown discography

James Brown during the NBA All Star Game jam session in 2001.
Studio albums 71
Live albums 14
Compilation albums 49
Video albums 7
Music videos 10
Singles 144
Soundtrack albums 2

This is a discography chronicling the musical career of James Brown. Brown joined the Flames in 1953, first as a drummer, and then as leading front man. Later becoming The Famous Flames, they signed with Federal Records in 1956 and recorded their first hit single, "Please, Please, Please", which sold over a million copies.

After the hit release of "Try Me", following nine relative failures, the group scored a series of hit albums and recordings in the early 1960s. Brown's solo aspirations started around 1962. By the time of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", he used the Flames less and less as he became a full-fledged solo artist who was now involved in the development of a new R&B subgenre, funk. Eventually the Famous Flames left him as did his James Brown band by 1970 and Brown hired The J.B.'s who helped contribute to his continuing success in the 1970s. After their disbanding, Brown struggled for a number of years with recordings before the release of 1985's "Living in America", and having success with the albums Gravity (1986) and I'm Real (1988).

Brown charted at least 96 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and at least 110 entries on the R&B chart. Seventeen of Brown's singles, including five credited as "James Brown and the Famous Flames", hit number-one on the R&B chart. He recorded several more hits pseudonymously, notably "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" and "Doing It to Death". In addition to his own hits, Brown wrote and produced charting records by many other performers, including Bobby Byrd, Hank Ballard, Tammy Montgomery, Lyn Collins, Marva Whitney, and The J.B.'s. In contrast to his chart success, few of Brown's hit recordings were certified by the RIAA, partly due to the reluctance of his record labels to pay the required fees.[1] He had just two certified gold singles - "Get on the Good Foot" (1972) and "The Payback" (1974) - and one gold album, 1974's The Payback.[2] However, two 1991 compilations of his work earned RIAA certification: Star Time (gold) and 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (platinum).

Charting singles

Federal releases

Listed below are the charting singles James Brown released on the King Records subsidiary Federal record label between 1956 and 1960. Most of the songs also feature The Famous Flames on backing vocals.

Year Song title U.S. Pop Singles U.S. R&B Singles U.K. Singles
1956 "Please, Please, Please"
Credited as James Brown With The Famous Flames		 105 5 -
1958 "Try Me"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 48 1 -
1959 "I Want You So Bad"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 - 20 -
1960 "I'll Go Crazy"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 - 15 -
"Think"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 33 7 -
"You've Got the Power" (b-side of "Think")
Duet between James Brown and Bea Ford		 86 14 -
"This Old Heart"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 79 20 -

King releases

Listed below are the charting singles James Brown released on the King record label between 1960 and 1971. Several of these songs feature The Famous Flames on background vocals through 1965.

Year Song title U.S. Pop Singles U.S. R&B Singles U.K. Singles
1960 "The Bells" 68 - -
1961 "Bewildered"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 40 7 -
"I Don't Mind"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 47 4 -
"Baby You're Right"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 49 2 -
"Just You and Me, Darling" (B-side of "I Love You, Yes I Do")
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 - 17 -
"Lost Someone"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 48 2 -
1962 "Night Train"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 35 5 -
"Shout and Shimmy"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 61 16 -
"Mashed Potatoes U.S.A."
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 82 21 -
"Three Hearts in a Tangle" (A-side)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 - 18 -
"I've Got Money" (B-side)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 93 - -
1963 "Like a Baby"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 - 24 -
"Every Beat of My Heart" (instrumental; B-side of "Like a Baby)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 99 - -
"Prisoner of Love"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 18 6 -
"These Foolish Things"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 55 25 -
"Signed, Sealed, and Delivered"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 77 - -
"Oh Baby Don't You Weep – Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 23 4 cb -
1964 "Please, Please, Please" (overdubbed)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 95 - -
"Have Mercy Baby"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 92 - -
1965 "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag – Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 8 1 25
"I Got You (I Feel Good)"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 3 1 29
"Lost Someone" (live)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 94 - -
"I'll Go Crazy" (live)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 73 28 -
1966 "Ain't That a Groove – Pts. 1 & 2"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 42 6 -
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 8 1 13
"Money Won't Change You – Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 53 - -
"Don't Be a Drop-Out"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 50 4 -
"Sweet Little Baby Boy – Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 8 - -
"Bring It Up"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 29 7 -
1967 "Kansas City"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 55 21 -
"Think" (duet with Vicki Anderson) 100 - -
"Let Yourself Go"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 46 5 -
"Cold Sweat – Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 7 1 -
"Get It Together – Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 40 11 -
"I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)"(A-side)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 28 4 -
"There Was a Time"(B-side)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 36 3 -
1968 "You've Got to Change Your Mind" (duet with Bobby Byrd)
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 - 47 -
"I Got The Feelin'"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 6 1 -
"Licking Stick - Licking Stick, Pt. 1"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 14 2 -
"America Is My Home"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 52 13 -
"I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry"
Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames		 55 15 -
"Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud, Pt. 1" 10 1 -
"Goodbye My Love" 31[3] 9[3] -
"Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)" 86 - -
"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" 15 1 -
1969 "Soul Pride" - 33 -
"I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing
(Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself)"		 20 3 -
"The Popcorn" 30 11 -
"Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have A Mother for Me), Pt. 1" 11 1 -
"Lowdown Popcorn" 41 16 -
"World, Pt. 1" 37 8 -
"Let A Man Come in and Do the Popcorn, Pt. 1" 21 2 -
"Ain't It Funky Now" 24 3 -
"Let A Man Come in and Do the Popcorn, Pt. 2" 40 6 -
1970 "It's a New Day" 32 3 -
"Funky Drummer – Pt. 1" 51 20 -
"Brother Rapp – Pt. 1 & 2" 32 2 -
"Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1" 15 2 32
"Super Bad – Pt. 1" 13 1 -
"Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay" - - -
"Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved, Pt. 1" 34 4 -
1971 "Spinning Wheel" 90 - 78
"I Cried" 50 15 -
"Soul Power Pt. 1" 29 3 78

Smash releases

Listed below are the charting James Brown singles issued on the Smash label between 1964 and 1967.

Year Song title U.S. Pop Singles U.S. R&B Singles U.K. Singles
1964 "Caldonia" 95 - -
"The Things That I Used to Do" 99 - -
"Out of Sight"/"Maybe the Last Time" 24 5 cb -
1965 "Try Me" (instrumental) 63 34 -

Polydor releases

Listed below are the charting James Brown singles issued on the Polydor label between 1971 and 1981.

Year Song title U.S. Pop Singles U.S. R&B Singles U.K. Singles
1971 "Escape-ism Pt. 1" 35 6 -
"Hot Pants – Pt. 1" 15 1 -
"Make It Funky, Pt. 1" 22 1 -
"Make It Funky, Pt. 3" 68 - -
"I'm A Greedy Man, Pt. 1" 35 7 -
"Hey America" - - 47
1972 "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing – Pt. 1" 27 1 -
"King Heroin" 40 6 -
"There It Is – Pt. 1" 43 4 -
"Honky Tonk – Pt. 1" 44 7 -
"Get on the Good Foot – Pt. 1" 18 1 -
"I Got a Bag of My Own" 44 3 -
"What My Baby Needs Now Is a Little More Lovin'"
(duet with Lynn Collins)		 56 17 -
1973 "I Got Ants in my Pants (And I Want to Dance) – Pt. 1" 27 4 -
"Down and Out in New York City" 50 13 -
"Think" 77 15 -
"Think" (alternate version) 80 37 -
"Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" 50 6 -
"Stoned to the Bone – Pt. 1" 58 4 -
1974 "The Payback, Pt. 1" 26 1 -
"My Thang – Pt. 1" 29 1 -
"Papa Don't Take No Mess – Pt. 1" 31 1 -
"Funky President (People It's Bad)" 44 4 -
"Coldblooded" 99 - -
1975 "Reality" 80 19 -
"Sex Machine '76" 61 16 -
"Hustle!!! (Dead on It)" - 11 -
"Superbad, Superslick, Pt. 1" - 28 -
"Hot (I Need to Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" - 31 -
1976 "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" - 70 -
"Get Up Offa That Thing" 45 4 22
"I Refuse to Lose" - 47 -
"Bodyheat" 88 13 36
1977 "Kiss in 77" - 35 -
"Give Me Some Skin" - 20 -
"If You Don't Give a Doggone About It (with the JB's)" - 45 -
1978 "Eyesight" - 38 -
"The Spank" - 26 -
1979 "For Goodness Sakes (Take a Look at Those Cakes) – Pt. 1" - 52 -
"It's Too Funky in Here" - 15 -
"Star Generation" - 63 -
1980 "Regrets" - 63 -
"Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)" - 46 39
1981 "Stay With Me" - 80 -

Other releases

The list of charting singles below are the ones James Brown released on various labels including the Scotti Bros. Records label among others.

Year Song title U.S. Pop Singles U.S. R&B Singles U.K. Singles
1983 "The Night Time Is the Right Time" (To Be With The One That You Love)" - 73 -
"Bring It On...Bring It On" - - 45
1984 "Unity" (w/Afrika Bambaataa) - 87 49
1985 "Froggy Mix" - - 50
"Living in America" 4 10 5
1986 "Gravity" 93 26 65
1987 "How Do You Stop" - 10 90
1988 "She's the One" - - 45
"The Payback Mix, Pt. 1" - - 12
"I'm Real" - 2 31
"Static" - 5 83
1989 "Gimme Your Love" (w/Aretha Franklin) - 48 79
1991 "(So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move on" - 48 -
1992 "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (vs. Dakeyne) - - 72
1993 "Can't Get Any Harder" - 76 59
1998 "Funk on Ah Roll" - - 40

Albums

King releases

Title Release
Year
Please Please Please
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1959
Try Me!
James Brown and the Famous Flames
Think!
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1960
The Amazing James Brown
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1961
James Brown Presents His Band/Night Train
Good, Good, Twistin'[4]
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1962
James Brown and His Famous Flames Tour the U.S.A.
Prisoner of Love 1963
Showtime 1964
Grits & Soul
Out of Sight
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag 1965
James Brown Plays James Brown Today & Yesterday
I Got You (I Feel Good) 1966
Mighty Instrumentals
James Brown Plays New Breed (The Boo-Ga-Loo)
It's a Man's Man's Man's World
James Brown Sings Christmas Songs
Handful of Soul
James Brown Sings Raw Soul 1967
James Brown Plays the Real Thing
Cold Sweat
I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me 1968
I Got the Feelin'
James Brown Plays Nothing But Soul
Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things
A Soulful Christmas
Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud 1969
Gettin' Down to It
The Popcorn
It's a Mother
Ain't It Funky 1970
Soul on Top
It's a New Day – Let a Man Come In
Hey America
Super Bad 1971
Sho Is Funky Down Here

Polydor releases

Title Release
Year
Hot Pants 1971
There It Is 1972
Get on the Good Foot
Black Caesar 1973
Slaughter's Big Rip-Off
The Payback 1974
Hell
Reality
Sex Machine Today 1975
Everybody's Doin' the Hustle & Dead on the Double Bump
Hot 1976
Get Up Offa That Thing
Bodyheat
Mutha's Nature 1977
Jam 1980's 1978
Take a Look at Those Cakes 1979
The Original Disco Man
People 1980
Nonstop! 1981

Other releases

Title Release
Date		 Label
Soul Syndrome 1980 T.K. Records
Bring It On! 1983 Augusta Sound
Gravity 1986 Scotti Bros.
I'm Real 1988 Scotti Bros.
Love Over-Due 1991 Scotti Bros.
Universal James 1993 Scotti Bros.
I'm Back 1998 Inferno
The Merry Christmas Album 1999 Waxworks
The Next Step 2002 Fome Records

Live albums

Title Release
year		 Notes
Live at the Apollo
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1963 Re-sequenced and re-released with bonus tracks in 2004
Pure Dynamite: Live at the Royal
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1964 Includes 2 studio tracks with overdubbed audience
The James Brown Show 1967 Partly live
Live at the Garden
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 Includes 1 studio track with overdubbed audience; re-sequenced and re-released with bonus tracks in 2009
Live at the Apollo, Volume II
James Brown and the Famous Flames		 1968 Double LP; re-sequenced and re-released with unreleased and extended performances in 2001
Sex Machine 1970 Double LP; 1st record contains studio tracks overdubbed with audience;
2nd record contains live concert with 1 studio track overdubbed with audience
Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume III 1971 Double LP
Hot on the One 1980 Double LP
Live in New York 1981 Double LP; includes 2 studio instrumentals by the Bay Ridge Band
Live at Chastain Park 1988 Recorded 1985
Soul Session Live 1988 Includes 1 studio duet with Aretha Franklin
Love, Power, Peace: Live at the Olympia, Paris 1971 1992 Previously unreleased triple LP
Live at the Apollo 1995 1995 Includes 1 studio track
Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08.26.68 1998 Previously unreleased

Compilations (non-independent label)

Film Releases / Home Video

Other appearances

Year Song Album
2011 "Super Bad" (Part 1 & Part 2) (live February 10, 1973) The Best of Soul Train Live[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wolk, Douglas. (2004). Live at the Apollo, 114. New York: Continuum.
  2. ↑ Bloom, Steve. "Anything Left in Papa's Bag?" Down Beat September 1, 1980. Rpt. in The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul. Ed. Nelson George and Alan Leeds. New York: Plume, 2008. 160-170.
  3. 1 2 White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
  4. ↑ "MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF SOUL… James Brown Classics Now Available Worldwide for Digital Purchase and Streaming - Yahoo Finance". Finance.yahoo.com. 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  5. ↑ DVD review: http://www.newsweek.com/id/150461
  6. ↑ '"The Best of Soul Train Live at AllMusic
  7. ↑ The Best of Soul Train Live (booklet). Time Life. 2011.

External links

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