Mick Hartley

Politics and Culture

recent posts

email me

James Brown and the Famous Flames 1964

Get past the idiots at the beginning and this is fourteen minutes of pure solid gold soul: the legendary T.A.M.I. show performance. From the moment he comes on you know he's giving it everything. And look at those moves. In later years he lost some (not much, but some) of that energy, but here he's in absolute peak form.

Laydeez and gentlemen..the hardest working man in show business:

Already at this stage in his career he's got that cape routine going: the moment in every show when, overcome with emotion, drenched in sweat, exhausted, he sinks to his knees, and his minders place the cape over his shoulders and solicitously lead him off-stage – only for the man to rip the cape off, spin round, grab the mike, and launch into another round of tear-drenched pleading. It's fabulous theatre.

The Stones had the misfortune to follow this. Keith Richards said it was the biggest mistake of their career. 

Posted in

5 responses to “James Brown and the Famous Flames 1964”

  1. Dom Avatar
    Dom

    Actually, I think Brown improved with age. I liked him better when he put all the theatrics behind him. (Although I once had a music teacher who tried to explain Paganini’s stage appeal by saying he was the James Brown of his day.)
    I always feel like I shouldn’t like this video, but I just think both Brown and Pavarotti sound terrific together:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Febr_t_qa9U

    Like

    Reply
  2. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    Hadn’t seen that one before. Yes, somehow it does work – but I still go for the early stuff myself.
    Still, we don’t have to choose. It’s all there.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Sadie Avatar
    Sadie

    I’ve seen them both perform live. Pavarotti in the 1970’s and James Brown in 1961.
    Guess which one had me dancing for three solid hours.

    Like

    Reply
  4. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    Well yeah, Pavarotti can get you like that.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Topkat Avatar
    Topkat

    Everyone always praises JAMES BROWN and his BAND…but nobody ever talks about his singing group THE FAMOUS FLAMES. Their names are: BOBBY BYRD, BOBBY BENNETT, and LLOYD STALLWORTH. The Flames are VERY important historically, because , contrary to popular belief, JAMES BROWN actually BEGAN his career as a member of The Famous Flames….NOT as a “solo” artist.In fact, The Flames were around long before that celebrated “band” EVER EXISTED!! For decades, despite their importance on the stage AND in the recording studio, NOBODY ever gave them as ounce of credit. Some misinformed people and history revisionists have even gone so far as to say that James Brown’s BAND was called “The Famous Flames” This LIE has persisted for over 50 years…and it’s HIGH TIME it STOPPED . THE FLAMES are a SINGING GROUP…NOT BACKUP MUSICIANS. (sorry , fans of Maceo, Fred Wesley,Bootsy Collins, Jabo Starks, etc,etc,etc) but facts are facts. The Famous Flames are (as Jan & Dean said at their intro, “RIGHT HERE”) singing and dancing right alongside Brown. People , it seems , are FINALLY getting the message: THE FAMOUS FLAMES,Byrd, Bennett, Stallworth, and Johnny Terry, were just inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF fame IN 2012…SOME 27 years AFTER the induction of lead singer JAMES BROWN.
    They SHOULD have been inducted with BROWN back in 1986 !!!

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment