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117-513: William Earl " Bootsy " Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s before joining the Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Collins established himself as one of the leading names and innovators in funk with his driving basslines and humorous vocals. He later formed his own P-Funk side project known as ' Bootsy's Rubber Band '. He

234-614: A cameo appearance in the 2002 Jackie Chan film The Tuxedo , in which Chan was required to finish Brown's act after having accidentally knocked out the singer. In 2002, Brown appeared in Undercover Brother , playing himself. In 2004, Brown opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at several Hyde Park concerts in London. The beginning of 2005 saw the publication of his second book, I Feel Good: A Memoir of

351-691: A gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia . He rose to prominence in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames , a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd . With the hit ballads " Please, Please, Please " and " Try Me ", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in

468-634: A mahogany body and maple neck, white finish, and mirror pick guard. This is the Space Bass on the cover of 1976 album Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band . Collins's original Space Bass guitar was stolen, but it was later recovered at a Cincinnati pawn shop and returned to him. Another Collins signature instrument is a custom-built star -shaped bass guitar he also calls the Space Bass, built for him by Manuel "Manny" Salvador of GuitarCraft in 1998. In 2006 Collins made an agreement with Traben to make

585-417: A time line (such as clave and tresillo ) in that it is not an exact pattern, but more of a loose organizing principle." It was around this time as the musician's popularity increased that he acquired the nickname "Soul Brother No. 1", after failing to win the title "King of Soul" from Solomon Burke during a Chicago gig two years prior. Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across

702-504: A Brand New Bag " in 1965, which became his first top ten pop hit and won him his first Grammy Award . Brown signed a production deal with Loma Records . Later in 1965, he issued " I Got You ", which became his second single in a row to reach number-one on the R&;B chart and top ten on the pop chart. Brown followed that up with the ballad " It's a Man's Man's Man's World ", a third Top 10 Pop hit (No. 1 R&B) which confirmed his stance as

819-497: A Life of Soul , written with Marc Eliot. In February and March 2005, he participated in recording sessions for an intended studio album with Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, and other longtime collaborators. Though he lost interest in the album, which remains unreleased, a track from the sessions, " Gut Bucket ", appeared on a compilation CD included with the August 2006 issue of MOJO . He appeared at Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push ,

936-434: A Loose ", are examples of Brown's refinement of New Orleans funk; irresistibly danceable riffs, stripped down to their rhythmic essence. On both recordings, the tonal structure is bare bones. The pattern of attack points is the emphasis, not the pattern of pitches as if the guitar were an African drum or idiophone. Alexander Stewart states that this popular feel was passed along from "New Orleans—through James Brown's music, to

1053-421: A bass, gave the children a bass lesson, and rapped with them while they played the blues. He is now an honorary board member of the organization. Collins is an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, and musician. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music , he

1170-686: A boy. In November 1967, James Brown purchased radio station WGYW in Knoxville, Tennessee , for a reported $ 75,000, according to the January 20, 1968 Record World magazine. The call letters were changed to WJBE reflecting his initials. WJBE began on January 15, 1968, and broadcast a Rhythm & Blues format. The station slogan was "WJBE 1430 Raw Soul". Brown bought WEBB in Baltimore in 1970. Brown branched out to make several recordings with musicians outside his own band. In an attempt to appeal to

1287-826: A car crash. Along with Brown and Byrd, the group consisted of Sylvester Keels, Doyle Oglesby, Fred Pulliam, Nash Knox and Nafloyd Scott. Influenced by R&B groups such as Hank Ballard and the Midnighters , the Orioles and Billy Ward and his Dominoes , the group changed its name, first to the Toccoa Band and then to the Flames. Nafloyd's brother Baroy later joined the group on bass guitar. Brown, Byrd and Keels switched lead positions and instruments, often playing drums and piano. Johnny Terry later joined, by which time Pulliam and Oglesby had long left. Berry Trimier became

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1404-407: A career as a boxer. At the age of 16, he was convicted of robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center in Toccoa . There, he formed a gospel quartet with four cellmates, including Johnny Terry. Brown met singer Bobby Byrd when the two played against each other in a baseball game outside the detention center. Byrd discovered that Brown could sing after hearing of "a guy called Music Box", which

1521-400: A contractual dispute with Revilot, Clinton temporarily lost the rights to the name "The Parliaments", and signed the ensemble to Westbound Records as Funkadelic , which Clinton positioned as a funk-rock band featuring the five touring musicians with the five Parliaments singers as uncredited guests. With Funkadelic as a recording and touring entity in its own right, in 1970 Clinton relaunched

1638-487: A dance record sampled and edited from Ronald Reagan 's infamous " We begin bombing in five minutes " speech. The record was credited to "Bonzo goes to Washington" (also referenced in the 1985 Ramones song " Bonzo Goes to Bitburg ", derived from Reagan's starring role as Professor Peter Boyd in the 1951 comedy film Bedtime for Bonzo ). After a nearly five-year hiatus, he had a comeback in 1988 (with some help from producer Bill Laswell ). What's Bootsy Doin'? flaunted

1755-440: A deeper understanding of funk. The curriculum is based on bass theory, history of funk, and Collins's own musical history given by Collins himself, augmented by lessons and exercises in bass and rhythm from guest bassist professors such as Les Claypool , Meshell Ndegeocello , John B (Williams) and Victor Wooten . As of 2021, Funk University is now defunct. He has been mentioned in the song " Genius of Love " by Tom Tom Club in

1872-456: A duet with singer Annie Lennox on the song "Vengeance" for her new album Venus , which was released in 2007. Parliament (band) Parliament was originally The Parliaments , a doo-wop vocal group based at a Plainfield, New Jersey barbershop. The group was formed in the late 1950s and included George Clinton , Ray Davis , Fuzzy Haskins , Calvin Simon , and Grady Thomas . Clinton

1989-522: A focal point for many performances. Other members of Brown's band included stalwart Famous Flames singer and sideman Bobby Byrd, trombonist Fred Wesley , drummers John "Jabo" Starks , Clyde Stubblefield and Melvin Parker , saxophonist St. Clair Pinckney , guitarist Alphonso "Country" Kellum and bassist Bernard Odum . In addition to a torrent of singles and studio albums, Brown's output during this period included two more successful live albums, Live at

2106-641: A grueling schedule throughout the remainder of his life, living up to his previous nickname, "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", in spite of his advanced age. In 2003, Brown participated in the PBS American Masters television documentary James Brown: Soul Survivor , which was directed by Jeremy Marre . Brown performed in the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show in 1997. Brown celebrated his status as an icon by appearing in

2223-453: A hit with their cover of the instrumental " Night Train ", becoming a top five R&B single. That same year, the ballads " Lost Someone " and " Baby You're Right ", the latter a Joe Tex composition, added to his repertoire and increased his reputation with R&B audiences. On October 24, 1962, Brown financed a live recording of a performance at the Apollo and convinced Syd Nathan to release

2340-458: A house shared with another aunt. Brown's mother eventually left the family after a contentious and abusive marriage and moved to New York. He began singing in talent shows as a young child, first appearing at Augusta's Lenox Theater in 1944, winning the show after singing the ballad "So Long". While in Augusta, Brown performed buck dances for change to entertain troops from Camp Gordon at

2457-721: A large fee. However, the great success of these shows marked a turning point for Brown's career, and soon he was back on top in Hollywood. Movies followed, including appearances in Doctor Detroit (1983) and Rocky IV (1985). He guest-starred in the Miami Vice episode "Missing Hours" (1987). Previously, Brown appeared alongside a litany of other Black musical luminaries in The Blues Brothers (1980). In 1984, he teamed with rap musician Afrika Bambaataa on

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2574-515: A mostly psychedelic soul sound that was more similar to the Funkadelic albums of the period, than to the later Parliament albums. The song "The Breakdown" was released separately as a single, and reached No. 30 on the R&B chart in 1971. Due to continuing contractual problems and the fact that Funkadelic releases were more successful at the time, Clinton temporarily abandoned the name Parliament (which he revived in 1974). Following Osmium ,

2691-474: A museum dedicated to Collins's musical career and Spanish, Central and South American cuisine. In June 2007, Collins, along with Catfish Collins , Clyde Stubblefield , John "Jabo" Starks , and Bernie Worrell , participated in the recording of the soundtrack for the movie Superbad . In December of that year they (without Worrell) went on to perform the first tribute concert remembering James Brown. In July 2007, Collins also told Billboard magazine that he

2808-464: A musical influence. In 2004 Collins was featured on the cover of " The Joker " on the Fatboy Slim album Palookaville . Collins served as Heineken's Amsterjam 2005 curator and master of ceremonies on Randall's Island , New York. On January 26, 2007, Collins gave the commencement address at the graduation ceremony at The Art Institute of Ohio – Cincinnati . Collins appeared with Toots &

2925-579: A new song with GRiZ. In January 2019, Collins announced on Facebook that he would be retiring from live performances for health reasons: Time has come for Me to tell all our Funkateers that I will Not be Playing Bass in Concerts anymore. I have decided to become a Coach for up & coming Musicians. I know u r Disappointed just think for a moment how I feel. Doc said to much pressure on my Inner-Ear & Right Hand. Yeah, I had to make up my Mind, so I did. 2019 Sheriff Ping Ping Ping will continue to Funk from

3042-513: A new sound that foreshadowed the 1990s, such as the dance floor smash "Party on Plastic". Laswell introduced Collins to Herbie Hancock, resulting in Perfect Machine (1988). The techno-funk they recorded featured turntables for scratch appeal, and the smoothly-stylized vocals of Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner of chart-topping Ohio Players . These were the first of many collaborations between Laswell and Collins on many albums and projects, with

3159-501: A radio DJ in the 2013 video game, Grand Theft Auto V , in which several of his own songs were featured. Collins has also collaborated extensively with Bill Laswell , Buckethead , and also frequently collaborated with fellow bassist Victor Wooten . In 2018, Collins did a song with singer Kali Uchis called " After the Storm ". On December 14, 2018, Collins played a show with Detroit-based funk artist GRiZ , and also collaborated on

3276-509: A re-recorded version of "Please, Please, Please" in March 1956. The song became the group's first R&B hit, selling over a million copies. None of their follow-ups gained similar success. In 1957, Brown replaced Clint Brantley as manager and hired Ben Bart, chief of Universal Attractions Agency . In 1957 the original Flames broke up, after Bart changed the name of the group to "James Brown and His Famous Flames". In October 1958, Brown released

3393-745: A record crowd of 80,000 people. He played a full concert as part of the BBC's Electric Proms on October 27, 2006, at The Roundhouse, supported by the Zutons, with special appearances from Max Beasley and the Sugababes. Brown's last televised appearance was at his induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2006, before his death in December. Before his death, Brown had been scheduled to perform

3510-611: A result, Brown's record sales and concerts in the United States were in a lull in 1973, as he failed to land a number-one R&B single that year. In 1973 he also faced problems with the IRS for failure to pay back taxes , charging he hadn't paid upwards of $ 4.5 million; five years earlier, the IRS had claimed he owed nearly $ 2 million. In 1973, Brown provided the score for the blaxploitation film Black Caesar . In 1974 he returned to

3627-451: A separate entity from the Flames, sometimes named the James Brown Orchestra or the James Brown Band. In 1960, the band released the top ten R&B hit " (Do the) Mashed Potatoes " on Dade Records, owned by Henry Stone , billed under the pseudonym "Nat Kendrick & the Swans" due to label issues. As a result of its success, King president Syd Nathan shifted Brown's contract from Federal to

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3744-732: A show at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre , that was well received. On June 10, 1991, James Brown and a star-filled line up performed before a crowd at the Wiltern Theatre for a live pay-per-view at-home audience. James Brown: Living in America – Live! was the brainchild of Indiana producer Danny Hubbard. It featured M.C. Hammer as well as Bell Biv Devoe , Heavy D & the Boys, En Vogue , C+C Music Factory , Quincy Jones , Sherman Hemsley and Keenen Ivory Wayans . Ice-T , Tone Loc and Kool Moe Dee performed paying homage to Brown. This

3861-697: A signature Collins model bass, the Bootzilla. During the 2010 NAMM Show , Collins's new signature bass was released by Warwick , a customized Infinity Bass called "Bootsy Collins Black Star Signature Bass" or "Bootsy Collins Orange Star Signature Bass", depending on the color of the stars on it. In July 2010, Collins, in partnership with former child actor Cory Danziger , launched Funk University ("Funk U"), an online-only bass guitar school in which he also serves as curator and lead professor. Funk University offers an intense curriculum tailored for intermediate to advanced bass players as well as anyone interested in

3978-500: A single. Again, it failed to chart. Brown's final studio albums, I'm Back and The Next Step , were released in 1998 and 2002 respectively. I'm Back featured the song " Funk on Ah Roll ", which peaked at No. 40 in the UK but did not chart in his native US. The Next Step included Brown's final single, " Killing Is Out, School Is In ". Both albums were produced by Derrick Monk. Brown's concert success remained unabated and he kept up with

4095-462: A small wooden shack. Brown's name was supposed to have been Joseph James Brown, but his first and middle names were mistakenly reversed on his birth certificate. The Brown family lived in poverty in Elko, South Carolina , which was an impoverished town in 1933. They moved to Augusta, Georgia , when James was four or five. His family first settled at one of his aunts' brothels. They later moved into

4212-518: A son. And being out of a fatherless home, I needed that father figure and he really played up to it. I mean, Good Lord. Every night after we played a show, he called us back to give us a lecture about how horrible we sounded. [Affects James Brown voice] "Nah, not on it, son. I didn't hear the one. You didn't give me the one." He would tell me this at every show. One night, we knew we wasn't sounding really good – we were off – and he calls us back there and said, "Uh huh, now that's what I'm talkin' about. Y'all

4329-473: A strong connection with Cincinnati. With his elder brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins , Frankie "Kash" Waddy, and Philippé Wynne , Collins formed a funk band, The Pacemakers , in 1968. In March 1970, after most of the members of James Brown 's band quit over a pay dispute, The Pacemakers were hired as Brown's backing band and they became known as The J.B.'s . (They are often referred to as the "original" J.B.'s to distinguish them from later line-ups that went by

4446-407: A top-ranking performer, especially with R&B audiences from that point on. By 1967, Brown's emerging sound began to be defined as funk music. That year he released what some critics cited as the first true funk song, " Cold Sweat ", which hit number-one on the R&B chart (Top 10 Pop) and became one of his first recordings to contain a drum break and also the first that featured a harmony that

4563-694: A variety of entertainment and sports events, including an appearance on the WCW pay-per-view event, SuperBrawl X , where he danced alongside wrestler Ernest "the Cat" Miller , who based his character on Brown, during his in-ring skit with the Maestro . Brown appeared in Tony Scott 's short film Beat the Devil in 2001. He was featured alongside Clive Owen , Gary Oldman , Danny Trejo and Marilyn Manson . Brown made

4680-433: A white Cincinnati band, including the hit " I Can't Stand Myself ". He also released three albums of Christmas music with his own band. In March 1970, most of Brown's mid-to-late 1960s road band walked out on him due to financial disputes, a development augured by the prior disbandment of the Famous Flames singing group for the same reason in 1968. Brown and erstwhile Famous Flames singer Bobby Byrd, who chose to remain in

4797-636: Is referred to by various nicknames , among them "Mr. Dynamite", "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk", "Godfather of Soul", "King of Soul", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986. His music has been heavily sampled by hip-hop musicians and other artists. Brown began his career as

Bootsy Collins - Misplaced Pages Continue

4914-577: Is very important to mention "I've Got Money" which features the first 'rhythmic' shift as one of the foundations of the Funk, played by Clayton Fillyau in recorded in 1961, released in 1962!) Changes in Brown's style that started with "Cold Sweat" established the musical foundation for Brown's later hits, such as " I Got the Feelin' " (1968) and " Mother Popcorn " (1969). By this time Brown's vocals frequently took

5031-675: The Billboard R&;B charts . He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was posthumously inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame and

5148-722: The Cincinnati Marshals indoor football team and debuted the song in 2006 at half time of the April 29 Marshals home game against the West Palm Beach Phantoms. In 2006, ABC Entertainment /A Charly Films Release released a DVD and CD from Collins and the New Rubber Band's concert at the 1998 North Sea Jazz Festival . Soon after the release, Collins split from long-time friend and guitarist Odhran "The Bodhran" Rameriz, citing creative differences as

5265-654: The Parliament-Funkadelic enterprise, as well as Clinton's problematic management practices, began to take their toll by the late 1970s. Original Parliaments members Fuzzy Haskins , Calvin Simon , and Grady Thomas , who had been with Clinton since the barbershop days in the late 1950s, departed acrimoniously in 1977, after disputes over Clinton's management. Other important group members like singer/guitarist Glenn Goins and drummer Jerome Brailey left Parliament-Funkadelic in 1978 after disputes over Clinton's management. Two further Parliament albums, Gloryhallastoopid (1979) and Trombipulation (1980) were less successful than

5382-740: The Songwriters Hall of Fame . In Joel Whitburn 's analysis of the Billboard R&;B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in the Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone 's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and at No. 44 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. James Joseph Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina , to 16-year-old Susie ( née Behling; 1917–2004) and 21-year-old Joseph Gardner Brown (1912–1993) in

5499-662: The standard " Prisoner of Love ". He launched his first label, Try Me Records , which included recordings by Tammy Montgomery, later to be famous as Tammi Terrell , Johnny & Bill (Famous Flames associates Johnny Terry and Bill Hollings) and the Poets, which was another name used for Brown's backing band. During this time, Brown began an ill-fated two-year relationship with 17-year-old Tammi Terrell when she sang in his revue. Terrell ended their personal and professional relationship because of Brown's abusive behavior. In 1964, seeking bigger commercial success, Brown and Bobby Byrd formed

5616-473: The "fifth Flame". Brown, the Flames, and his entire band debuted at the Apollo Theater on April 24, 1959, opening for Brown's idol, Little Willie John . Federal Records issued two albums credited to Brown and the Famous Flames. Both contained previously released singles. In 1960, Brown began multi-tasking in the recording studio involving himself, his singing group, the Famous Flames, and his band,

5733-758: The "special guest host" of An Evening with Silk Sonic , the first studio album from Silk Sonic , a collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak . He was the one who came up with the band's name (much like he did with Babyface ), and acts as the album's narrator, "threading" the songs together. On July 7, 2022, Collins served as emcee for the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama . Collins has owned many basses, several of which are custom made. His original Space Bass and its first replacement were made in Warren, Michigan by Larry Pless of Gus Zoppi's music store. The first Space Bass had

5850-410: The 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as " Papa's Got a Brand New Bag ", " I Got You (I Feel Good) " and " It's a Man's Man's Man's World ". During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel -based forms and styles to a new approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By

5967-616: The 2005 Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year. In October 2005, Collins co-wrote a song celebrating the resurgence of his hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League called "Fear Da Tiger" which features "raps" written and performed by several Bengals players, including defensive end Duane Clemons, offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, and center Ben Wilkerson. An edited version of

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6084-482: The 50 greatest bassists of all time. Collins was born in Cincinnati , Ohio , on October 26, 1951. He said that his mother nicknamed him "Bootsy". "I asked her why", he explained to a journalist, "and she just said, 'Because you looked like a Bootsy.' I left it at that." His brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins (1943–2010) was also a musician. He and Bootsy were once part of The Pacemakers . Collins has maintained

6201-502: The Collins brothers, along with Waddy, joined Funkadelic . Collins played bass on most of Funkadelic and Parliament albums through the early 1980s, garnering several songwriting credits as well. In 1976 Collins, Catfish, Waddy, Joel Johnson (1953–2018), Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Robert Johnson and The Horny Horns formed Bootsy's Rubber Band , a separate touring unit of Clinton's P-Funk collective. The group recorded five albums together,

6318-577: The Dance" and another single on the House Guests label, as well as a third as The Sound of Vision on the House Guests label. Next Collins moved to Detroit , Michigan , after Philippé Wynne suggested joining The Spinners , for whom Wynne had been singing. However, following the advice of singer and future Parliament member Mallia Franklin , Collins made another choice. Franklin introduced both Collins brothers to George Clinton , and in 1972, both of

6435-460: The Garden (1967) and Live at the Apollo, Volume II (1968), and a 1968 television special, James Brown: Man to Man . His music empire expanded along with his influence on the music scene. As Brown's music empire grew, his desire for financial and artistic independence grew as well. Brown bought radio stations during the late 1960s, including WRDW in his native Augusta, where he shined shoes as

6552-525: The Gutter and the Stars . Collins vocals quote the book Dune ("Walk without rhythm and you won't attract the worm"). The song won multiple MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Music Video . In 2004 Collins contributed to Christian rap artist TobyMac 's Welcome to Diverse City album, collaborating on the "Diverse City" track, a song praised as one of the best on the album. The album won

6669-653: The Heart ", and he contributed additional vocals. Although he also appeared in the music video playing the bass, the bassline in the song is actually a sample of a Herbie Hancock song called "Bring Down the Birds". Bootsy's Rubber Band became the de facto backing musicians for Deee-Lite during a world tour. The Rubber Band also recorded the EP Jungle Bass , their first recording in 11 years. In 1992, he joined with guitarist Stevie Salas and drummer Buddy Miles to form

6786-408: The J.B.'s dissolved after a March 1971 European tour (documented on the 1991 archival release Love Power Peace ) due to additional money disputes and Bootsy Collins's use of LSD ; a new lineup of the J.B.'s coalesced around Wesley, St. Clair Pinckney and drummer John Starks. In 1971, Brown began recording for Polydor Records . Many of his sidemen and supporting players, including Fred Wesley &

6903-488: The J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins , Vicki Anderson and former rival Hank Ballard , released records on the People label. During the 1972 presidential election , James Brown openly proclaimed his support of Richard Nixon for reelection to the presidency over Democratic candidate George McGovern . The decision led to a boycott of his performances and, according to Brown, cost him a big portion of his black audience. As

7020-884: The Maytals on the album True Love that won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2005. In October 2010, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Bass Player magazine at the Key Club in Los Angeles. Collins was inducted in 2016 into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. On July 22, 2023, Bootsy Collins was inducted into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame. In March 2011, Collins and his wife visited Franklin L. Williams M.S #7's Little Kids Rock program, donated

7137-554: The No. 1 spot on the R&B charts with " The Payback ", with the parent album reaching the same spot on the album charts. He reached No. 1 two more times in 1974, with " My Thang " and " Papa Don't Take No Mess ". "Papa Don't Take No Mess" was his final single to reach the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts. His other Top Ten R&B hits during this latter period included " Funky President " (R&B No. 4) and " Get Up Offa That Thing " (R&B No. 4). Although his records were mainstays of

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7254-510: The R&B chart. His former record label Polydor released the four-CD box set Star Time , spanning Brown's career to date. Brown's release from prison prompted his former record labels to reissue his albums on CD, featuring additional tracks and commentary by music critics and historians. In 1991, Brown appeared on rapper MC Hammer 's video for " Too Legit to Quit ". Hammer had been noted, alongside Big Daddy Kane , for bringing Brown's unique stage shows and their own energetic dance moves to

7371-570: The Studio but Not Live playing Bass on Stage. I know u got question & I don't have answers, maybe one day u to will understand. Just remember; That This Year will be the Funkiest Year of them All. Watch for it. Bootsy baby!!! He wrote that he would be releasing a new album that year, and that he would continue to work in the studio and mentor young musicians. On February 25, 2021, it was announced that Collins would be making an appearance as

7488-409: The US R&B chart and reached No. 59 on the UK chart. Its brief charting in the UK was probably due to the success of a remixed version of "I Feel Good" featuring Dakeyne . Brown released the singles "How Long" and "Georgia-Lina", which failed to chart. In 1995, Brown returned to the Apollo and recorded Live at the Apollo 1995 . It included a studio track titled "Respect Me", which was released as

7605-438: The act to Casablanca Records . Parliament, now augmented by the Horny Horns (also recruited from James Brown 's band) was positioned as a smoother R&B-based funk ensemble with intricate horn and vocal arrangements, and as a counterpoint to the guitar-based funk-rock of Funkadelic. By this point, Parliament and Funkadelic were touring as a combined entity known as Parliament-Funkadelic or simply P-Funk (which also became

7722-453: The album, despite Nathan's belief that no one would buy a live album due to the fact that Brown's singles had already been bought and that live albums were usually bad sellers. Live at the Apollo was released in June 1963 and became an immediate hit, eventually reaching number two on the Top LPs chart and selling over a million copies, staying on the charts for 14 months. In 1963, Brown scored his first top 20 pop hit with his rendition of

7839-484: The albums from the group's prime 1975-1978 period. In the early 1980s, with legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup at Casablanca Records , George Clinton dissolved Parliament and Funkadelic as recording and touring entities. However, many of the musicians in later versions of the two groups remained employed by Clinton. Clinton continued to release new albums regularly, sometimes under his own name and sometimes under

7956-400: The ballad " Try Me ", which hit number one on the R&B chart in the beginning of 1959, becoming the first of seventeen chart-topping R&B hits. Shortly afterwards, he recruited his first band, led by J. C. Davis, and reunited with Bobby Byrd who joined a revived Famous Flames lineup that included Eugene "Baby" Lloyd Stallworth and Bobby Bennett , with Johnny Terry sometimes coming in as

8073-454: The band during this tumultuous period as co-frontman, effectively serving as a proto- hype man in live performances, recruited several members of the Pacemakers , a Cincinnati-based ensemble that included bassist Bootsy Collins and his brother, guitarist Phelps "Catfish" Collins ; augmented by the remaining members of the 1960s road band, including Fred Wesley, who rejoined Brown's outfit in December 1970, and other newer musicians, they formed

8190-458: The bass guitar "like some kinda delirious funky priest", as well as the ability to see around corners. Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea , who cited Collins as one of his primary influences, appeared in unmistakably Collins-style clothing in the video for RHCP's " Dani California ", and Collins's "What's a Telephone Bill?" was sampled for 2Pac 's "Str8 Ballin'" track from his Thug Life: Volume 1 album. Les Claypool has also cited Collins as

8307-416: The catch-all term for George Clinton's rapidly growing stable of funk artists). The album Up for the Down Stroke was released in 1974, with Chocolate City following in 1975. Both performed strongly on the Billboard R&B album chart and were moderately successful on the pop chart. Parliament began its period of greatest mainstream success with the concept album Mothership Connection (1975),

8424-631: The disco-oriented " It's Too Funky in Here " in 1979 reaching the R&B Top 15 and the ballad " Kiss in '77 " reaching the Top 20. After 1976's "Bodyheat", he failed to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. As a result, Brown's concert attendance began dropping and his reported disputes with the IRS caused his business empire to collapse. In addition, several longtime bandmates, including Wesley and Maceo Parker, had gradually pivoted to Parliament-Funkadelic, which reached its critical and commercial apogee in

8541-443: The early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as " Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine " and " The Payback ". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit " Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud ". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006. Brown recorded and released 17 singles that reached No. 1 on

8658-580: The early 1980s that hip hop pioneer Kurtis Blow called the song "the national anthem of hip hop". After his stint in prison during the late 1980s, Brown met Larry Fridie and Thomas Hart who produced the first James Brown biopic, entitled James Brown: The Man, the Message, the Music , released in 1992. He returned to music with the album Love Over-Due in 1991. It included the single " (So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On ", which peaked at No. 48 on

8775-525: The evolving character of an alien rock star who grew gradually more bizarre as time went on (see P-Funk mythology ). He also adopted his trademark "space bass" around this time. Collins released two 1980 albums, his first "solo" album Ultra Wave , and Sweat Band , on George Clinton's Uncle Jam label with a group billed as Bootsy's Sweat Band. He also was credited for co-producing the debut of P-Funk spinoff Zapp . In 1984, he collaborated with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads to produce " Five Minutes ",

8892-620: The family from time to time throughout his career. Shortly after being paroled he joined the gospel group the Ever-Ready Gospel Singers, featuring Byrd's sister Sarah. Brown joined Bobby Byrd's group in 1954. The group had evolved from the Gospel Starlighters, an a cappella gospel group, to an R&B group with the name the Avons. He reputedly joined the band after one of its members, Troy Collins, died in

9009-631: The final Live 8 concert on July 6, 2005, where he performed a duet with British pop star Will Young on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". In the Black Eyed Peas album "Monkey Business", Brown was featured on a track called "They Don't Want Music". The previous week he had performed a duet with another British pop star, Joss Stone , on the United Kingdom chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross . In 2006, Brown continued his Seven Decades of Funk World Tour. His final major U.S. performance

9126-471: The first three of which are often considered to be among the quintessential P-Funk recordings. The group's 1978 album Bootsy? Player of the Year reached the top of the R&B album chart and spawned the #1 R&B single " Bootzilla ". Like Clinton, Collins took on several alter egos , from Casper the Funky Ghost to Bootzilla, "the world's only rhinestone rockstar monster of a doll", all as parts of

9243-501: The following live release " Keepin' dah Funk Alive 4-1995 ", recorded over two nights in Tokyo. In 1995, Collins played in the remake of Jimi Hendrix 's " If 6 Was 9 ", for Axiom Funk, a Funkadelic-like one-off supergroup produced by Bill Laswell and featuring (Funkadelic members) George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Collins, (the guitar of the late) Eddie Hazel, Gary Shider and Laswell. The group released only one album ( Funkcronomicon ), and

9360-541: The form of a kind of rhythmic declamation, not quite sung but not quite spoken, that only intermittently featured traces of pitch or melody . This became a major influence on the techniques of rapping , which would come to maturity along with hip hop music in the coming decades. Brown's style of funk in the late 1960s was based on interlocking syncopated parts: strutting bass lines, syncopated drum patterns, and iconic percussive guitar riffs. The main guitar ostinatos for 1969's " Ain't It Funky " and " Give It Up or Turnit

9477-475: The funk-metal fusion group Hardware . The trio released one album, Third Eye Open , before disbanding. In the same year, Collins played bass guitar on the first Praxis album (produced by Laswell): Transmutation , alongside fellow Parliament-Funkadelic member Bernie Worrell, Bryan Mantia and Buckethead . Bootsy's New Rubber Band formed in 1994, releasing Blasters of the Universe and also put forth

9594-466: The group audition. He then sent them to a local radio station to record a demo session, where they performed their own composition " Please, Please, Please ", which was inspired when Little Richard wrote the words of the title on a napkin and Brown was determined to make a song out of it. The Famous Flames eventually signed with King Records ' Federal subsidiary in Cincinnati, Ohio, and issued

9711-551: The group's first manager, booking them at parties near college campuses in Georgia and South Carolina. The group had already gained a reputation as a good live act when they renamed themselves the Famous Flames. In 1955, the group contacted Little Richard while performing in Macon . Richard convinced the group to get in contact with his manager at the time, Clint Brantley, at his nightclub. Brantley agreed to manage them after seeing

9828-484: The hip-hop generation. Both listed Brown as their idol. Both musicians sampled his work, with Hammer having sampled the rhythms from " Super Bad " for his song "Here Comes the Hammer", from his best-selling album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em . Big Daddy Kane sampled many times. Before the year was over, Brown–who had immediately returned to work with his band following his release–organized a pay-per-view concert following

9945-676: The industry, most notably groups such as Sly and the Family Stone , Funkadelic , Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band , Booker T. & the M.G.s as well as vocalists such as Edwin Starr , David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards from the Temptations , and Michael Jackson , who, throughout his career, cited Brown as his ultimate idol. Brown's band during this period employed musicians and arrangers who had come up through

10062-460: The jazz tradition. He was noted for his ability as a bandleader and songwriter to blend the simplicity and drive of R&B with the rhythmic complexity and precision of jazz . Trumpeter Lewis Hamlin and saxophonist/keyboardist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis , the successor to previous bandleader Nat Jones, led the band. Guitarist Jimmy Nolen provided percussive, deceptively simple riffs for each song, and Maceo Parker 's prominent saxophone solos provided

10179-818: The line "Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins raise expectation to a new intention", while "Got more bass than Bootsy Collins" is a line in the song " Rumble in the Jungle " by the Fugees . His influence in popular culture is seen in that he has been referenced by a number of television series. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Sooooooul Train", Geoffrey sneaks into the Soul Train tapings posing as Collins, while in The Mighty Boosh episode " The Legend of Old Gregg " an alien creature named "The Funk" lands on Collins's house, giving him his ability to play

10296-512: The line-up of Parliament-Funkadelic began going through many changes and was expanded significantly, with the addition of important members such as keyboardist Bernie Worrell in 1970, singer/guitarist Garry Shider in 1971, and bassist Bootsy Collins (recruited from the James Brown backing band) in 1972. Dozens of singers and musicians would contribute to future Parliament-Funkadelic releases. Clinton relaunched Parliament in 1974 and signed

10413-611: The lyrics of which launched much of the P-Funk mythology . The subsequent albums The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976), Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977), and Motor Booty Affair (1978) all reached high on both the R&B and Pop charts, while Funkadelic was also experiencing significant mainstream success. Parliament scored the No. 1 R&B singles " Flash Light " in 1977 and " Aqua Boogie " in 1978. The rapidly expanding ensemble of musicians and singers in

10530-540: The mid-to-late 1970s. The emergence of disco forestalled Brown's success on the R&B charts, because its slicker, more commercial style had superseded his rawer, one-chord funk productions. By the release of 1979's The Original Disco Man , Brown seldom contributed to the songwriting and production processes, leaving most of it to producer Brad Shapiro . This resulted in the song "It's Too Funky in Here" becoming Brown's most successful single in this period. After two more albums failed to chart, Brown left Polydor in 1981. It

10647-517: The name George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars. The P-Funk All-Stars continued to record and tour into the 1990s and 2000s, and regularly perform classic Parliament songs. Parliament reformed in January 2018 and released the song "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me", which features the rapper Scarface . This was the first new Parliament release in 38 years. Clinton also announced the title of a new Parliament album, Medicaid Fraud Dogg , which

10764-469: The nucleus of the J.B.'s , Brown's new backing ensemble. Shortly following their first performance together, the band entered the studio to record the Brown-Byrd composition, " Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine ". The song —with its off the beat play Brown called "The One"— and other contemporaneous singles further cemented Brown's influence in the nascent genre of funk music. This iteration of

10881-593: The older, more affluent, and predominantly white adult contemporary audience, Brown recorded Gettin' Down To It (1969) and Soul on Top (1970)—two albums consisting mostly of romantic ballads, jazz standards, and homologous reinterpretations of his earlier hits—with the Dee Felice Trio and the Louie Bellson Orchestra. In 1968, he recorded a number of funk-oriented tracks with the Dapps ,

10998-496: The parent label, King, which according to Brown in his autobiography meant "you got more support from the company". While with King, Brown, under the Famous Flames lineup, released the hit-filled album Think! and in 1961 released two albums with the James Brown Band earning second billing. With the Famous Flames, Brown sang lead on several more hits, including " Bewildered ", " I'll Go Crazy " and " Think ", songs that hinted at his emerging style. In 1962, Brown and his band scored

11115-585: The popular music of the 1970s". Those same tracks were later resurrected by countless hip-hop musicians from the 1970s onward. As a result, James Brown remains to this day the world's most sampled recording artist. Two tracks that he wrote, are synonymous with modern dance, especially with house music , jungle music , and drum and bass music , which were sped up exponentially, in the latter two genres. "Bring it Up" has an Afro-Cuban guajeo -like structure. All three of these guitar riffs are based on an onbeat/offbeat structure. Stewart says that it "is different from

11232-485: The production company, Fair Deal, linking the operation to the Mercury imprint, Smash Records . King Records fought against this and was granted an injunction preventing Brown from releasing any recordings for the label. Prior to the injunction, Brown had released three vocal singles, including the blues-oriented hit " Out of Sight ", which further indicated the direction his music was going to take. Touring throughout

11349-529: The production team Full Force on the new jack swing -influenced I'm Real . It spawned his final two Top 10 R&B hits, " I'm Real " and " Static ", which peaked at No. 2 and No. 5, respectively. Meanwhile, the drum break from the second version of the original 1969 hit "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose", the recording included on the compilation album In the Jungle Groove , became so popular at hip hop dance parties, especially for breakdance , during

11466-544: The prolific producer using Bootsy mainly as a bassist but sometimes as a rhythm guitarist . In 1988, Collins appeared as a guest artist to play bass on Keith Richards and The X-Pensive Winos album Talk is Cheap . In 1989, Collins played bass on and produced several tracks of Malcolm McLaren 's album Waltz Darling , credited to Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra. In 1990, Collins collaborated with Deee-Lite on their biggest hit " Groove Is in

11583-528: The reason. Later that same year, Collins released the holiday album Christmas Is 4 Ever . This represents the first Christmas-themed album made by a member of the P-Funk musical collective. The album features re-workings of Christmas standards as well as original compositions. In April 2007, Collins announced plans to open Bootsy's, a restaurant/club with Cincinnati area restaurateur Jeff Ruby. The venue operated from 2008 to 2010. It featured live musical acts,

11700-468: The same name.) Although they worked for Brown for only 11 months, the original J.B.'s played on some of Brown's most intense funk recordings, including " Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine ", " Bewildered (1970)", " Super Bad ", " Soul Power ", " Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing ", and two instrumental singles, the much-sampled " The Grunt " and "These Are the J.B.'s". In regards to his tenure working for James Brown , Collins stated: He treated me like

11817-456: The singing group, now known as Parliament, at first featuring the same ten members. Clinton was now the leader of two different acts, Parliament and Funkadelic, which featured the same members, but were marketed as creating two different types of funk . The Parliament album entitled Osmium was released on Invictus Records in 1970, and was later reissued on CD with non-album tracks as both Rhenium and First Thangs . Osmium featured

11934-502: The song " Unity ". A year later he signed with Scotti Brothers Records and issued the moderately successful album Gravity in 1986 with a popular song " How Do You Stop ". It included Brown's final Top Ten pop hit, " Living in America ", marking his first Top 40 entry since 1974 and his first Top Ten pop entry since 1968. Produced and written by Dan Hartman , it featured prominently on the Rocky IV film and soundtrack. Brown performed

12051-556: The song also appeared in the soundtrack of the movie Stealing Beauty . He also featured on Jon B's song "Simple Melody" from his debut album, " Bonafide ". Collins collaborated with Del McCoury , Doc Watson and Mac Wiseman to form the GrooveGrass Boyz . They produced a fusion of bluegrass and funk. Collins provided lead vocals for the Fatboy Slim song " Weapon of Choice " from his 2000 album Halfway Between

12168-696: The song in the film at Apollo Creed's final fight, shot in the Ziegfeld Room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , and was credited in the film as the Godfather of Soul. 1986 also saw the publication of his autobiography, James Brown: The Godfather of Soul , co-written with Bruce Tucker. In 1987, Brown won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Living in America". In 1988, Brown worked with

12285-484: The song was made into a music video which features cameos by many other Bengals players. Collins appeared with Little Richard, Bernie Worrell , and other notable musicians as the band playing with Hank Williams, Jr. for the Monday Night Football opening during for the 2006 season. Collins was the only all star to return with Williams for the 2007 season. He also sings "Marshal Law", the theme song of

12402-404: The start of World War II as their convoys traveled over a canal bridge near his aunt's home. This is where he first heard the legendary blues musician Howlin' Wolf play guitar. He learned to play the piano, guitar, and harmonica during this period. He became inspired to become an entertainer after hearing " Caldonia " by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five . In his teen years, Brown briefly had

12519-438: The vanguard New York underground disco scene, exemplified by DJs such as David Mancuso and Francis Grasso , from 1969 onwards, Brown did not consciously yield to the trend until 1975's Sex Machine Today . By 1977, he was no longer a dominant force in R&B. After "Get Up Offa That Thing", thirteen of Brown's late 1970s recordings for Polydor failed to reach the Top 10 of the R&B chart, with only " Bodyheat " in 1976 and

12636-509: The year, Brown and the Famous Flames grabbed more national attention after delivering an explosive show-stopping performance on the live concert film The T.A.M.I. Show . The Flames' dynamic gospel-tinged vocals, polished choreography and timing as well as Brown's energetic dance moves and high-octane singing upstaged the proposed closing act, the Rolling Stones . Having signed a new deal with King, Brown released his song " Papa's Got

12753-529: Was Brown's first public performance since his parole from the South Carolina prison system in February. He had served two-and-a-half years of two concurrent six-year sentences for aggravated assault and other felonies. Brown continued making recordings. In 1993 his album Universal James was released. It included his final Billboard charting single, " Can't Get Any Harder ", which peaked at No. 76 on

12870-543: Was Brown's nickname at the prison. Byrd has since said he and his family helped to secure an early release, which led to Brown promising the court he would "sing for the Lord". Brown was released on a work sponsorship with Toccoa business owner S. C. Lawson. Lawson was impressed with Brown's work ethic and secured his release with a promise to keep him employed for two years. Brown was paroled on June 14, 1952. Brown went on to work with both of Lawson's sons, and came back to visit

12987-462: Was a frequent collaborator with other musicians from a variety of genres, including dance music ( Deee-Lite 's " Groove Is in the Heart "), electronic big beat ( Fatboy Slim 's " Weapon of Choice " and " The Joker "), and alternative metal ( Praxis ), among others. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , inducted in 1997 with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Collins number 4 in its list of

13104-550: Was around this time that Brown changed the name of his band from the J.B.'s to the Soul Generals, or Soul G's. The band retained that name until his death. Despite Brown's declining record sales, promoters Gary LoConti and Jim Rissmiller helped Brown sell out a string of residency shows at the Reseda Country Club in Los Angeles in early 1982. Brown's compromised commercial standing prevented him from charging

13221-817: Was in San Francisco on August 20, 2006, as headliner at the Festival of the Golden Gate (Foggfest) on the Great Meadow at Fort Mason . The next day, he performed at an 800-seat campus theatre at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California . His last shows were greeted with positive reviews, and one of his final concert appearances at the Irish Oxegen festival in Punchestown in 2006 included

13338-625: Was on it tonight. Y'all hit the one." My brother and I looked at each other like, "This mother has got to be crazy." We knew in our heart and soul that we wasn't all that on that show. So then I started figuring out his game, man. By telling me that I wasn't on it, he made me practice harder. So I just absorbed what he said and used it in a positive way. After parting ways with James Brown , Collins returned to Cincinnati and formed House Guests with his brother Phelps Collins, Rufus Allen, Clayton "Chicken" Gunnels, Frankie Waddy, Ronnie Greenaway and Robert McCullough. The House Guests released "What So Never

13455-424: Was reduced to a single chord . The instrumental arrangements on tracks such as " Give It Up or Turnit a Loose " and " Licking Stick-Licking Stick ", both recorded in 1968, and " Funky Drummer ", recorded in 1969, featured a more developed version of Brown's mid-1960s style, with the horn section , guitars, bass and drums meshed together in intricate rhythmic patterns based on multiple interlocking riffs . (Note: It

13572-440: Was the group leader and manager. The group scored a hit single in 1967 with " (I Wanna) Testify " (co-written by Clinton) on Revilot Records. To capitalize on this chart success, Clinton formed a touring band, featuring teenage barbershop employee Billy Nelson on bass and his friend Eddie Hazel on guitar, with the line-up eventually rounded out by Tawl Ross on guitar, Tiki Fulwood on drums, and Mickey Atkins on organ. During

13689-451: Was working on a project named Science Faxtion and an album called Living on Another Frequency in which he serves as bassist and co-producer along with his lead vocalist Greg Hampton . The band also features guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain . The album was released in November 2008. Collins promoted Rock the Vote for its 2008 campaign together with Buckethead. Collins portrayed

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