| "I Got You (I Feel Good)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by James Brown | ||||
| from the album I Got You (I Feel Good) | ||||
| B-side | "I Can't Help It (I Just Do-Do-Do)" | |||
| Released | October 1965 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1965 | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 2:47 | |||
| Label | King K6015 |
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| Writer(s) | James Brown | |||
| Producer | James Brown | |||
| James Brown singles chronology | ||||
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"I Got You (I Feel Good)" (commonly known as "I Feel Good") is a hit song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1965, it was one of Brown's signature songs, and is arguably his most widely-known recording.
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On the record, Brown revels in how "good" he feels ("nice, like sugar and spice"), now that he has the one he loves. Brown's vocal performance features his trademark soul shouting vocals and screams. The song's form is a twelve bar blues. Its brass-heavy instrumental arrangement is similar to that of Brown's previous hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", including the trademark emphasis "on the one" (i.e. the first beat of the measure) that characterizes Brown's then-new funk style. The song also features a prominent alto sax solo by Maceo Parker.
Although Brown's vocal group, The Famous Flames, received label credit for this song, they don't actually sing on it. However, they do perform the song in an earlier (1964) release of the song as an album cut. This version was used by Brown in a cameo appearance in the summer 1965 film, Ski Party. The film was an extrapolation on the American International Pictures series of beach movies (although not part of the series itself), and its June 30 release date effectively premiered the song for listeners unfamiliar with the album.
The song, with almost identical tune and words, had first been recorded and released in 1962 by Yvonne Fair, as "I Found You" (King 5594). Fair was one of Brown's back-up singers, and released several singles in her own right produced by him, none of which were hits. Brown then reworked the song three years later as "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and recorded at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, which was their first Billboard hit.[1]
Of Brown's 99 hits to reach the Billboard Hot 100 (a total surpassed only by Elvis Presley, and now also by the cast of Glee), "I Got You (I Feel Good)" is Brown's highest-charting song, peaking at number three. The song remained at the top of the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Singles chart for six non-consecutive weeks, after his previous single, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", held the number-one spot for eight weeks.[2] Brown's screams at the beginning and end of the song have been sampled a number of times for hip hop and dance songs. The song has also been covered many times by other performers, and is frequently played at sporting events.
In 2000, "I Got You (I Feel Good)" reached number 21 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs in Rock and Roll and number 75 on VH1's 100 Greatest Rock and Roll Dance Songs, one of only seven songs to make both lists. In 2004, "I Got You (I Feel Good)" was ranked number 78 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" has appeared in numerous film soundtracks, including The Nutty Professor, Good Morning Vietnam, Home Alone 4, It Takes Two, Dr. Dolittle, Boat Trip, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, K9, Garfield: The Movie, Exit Wounds, and Transformers.
The song's television appearances include Tour of Duty episode "The Road to Long Binh", the Simpsons episode "Bart's Inner Child" (with Brown himself singing it), the Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "Kong!" (a parody of the 1976 King Kong film) as performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Full House episode "The Return of Grandma", and the Lost episode "The Greater Good". The May 1996 part 1 and 2 series finale episode where Philip doing his dance to the song prior to the family on his birthday in the opening scene of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode, "I, Done".
It was also played on NTV7, a Malaysian television channel, as it plays the song accompanied by the clips of its programmes at the start and end of the day's broadcast since its launch in 1998 until around 2006. It reflects the slogan of the channel, that is "Your Feel Good Channel". It also makes occasional appearances on Soccer Saturday when presenter and lifelong Hartlepool fan Jeff Stelling produces a doll each time winger James Brown scores. Much to the mirth of the studio experts and the viewers (with some viewers being made to drink if they are playing the drinking game to accompany it).
with the James Brown Orchestra:
Brown recorded an early version of "I Got You (I Feel Good)" with a different arrangement (including a prominent baritone sax part) under the title "I Got You" in 1964. This version of the song, the composition of which was credited to Ted Wright, appeared on the album Out of Sight, released by Smash Records. The recording was also intended for release as a single on Smash, but was withdrawn due to a court order from King Records, Brown's primary label at the time, with which he was involved in a contract dispute.
This version of the song is included in the Star Time box set.
Brown performs this arrangement of the song with his singing group, The Famous Flames, in the movie Ski Party.
Brown performs the song on the live albums Live at the Apollo, Vol. II (1968) and Live at the Apollo 1995.
Brown re-recorded the song for his 1975 album Sex Machine Today. This version was featured in the movie White Men Can't Jump.
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" has been covered in a variety of styles by performers including Filipino actress Vilma Valera [1], James Cotton, Joshua Redman, The Jam, James Chance and the Contortions, Bobby McFerrin, Los Tamara and Lucio Dalla. The Captain N: The Game Master episode "Videolympics" also featured a cover version of the song (due to legal issues, it is not included on the DVD release).
The song is used by some clubs at football matches, including Yeovil Town who play the song when a goal is scored.
| Preceded by "Ain't That Peculiar" by Marvin Gaye |
Billboard Hot R&B Singles number-one single December 4, 1965 – January 1, 1966 January 15, 1966 |
Succeeded by "A Sweet Woman Like You" by Joe Tex |
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