Help For My Brother - The Pre-Funk Singles 1963-68 Bobby Byrd

£11.70

Genre:
Rhythm & Blues
Label:
BGP
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDBGPD 309

The R&B, soul and boogaloo sounds that make up the singles recorded by James Brown’s right-hand man. Together on CD for the first time.

Without Bobby Byrd there would have been no James Brown, whose whole career stems from the moment he crashed into Byrd at a community baseball match in Toccoa, Georgia in 1953. Brown was an inmate of the Alto Reform School, a converted National Guard Armoury in the north of the state. Byrd’s family helped secure Brown’s release, and Byrd then let the youngster join his vocal group.

When Brown launched his own singing career, Byrd led his backing group the Famous Flames from that point on. For 20 years he was Brown’s right-hand man. Once Brown had established himself well enough to make records with members of his revue, Byrd was top of the list of those he wanted to record. In the 1970s Byrd cut groundbreaking funk such as ‘I Know You Got Soul’. Before that he spent the 60s recording a series of 45s, all produced by Brown. This is the first-ever compilation of that work.

Bobby Byrd died on 12 September 2007, less than a year after James Brown. To most people he will be remembered for his much-sampled work of the early 70s – his music was behind hits by acts as diverse as the Stone Roses, Eric B & Rakim and Jay Z – but his earlier recordings give a fascinating glimpse into a different era.

This collection shows the power of Brown as a producer and Byrd as a singer: 24 songs that have Brown pushing the sound of R&B and soul, looking for his next direction. Released on Federal, Smash and King, these recordings are the missing links in the development of James Brown’s music, and as such are historically important as well as fantastically good music.

DEAN RUDLAND

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Track listing

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Side 1

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You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Press quotes

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“Don’t let the Pre-Funk Singles 1963-68 subtitle fool you – I’m Lonely, cut in ’64, the year of bro’ James Brown’s Out Of Sight, is funky as get-down, while You Gave My Heart A Song To Sing and Funky Soul boogaloo hard.” ★★★★

Mojo

“Bobby Byrd was truly the right-hand man for the Godfather of Soul’s legacy of innovation and revolution throughout the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.  And he also made his own records (including) a fine array of 1960s soul and R&B releases on King and Smash, which are gathered here for the first time.  The real harbinger for the future, however, is 1967’s Funky Soul # 1, bearing the musical stamp of Brown’s funk years.”

Ugly Things

★★★★

Shindig!

★★★

Soul Bag

 

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