You got it,you got it,you got it,you got it.......... i know ya got soul,..... if ya didn't ya wouldn't be in here............. And a mighty thanks for returning to the Funk Road after an extended hiatus. Things were a little hectic down the Funk road for a minute.....between moving , buying a new headquarters for the 1200's and crates, and finding myself alone after splitting with my soul-mate i've finally gotten myself settled in and able to give this blog my full attention.
...... So, Bobby Byrd,....... Ironically he's the one who discovered James Brown......... yet he himself became one of James Browns Funky People. "The hell" you say.... but its the truth.
Byrd and Brown met at a youth detention camp. Byrds local baseball team was playing against an inmate team that , coincidentally had one James Brown as a member. Brown, ever the showman, was showing off his singing and dancing skills to fellow inmates when he caught the eye of Byrd. Byrd was a member of a group called "the Avons" , a local vocal /instrumental group. In regards to first seeing Brown ,Byrd said "'I didn't need him in competition, I needed him with me, that's why I worked so hard to get him over to my group'". Byrd convinced his parents to offer James a home plan upon his release from detention.
The Avons, who had now changed their name to The Flames under the direction of Byrd , recorded their first single with James Brown at the helm. Released in 1956 on the King label , Please ,Please,Please did just the opposite to members of the band who were unhappy that the single was released as "James Brown and the Famous Flames" The band that Byrd himself had founded now had a new frontman and Byrd was relegated to keyboards. To add insult to injury many of the songs collaborated on by Brown and Byrd failed to give Byrd any writting or publishing credits at all.
Many incarnations of James Browns backing bands came and went thru the years. Byrd stuck with Brown ,playing as part of the James Brown Revue, as one of James Browns Funky People, and recording solo material with James Brown's backing bands.
The most famous of Byrds solo tunes is "I Know You Got Soul". Recorded in 1971 with the JB's, this 3:00 single was part of an 18 minute funk jam during the sessions for Browns "Hot Pants" album . With James Brown himself at the production controls the extended jam was later chopped into "I know you got soul"," Escape-ism" , and a few other tunes. Having only reached #30 on the billboard charts, nobody really expected what was to hapen next.
Its common knowledge among hip-hop fans, beat-heads, and crate diggers that James Brown is the most sampled man in music history. And its very possible that "I know you got soul" is the most sampled of James Browns work. Byrds work to be exact, but like i said earlier, Brown often gets credit where Byrd is due........ 30+ artists have sampled this song. MC Ren, DJ Jazzy Jeff ,Cool G Rap, Salt-n-Pepper,Special Ed, Ice Cube and multiple times by Public Enemy. Do I need to continue to make my point. The list is long........ but for me it starts and stops with Eric B and Rakim's funky joint of the same name.With Rakims use of internal rhyme, sophisticated metaphors, a methodical-yet-effortless delivery , and the dog-with- fleas scratching of Eric B. they easily take this song to the next level. They just don't make hip-hop like this anymore. ..........and its sad.
Enjoy the funky stuff....... and BTW, be sure to Email kingskunk45@gmail.com for your FREE Kingskunk45 sticker.
Booby Byrd-I Know You Got Soul - http://www.divshare.com/download/7861413-c55
Eric B and Rakim- I Know You Got Soul - http://www.divshare.com/download/7861430-207
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