Sex Machine

Performer: James Brown
Artist: Bootsy Collins; Maceo Parker; Fred Wesley
Engineer: Ron Lenhoff; Ron Lenhoff
Producer: James Brown; James Brown
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: J&R Retail Exclusive Personnel: James Brown (vocals, piano, organ); James Brown; Bobby Byrd (vocals, organ); Richard "Kush" Griffith (guitar, trumpet); Alphonso "Country" Kellum, Jimmy Nolen, Kenny Poole (guitar); Pee Wee Ellis (alto saxophone); Eldee Williams, Robert "Chopper" McCullough (tenor saxophone); Joseph Davis , Clayton "Chicken" Gunnells, Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison, Clayton Gunnells, Darryl Jamison (trumpet); Bootsy Collins, Sweet Charles Sherrell (bass instrument); Melvin Parker, John Starks (drums); Johnny Griggs (congas); Art Lopez (percussion); Robert Graham, Marva Whitney (background vocals); Phelps "Catfish" Collins (guitar); St. Clair Pinckney (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Maceo Parker (tenor saxophone, organ); Fred Wesley (trombone); Clyde Stubblefield (drums). Recording information: Augusta, GA (06/12/1969-07/23/1970); Bell Auditorium, Augusta, GA (06/12/1969-07/23/1970); Cincinatti, OH (06/12/1969-07/23/1970); Miami, FL (06/12/1969-07/23/1970). Although the CD was supposedly "Recorded live at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self," these recordings come from two different sources: a live concert recorded at Augusta's Bell Auditorium in 1969, and a series of studio recordings that were doctored with audience noises and applause. The record, long considered a soul classic, actually features two different bands. The concert recordings feature Brown's band from the 1960s, while the studio songs feature Brown's then-new band, powered by Bootsy Collins on bass and Pelps "Catfish" Collins on guitar. Whether these recordings are "live" or not is really not the point; Brown has never sung a calculated note in his life, and one would be hard-pressed to distinguish whether one of Brown's trademark howls was recorded in a studio or onstage. His scat singing on "Brother Rapp" sure sounds live. As the furious, barely one-minute-long "I Got the Feelin'" segues into the pure funky adrenaline rush of "Give it Up or Turnit A Loose," it is nearly impossible to keep still. The groove is that infectious. Surprisingly, the title track is not the hit single version of "Sex Machine," but rather an extended, more leisurely rendition.

The unrelenting intensity of James Brown's music has made him one of the most recognizable and influential performers since the 1950s. Starting out as a gospel singer, Brown soon switched to R&B and started scoring hits. As the '60s progressed, the self-proclaimed Godfather of Soul transformed the sounds of R&B into a tight, driving style that helped lay the foundations of funk. Personal troubles over the following decades threatened to sideline the ever-impassioned Brown, but he repeatedly bounced back. Countless JB samples--credited and uncredited--found on rap and hip-hop records testify to his enduring influence. The Godfather of Soul passed away on Christmas Day in 2006.

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