The first time I ever saw James Brown was in a theater as I watched Jan & Dean play the T.A.M.I. show in 1965. To be honest, I didn't know what to make of him (he sang Papa's Got a Brand New Bag). The follow-up single was I Got You (I Feel Good), which I understood a helluva lot better. All these years later, I recognize how much influence he had on subsequent musical trends from disco to funk and hip-hop. I can't say I like much of the music that those styles personified, but I can see Brown's dancing and hear his shouting and rhythm in all of them.
Update: Read Roy's thoughts too.
Posted by Linkmeister at December 26, 2006 02:25 PM | TrackBack