Saturday ” Soul ” Check ~ James Brown

“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

Released in 1966. Written by James Brown & Betty Jean Newsome.

(sadly the original video posted was removed on YT, this one is cut a bit short but I’ll take what I can get.)

Footage is from Summer of 1991, Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

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Now most of the old school folks like me and older know James Brown throughout his life had it’s tumultuous moments with women, nevertheless his songs about them were nothing but respect. Always.

In his later and much more older years he became totally disgusted with these young black rappers references to women and girls as bitches & whores. And even more  infuriated with the constant usage of the N word by them. And that went for both Males and Females. Coming from the turbulent days of how his race was treated from when he came up and being called these names by ignorant, bigoted people of non color. He thought it a disgrace that young blacks would think nothing using the N word as if it wasn’t an insult unless non-blacks used it. That in his mind his song of 1968 ”  I’m Black and I’m Proud ” was so the young kids of that day would have pride in themselves and from that era to the one that introduced these rappers using lyrics of profanity and total disrespectful language aimed at all females but was especially a slap to his Race and to all Black’s.

 Quoted as saying, What happened we went from say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud to calling each other niggers and ho’s and bitches?”

Even though he publicly had some outbursts of abusing woman when angry and in reality Brown had some deep rooted problems period. But even further deep down the man loved woman. And he showed that love through his music. And let me tell you something his songs were something else. He sang them with as much passion and fury as a Man who would of gone crazy without a Woman. So as “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” lyrics go,

This is a man’s world, this is a man’s world
But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl

You see, man made the cars to take us over the road
Man made the trains to carry heavy loads
Man made electric light to take us out of the dark
Man made the boat for the water, like Noah made the ark

This is a man’s, a man’s, a man’s world
But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl

Man thinks about a little baby girls and a baby boys
Man makes then happy ’cause man makes them toys
And after man has made everything, everything he can
You know that man makes money to buy from other man

This is a man’s world
But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl

He’s lost in the wilderness
He’s lost in bitterness

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And in this next Video you can see Women went crazy over the Godfather of Soul. In fact in my thoughts outside of the whole video being the most awesome performance to this day. Take notice to the shot of the women in that audience when the song was over and the camera showed them going completely NUTS! My reaction was WOW!!!!!

This is my favorite song and video of James Brown and that’s why I show it at the end a second time in my ” Classic Soul ” Blog.  It didn’t get any better than PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! And if in that audience when this song came out and attending that performance if older I would have been going just as NUTS!

That man just drove women wild.

And whatever demons that came from his personal life, on stage he was a class act and was one of the most invigorating and exciting entertainers to watch. His singing and performances couldn’t be matched by anyone. And when the show was over the audiences were as exhausted as him and you knew you had just witnessed something you’d never see again or that good.

By time he got to the slow end of humming Pleeeaaase don’t go, Pleeeaaase don’t go, Honey Pleeeaaase don’t go, Don’t Go…. Ha I love you so. Lord Have Mercy……. He would have had me going going and gone! LOL

“Please, Please, Please was released in 1956
Written by James Brown and Johnny Terry. Footage of Video was from T.A.M.I. Show a 1964 concert film.

James Brown – lead vocal
with The (Famous) Flames:
Bobby Byrd – vocals
Johnny Terry – vocals
Sylvester Keels – vocals
Nash Knox – vocals
Nafloyd Scott – guitar
plus:
Wilbert “Lee Diamond” Smith – tenor saxophone
Ray Felder – tenor saxophone
Lucas “Fats” Gonder – piano
Clarence Mack – bass
Edison Gore – drums

There was no other male performer, singer, entertainer of any music like James Brown. He was and will always remain the ” SOUL ” of not only his generation but for generations to come. Who knows maybe with some luck someday we may actually go back to a REAL MUSIC. But never will there ever be anybody again and as good as the Grandfather of Soul.

Danny Ray was Brown’s MC for 30 years. The Band was The Famous Flames and consisted of original members Brown,  Bobby Byrd, Johnny Terry, Sylvester Keels, and Nash Knox with Nafloyd Scott on guitar when Please, Please, Please was recorded in 1956. After this first hit the line up from 58-68 was Bobby Byrd, Bobby Bennett, and “Baby Lloyd” Stallworth and original member Johnny Terry coming in and out over this course.

The only wrong I feel that should be righted. Is inducting The Fabulous Flames into the Rock -n- Roll Hall of Fame. It is long overdue and in reality when they inducted James Brown his Band-mates should have been inducted right along with him. To Date as far as my research only Johnny Terry and Bobby Bennett are still alive. Bobby Byrd died in 2007, Stallworth in 2001.

The Music Lives Forever.

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” The Epitome of Showmanship “

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