James Brown discography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 James Brown during the NBA All Star Game jam session in 2001. | |
| Releases | |
|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 71 |
| ↙Live albums | 14 |
| ↙Compilation albums | 49 |
| ↙Singles | 144 |
| ↙Video albums | 7 |
| ↙Music videos | 10 |
| ↙Soundtracks | 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 gold singles - "Get on the Good Foot" (1972) and "The Payback" (1974) - and one gold album, 1974's The Payback.[2]
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" Credited as James Brown and The Famous Flames |
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 | 9 | - | |
| "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" | 7 | - | - | |
| "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 | |
- Billboard issued no Billboard R&B Singles charts between November 1963 and January 1965. (cb)= Cash Box Magazine R&B chart listing.
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.
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 | 32 | |
| "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 | |
| Shout and Shimmy James Brown and the Famous Flames |
1962 |
| James Brown and His Famous Flames Tour the USA | |
| Prisoner of Love | 1963 |
| Excitement – Mr. Dynamite | |
| Showtime (contains studio tracks with overdubbed audience) James Brown and the Famous Flames |
1964 |
| The Unbeatable James Brown | |
| Grits and Soul | |
| Out of Sight | |
| Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag | 1965 |
| I Got You (I Feel Good) | 1966 |
| James Brown Plays James Brown Today and Yesterday | |
| 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 | |
| Sings Raw Soul | 1967 |
| James Brown Plays the Real Thing | |
| Cold Sweat | 1968 |
| I Can't Stand Myself | |
| I Got the Feelin' | |
| James Brown Sings Out of Sight | |
| 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 (contains studio tracks with overdubbed audience) | 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 | 1975 |
| Sex Machine Today | |
| Everybody's Doin’ the Hustle and Dead on the Double Bump | 1976 |
| Hot | |
| 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 Overdue | 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)
- 1972: Soul Classics
- 1973: Soul Classics, Volume 2
- 1977: Solid Gold: 30 Golden Hits
- 1977: The Fabulous James Brown
- 1981: Can Your Heart Stand It?
- 1981: The Best of James Brown
- 1984: The Federal Years, Part 1
- 1984: The Federal Years, Part 2
- 1984: Roots of a Revolution – The James Brown Story 1956–1965
- 1984: Ain’t That a Groove – The James Brown Story 1966–1969
- 1984: Doing It to Death – The James Brown Story 1970–1973
- 1985: Dead on the Heavy Funk 1974–1976
- 1985: The CD of JB: Sex Machine and Other Soul Classics
- 1986: The LP of JB
- 1986: In the Jungle Groove (re-released with bonus track in 2003)
- 1987: The CD of JB II: Cold Sweat and Other Soul Classics
- 1988: Motherlode (re-released with bonus tracks in 2003)
- 1991: Messin' With the Blues
- 1991: Star Time
- 1991: 20 All-Time Greatest Hits!
- 1992: Greatest Hits of the Fourth Decade
- 1995: Living in America
- 1995: Roots of a Revolution (covers 1956–1964)
- 1996: JB40: 40th Anniversary Collection
- 1996: Foundations of Funk – A Brand New Bag: 1964-1969
- 1996: Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang
- 1996: Make It Funky - The Big Payback: 1971-1975
- 1998: Dead on the Heavy Funk – 1975–1983
- 2001: Classic James Brown – The Universal Masters Collection
- 2002: The Godfather – The Very Best of James Brown
- 2003: Classic James Brown Vol. 2 – The Universal Masters Collection
- 2003: 50th Anniversary Collection
- 2006: The Singles, Volume One: The Federal Years: 1956-1960
- 2007: The Singles, Volume Two: 1960-1963
- 2007: The Singles, Volume Three: 1964-1965
- 2007: A Family Affair (with daughters Yamma and Venisha)
- 2007: The Singles, Volume Four: 1966-1967
- 2007: Gold
- 2007: Number 1's
- 2008: The Singles, Volume Five: 1967–1969
- 2009: The Singles, Volume Six: 1969–1970
- 2009: The Singles, Volume Seven: 1970–1972
- 2009: The Singles, Volume Eight: 1972–1973
- 2010: Icon
- 2010: The Singles, Volume Nine: 1973–1975
- 2010: The James Brown Complete Christmas
- 2011: The Singles, Volume Ten: 1975–1979
- 2011: The Singles, Volume Eleven: 1979–1981
Film Releases / Home Video
- Hard Hits (1994)(VHS only)
- Live at The House of Blues (1999)
- James Brown: Soul Survivor (2004)
- Live In Montreux 1981 (2005)
- The Night James Brown Saved Boston (2008)
- I Got The Feelin': James Brown in the '60s (3-DVD set featuring The Night James Brown Saved Boston, Live at the Boston Garden 1968, and Live at the Apollo '68. (2008)[3]
- Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968 (2009)
See also
References
- ↑ Wolk, Douglas. (2004). Live at the Apollo, 114. New York: Continuum.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ DVD review: http://www.newsweek.com/id/150461
External links
- James Brown discography at Funky Stuff
- James Brown discography at Allmusic
- James Brown discography at Discogs
- Complete James Brown UK singles discography at 45cat
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