Mick Hartley

One response to “James Brown RIP”

1. 

   Percy Aggett

   December 30, 2006

   I got to this log because I was reading Faulks’ Human Traces and was struck by the resonance with Jaynes’ bicameral mind stuff, then found this….I saw JB at the East Ham granada in East London circa 1972, at the top of his form, absolutely pure 16/32-bar funk straight from the apollo….at the time my friends did’nt dig him….they were too cool, into roxy music, all that perpindicular european stuff, I went with a black friend, I could’nt spot any other white people in the audience. I felt out of place in a green hacking jacket with leathered elbows, the guys were wearing shaft hats and coats. I felt, and feel now, that JB always had this message about education and aspiration….become doctors/lawyers as well as/rather than musicians/boxers…then he re-emerged in the 80’s when he was sampled by hip-hop DJ’s. Now youth still aspire to be dj’s. I’ve always felt the cannon went through JB, with Miles, Sly, Fela, Marley,to Prince. I give my old panther lit to my son’s friends (cleaver/jones et al). They love it and I am surprised they have’nt read it. I deliver monologues to them about JB’s connection to all that and their eyes glaze over. Long live JB.

   LikeLike

   Reply