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-"Black" is a thing that were
basically put on a man --
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00:00:06,125 --> 00:00:08,875
on an American Black man,
in America.
3
00:00:08,875 --> 00:00:10,750
And, hey, I'm Black,
and I'm proud,
4
00:00:10,750 --> 00:00:12,875
but I really don't want
to have to say
5
00:00:12,875 --> 00:00:14,500
I'm Black and you have
to say you're White.
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I want to say that we're people
and that we're brothers
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and we got the same fight.
But now, if you step on my toe,
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then I got to defend myself
as a man.
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00:00:21,875 --> 00:00:22,917
Same thing
you would have to do it.
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00:00:22,917 --> 00:00:25,000
Hit it!
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00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,958
♪
12
00:00:29,958 --> 00:00:31,750
♪ Watch me
13
00:00:31,750 --> 00:00:33,583
♪ I got it
14
00:00:33,583 --> 00:00:35,125
♪ Watch me
15
00:00:35,125 --> 00:00:37,417
♪ I got it, hey!
16
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♪ I got something
that makes me want to shout ♪
17
00:00:40,333 --> 00:00:41,917
♪ I've got that thing
18
00:00:41,917 --> 00:00:44,042
♪ That tells me
what it's all about ♪
19
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♪ I got the soul
20
00:00:46,208 --> 00:00:48,333
♪ And I'm super bad
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00:00:48,333 --> 00:00:50,375
♪
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00:00:50,375 --> 00:00:53,083
♪ Got soul
23
00:00:53,083 --> 00:00:57,208
♪ And I'm super bad
24
00:00:57,208 --> 00:00:59,708
♪ I'm a lover,
love to do my thing ♪
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00:00:59,708 --> 00:01:01,708
-Without James Brown,
26
00:01:01,708 --> 00:01:06,458
the whole trajectory of culture
just goes somewhere else.
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00:01:06,458 --> 00:01:07,333
-♪ Hit it
28
00:01:07,333 --> 00:01:09,208
-Everybody wasn't that talented.
29
00:01:09,208 --> 00:01:11,667
Everybody wasn't
exactly as driven.
30
00:01:11,667 --> 00:01:13,458
That maniacal drive.
31
00:01:13,458 --> 00:01:15,542
-It's hard for me
to think about my dad
32
00:01:15,542 --> 00:01:19,042
as the most important
Black man in America,
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00:01:19,042 --> 00:01:20,667
because he was my dad.
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00:01:20,667 --> 00:01:22,917
-♪ Got soul
35
00:01:22,917 --> 00:01:25,458
♪ And I'm super bad
36
00:01:25,458 --> 00:01:27,542
♪ Yeah, now
37
00:01:27,542 --> 00:01:29,583
♪
38
00:01:29,583 --> 00:01:31,875
-I love that two things
that he brought to the table
39
00:01:31,875 --> 00:01:36,875
were, like, two taboo words --
"funk" and "black."
40
00:01:36,875 --> 00:01:38,458
-♪ Super bad
41
00:01:38,458 --> 00:01:42,042
-What's undeniable
and consistently so
42
00:01:42,042 --> 00:01:44,833
in James Brown's
presentation of self
43
00:01:44,833 --> 00:01:46,292
is that he's a Black man.
44
00:01:46,292 --> 00:01:49,833
He's authentically
and unapologetically Black.
45
00:01:49,833 --> 00:01:54,125
-He found a rugged, ghetto way
of translating Black culture.
46
00:01:54,125 --> 00:01:55,875
The energy was in the feeling.
47
00:01:55,875 --> 00:01:58,208
You know, records didn't have
feelings back then like that.
48
00:01:58,208 --> 00:01:59,958
-♪ Got to move, huh
49
00:01:59,958 --> 00:02:01,875
-This is the closest you're
gonna be connected to the soul
50
00:02:01,875 --> 00:02:04,375
where slavery happened
and you saw all this pain happen
51
00:02:04,375 --> 00:02:06,292
and you saw this racism happen.
52
00:02:06,292 --> 00:02:08,125
And you get the men
from the South
53
00:02:08,125 --> 00:02:10,042
and having all those
different pressures
54
00:02:10,042 --> 00:02:11,708
just squeezed out
James Brown out of it.
55
00:02:11,708 --> 00:02:12,875
-My dad...
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00:02:12,875 --> 00:02:13,875
-♪ Super bad
57
00:02:13,875 --> 00:02:15,333
-...he was hard.
58
00:02:15,333 --> 00:02:16,958
-♪ Hey, I'm super bad
59
00:02:16,958 --> 00:02:18,208
-He wasn't soft.
60
00:02:18,208 --> 00:02:19,708
-♪ Good God, get it, huh
61
00:02:19,708 --> 00:02:21,042
♪ Super bad
62
00:02:21,042 --> 00:02:22,708
-A diamond knows
that it's a diamond.
63
00:02:22,708 --> 00:02:24,208
-♪ Super bad
64
00:02:24,208 --> 00:02:28,042
-And in order to rise to
the top of the Earth's surface,
65
00:02:28,042 --> 00:02:30,250
it has to endure
an extreme amount
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00:02:30,250 --> 00:02:32,583
of pressure and temperature.
67
00:02:32,583 --> 00:02:34,125
-He was brilliant.
68
00:02:34,125 --> 00:02:35,875
He took all these influences
and combined them.
69
00:02:35,875 --> 00:02:37,542
And then he created,
70
00:02:37,542 --> 00:02:40,583
almost single-handedly,
this other group.
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00:02:40,583 --> 00:02:43,875
-He really believed
that he could do things
72
00:02:43,875 --> 00:02:45,667
and overcome things.
73
00:02:45,667 --> 00:02:49,750
He marched to the beat
of his own drum, literally.
74
00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:53,833
-So it's all deeper than
how great he was with the music.
75
00:02:53,833 --> 00:02:55,542
-Hey!
76
00:02:55,542 --> 00:02:59,458
-James Brown is a reflection
of the Black experience
77
00:02:59,458 --> 00:03:01,875
in the context of
the United States of America.
78
00:03:01,875 --> 00:03:05,500
That's why James Brown's story
is an American story.
79
00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:08,667
-My thing, I had to get
the way I felt,
80
00:03:08,667 --> 00:03:11,500
and I thought that I would
be able to deliver better,
81
00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:13,625
doing it the way I feel,
you know?
82
00:03:13,625 --> 00:03:15,250
It's one thing
I've always tried to do
83
00:03:15,250 --> 00:03:18,917
is be unlike anybody else.
84
00:03:18,917 --> 00:03:20,917
Everybody over there!
85
00:03:20,917 --> 00:03:24,833
[ Cheers and applause ]
86
00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:35,917
You know,
former little shoeshine boy
87
00:03:35,917 --> 00:03:38,375
from a very, very poor family.
88
00:03:38,375 --> 00:03:41,000
My father had to work hard
all his life.
89
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,792
And we moved from pillar to post
is what the people used to say.
90
00:03:44,792 --> 00:03:47,333
We never really had a home.
91
00:03:47,333 --> 00:03:49,083
I could, as far back
as I can remember,
92
00:03:49,083 --> 00:03:50,542
was always renting.
93
00:03:50,542 --> 00:03:53,042
Paying another cat's bills
94
00:03:53,042 --> 00:03:56,000
and never really paying our own.
95
00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000
-My father was born
in a shack in Barnwell County,
96
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,708
South Carolina.
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00:04:01,708 --> 00:04:05,208
There was no breathing.
There was no sound.
98
00:04:05,208 --> 00:04:08,375
It didn't look like
he was gonna come through.
99
00:04:08,375 --> 00:04:10,208
But then, all of a sudden...
100
00:04:10,208 --> 00:04:12,292
Oww!
101
00:04:12,292 --> 00:04:14,292
[ Laughs ]
102
00:04:14,292 --> 00:04:16,542
...he was alive.
103
00:04:16,542 --> 00:04:18,875
They basically
beat life into him.
104
00:04:18,875 --> 00:04:21,542
He always used to say,
"I was born dead.
105
00:04:21,542 --> 00:04:23,583
So I had to make
a life for myself."
106
00:04:23,583 --> 00:04:27,583
♪
107
00:04:27,583 --> 00:04:31,042
-Miracles just don't happen,
but in my case, it did.
108
00:04:31,042 --> 00:04:32,333
Music was the only thing I had.
109
00:04:32,333 --> 00:04:34,208
My father stopped
in the second grade.
110
00:04:34,208 --> 00:04:36,292
My mother stopped
in the fourth grade.
111
00:04:36,292 --> 00:04:38,542
And I only went
to the seventh grade.
112
00:04:38,542 --> 00:04:42,000
No music, no eat, no food.
I was a janitor when I cut.
113
00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,583
"Please, Please, Please."
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00:04:44,583 --> 00:04:45,667
♪ Please
115
00:04:45,667 --> 00:04:46,792
♪
116
00:04:46,792 --> 00:04:48,167
♪ Please
117
00:04:48,167 --> 00:04:50,375
-He's growing up,
South Carolina,
118
00:04:50,375 --> 00:04:53,708
Georgia, in the Black Belt,
as we call it,
119
00:04:53,708 --> 00:04:56,583
being just two generations
removed from it,
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00:04:56,583 --> 00:05:00,375
the heart of slavery
and knowing people
121
00:05:00,375 --> 00:05:03,917
who were the children
of enslaved folks.
122
00:05:03,917 --> 00:05:05,792
♪
123
00:05:05,792 --> 00:05:07,708
-Have you ever been broke
and hungry?
124
00:05:07,708 --> 00:05:10,125
I have really been
broke and hungry.
125
00:05:10,125 --> 00:05:12,417
Plenty of times in my life.
126
00:05:12,417 --> 00:05:14,042
I raised up.
127
00:05:14,042 --> 00:05:16,125
I-I come up through
that kind of thing, you know?
128
00:05:16,125 --> 00:05:17,750
Broke and hungry.
129
00:05:17,750 --> 00:05:20,208
-My grandmother
and grandfather grew up so poor,
130
00:05:20,208 --> 00:05:22,375
Grandma Susie,
she was a caregiver,
131
00:05:22,375 --> 00:05:24,042
like most of the people
during that time.
132
00:05:24,042 --> 00:05:26,375
I mean, my dad was born in 1933,
133
00:05:26,375 --> 00:05:29,708
and she was born back
in the teens.
134
00:05:29,708 --> 00:05:31,917
-My grandfather was a proud man.
135
00:05:31,917 --> 00:05:33,417
He went without food,
136
00:05:33,417 --> 00:05:35,208
and to keep from borrowing food
from a neighbor,
137
00:05:35,208 --> 00:05:38,375
my grandfather
would walk 17 miles.
138
00:05:38,375 --> 00:05:41,292
He saw that the life
he had as a sharecropper
139
00:05:41,292 --> 00:05:43,375
wasn't going to be enough
to support the family,
140
00:05:43,375 --> 00:05:46,375
so that's when he decided
he would move to Augusta.
141
00:05:46,375 --> 00:05:49,042
-James's father
was extremely violent.
142
00:05:49,042 --> 00:05:50,625
He beat her a lot.
143
00:05:50,625 --> 00:05:53,542
She finally fled
to New York City.
144
00:05:53,542 --> 00:05:56,333
There's a history
of Black and White men
145
00:05:56,333 --> 00:06:00,042
who treated women like property
and beat them.
146
00:06:00,042 --> 00:06:01,750
It'd be like, "Oh, he was,
147
00:06:01,750 --> 00:06:04,708
you know, just putting
his wife straight."
148
00:06:04,708 --> 00:06:07,042
-My grandfather was abusive
to my grandmother.
149
00:06:07,042 --> 00:06:08,417
Not all the time,
but he saw it.
150
00:06:08,417 --> 00:06:11,375
And then he was abusive
to my father.
151
00:06:11,375 --> 00:06:14,292
So he saw that
heavy hand early on.
152
00:06:14,292 --> 00:06:17,875
-That violence absolutely
can revisit itself
153
00:06:17,875 --> 00:06:22,500
in interactions
that he has with other people.
154
00:06:22,500 --> 00:06:24,250
-♪ I don't know how to sing
the blues ♪
155
00:06:24,250 --> 00:06:26,208
♪ Like I used to sing them,
yeah ♪
156
00:06:26,208 --> 00:06:27,958
-What you see growing up,
157
00:06:27,958 --> 00:06:29,917
you think this is
how things are supposed to be.
158
00:06:29,917 --> 00:06:33,875
You don't really see
a healthy relationship.
159
00:06:33,875 --> 00:06:36,333
-It's one thing for
your father to not be there,
160
00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:41,500
but I think it's a whole nother
set of obstacles
161
00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:46,333
when you're dealing with
your mother abandoning you.
162
00:06:46,333 --> 00:06:49,083
My Aunt Honey,
my grandfather's sister,
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00:06:49,083 --> 00:06:51,208
helped raise him as a man.
164
00:06:51,208 --> 00:06:52,875
-My father
was a very poor man.
165
00:06:52,875 --> 00:06:55,042
And then my mother,
she was a houseworker.
166
00:06:55,042 --> 00:06:57,542
That's the early separation
of the things happening.
167
00:06:57,542 --> 00:06:59,000
So I was kind of brought up
with my aunt
168
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:00,417
and caught a little hard.
169
00:07:00,417 --> 00:07:01,708
So I did a lot of things to try
170
00:07:01,708 --> 00:07:04,000
to be like the other guys,
you know?
171
00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:05,500
I never had the chance
to experience
172
00:07:05,500 --> 00:07:07,208
growing up as a kid.
173
00:07:07,208 --> 00:07:10,875
-He grew up in a whorehouse.
That's really the reality of it.
174
00:07:10,875 --> 00:07:13,750
And what he saw
at a young age was,
175
00:07:13,750 --> 00:07:16,333
you wouldn't want any
of your children to see that.
176
00:07:16,333 --> 00:07:18,667
May make you think
of women different,
177
00:07:18,667 --> 00:07:20,125
treat women different.
178
00:07:20,125 --> 00:07:21,792
-I was 9 years old
179
00:07:21,792 --> 00:07:23,833
before I got my first pair
of underwear out of a store.
180
00:07:23,833 --> 00:07:27,500
All of my clothes were made,
sacks and things like that.
181
00:07:27,500 --> 00:07:28,583
You know, I remember
when I used to go
182
00:07:28,583 --> 00:07:31,458
to Floyd School, man, jack.
183
00:07:31,458 --> 00:07:34,708
You couldn't look at me no way.
184
00:07:34,708 --> 00:07:36,833
-No, at us.
-Oh, okay.
185
00:07:36,833 --> 00:07:38,500
You couldn't look at us no way.
186
00:07:38,500 --> 00:07:40,042
-Me and you.
-And miss nothing.
187
00:07:40,042 --> 00:07:42,375
And you always see the thing.
Yes, sir.
188
00:07:42,375 --> 00:07:43,417
-You did.
-'Cause the patches
189
00:07:43,417 --> 00:07:45,500
was hanging loose.
190
00:07:45,500 --> 00:07:48,042
As a boy, I shined shoes.
191
00:07:48,042 --> 00:07:50,875
I worked at the car lot.
I worked in a sawmill.
192
00:07:50,875 --> 00:07:52,708
I picked cotton,
danced for nickels
193
00:07:52,708 --> 00:07:55,375
and dimes to pay the rent.
194
00:07:55,375 --> 00:07:58,542
Jack, anytime you can't eat
195
00:07:58,542 --> 00:08:00,208
and don't know where you're
gonna get your next meal,
196
00:08:00,208 --> 00:08:01,750
and if you don't
get there early,
197
00:08:01,750 --> 00:08:03,708
you won't be able
to sleep in the bed,
198
00:08:03,708 --> 00:08:05,917
you have to sleep on the floor
or on a pallet...
199
00:08:05,917 --> 00:08:09,042
Well, we had to pay $5
for rent for a month.
200
00:08:09,042 --> 00:08:10,542
18 people lived in a home.
201
00:08:10,542 --> 00:08:12,042
They couldn't get it up
to save their life.
202
00:08:12,042 --> 00:08:13,208
18 people.
203
00:08:13,208 --> 00:08:14,208
And I danced
for the soldiers.
204
00:08:14,208 --> 00:08:16,750
In 20 minutes, I had $19.
205
00:08:16,750 --> 00:08:18,583
♪ Hey!
Hey, hey, pretty baby ♪
206
00:08:18,583 --> 00:08:20,833
♪ With your fine old foxy self
207
00:08:20,833 --> 00:08:22,542
♪
208
00:08:22,542 --> 00:08:25,833
♪ Hey, pretty baby,
with your fine old foxy self ♪
209
00:08:25,833 --> 00:08:27,292
♪
210
00:08:27,292 --> 00:08:29,542
-Augusta being
a military town,
211
00:08:29,542 --> 00:08:33,208
he spent a lot of time out
tap-dancing for soldiers.
212
00:08:33,208 --> 00:08:34,708
-They would come
into the brothels,
213
00:08:34,708 --> 00:08:36,375
so it's like, "How can
I make a little money?
214
00:08:36,375 --> 00:08:38,083
So I'm going to do
my little buck dances,"
215
00:08:38,083 --> 00:08:39,458
is what they call it.
216
00:08:39,458 --> 00:08:41,708
-Buck dancing is one
of those traditions
217
00:08:41,708 --> 00:08:43,875
that comes out
of the history of slavery,
218
00:08:43,875 --> 00:08:46,042
connected to African dance.
219
00:08:46,042 --> 00:08:51,167
But it gets brought over and
transmuted into this culture.
220
00:08:51,167 --> 00:08:53,708
And it was a certain
kind of performance
221
00:08:53,708 --> 00:08:59,292
that was expected to produce
entertainment for White folks
222
00:08:59,292 --> 00:09:00,875
watching Black folks.
223
00:09:00,875 --> 00:09:02,125
-I paid the rent
for three months
224
00:09:02,125 --> 00:09:03,500
and put 4 in my pocket.
225
00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:04,875
I went to a movie,
my daddy whupped me,
226
00:09:04,875 --> 00:09:06,333
and I come back
and gave it to him,
227
00:09:06,333 --> 00:09:07,875
and I went back
and made some more,
228
00:09:07,875 --> 00:09:09,542
went back to the movie.
Come back and got me again.
229
00:09:09,542 --> 00:09:11,125
-In this country,
230
00:09:11,125 --> 00:09:13,375
particularly if we're talking
about Black people,
231
00:09:13,375 --> 00:09:16,250
generational trauma
is often associated
232
00:09:16,250 --> 00:09:18,208
with physical violence.
233
00:09:18,208 --> 00:09:22,708
Mr. Brown's father
disciplining him, beating him,
234
00:09:22,708 --> 00:09:26,542
I don't know if he thought that
he was doing anything wrong.
235
00:09:26,542 --> 00:09:28,917
But now we know
through research
236
00:09:28,917 --> 00:09:32,625
that that violence
that's inflicted upon children,
237
00:09:32,625 --> 00:09:34,750
it changes them.
238
00:09:34,750 --> 00:09:38,292
That trauma,
you carry with you.
239
00:09:38,292 --> 00:09:39,625
-♪ Want to love you, baby
240
00:09:39,625 --> 00:09:41,917
♪ Ease my misery
241
00:09:41,917 --> 00:09:45,708
♪
242
00:09:45,708 --> 00:09:49,292
-One night, we were riding
around in South Carolina.
243
00:09:49,292 --> 00:09:51,208
He said, "Reverend,
you talk to your father?"
244
00:09:51,208 --> 00:09:52,875
I said, "No, I don't know
where he is," and all that.
245
00:09:52,875 --> 00:09:54,417
And I started
talking about it --
246
00:09:54,417 --> 00:09:56,208
"He left, and they cut
the lights off,
247
00:09:56,208 --> 00:09:59,250
and they took mama's Cadillac
and da da da da."
248
00:09:59,250 --> 00:10:02,667
And he said, "Son, stop.
My mother and father left me."
249
00:10:02,667 --> 00:10:04,833
And he said, "Son, stop.
My mother and father left me."
250
00:10:04,833 --> 00:10:07,208
-And ever since that time,
I've been fighting,
251
00:10:07,208 --> 00:10:09,333
trying to do it for myself.
252
00:10:14,208 --> 00:10:15,667
-Oww!
253
00:10:15,667 --> 00:10:17,125
♪ Talk about love,
a doggone shame ♪
254
00:10:17,125 --> 00:10:18,208
♪ Talk about love,
I hate that name ♪
255
00:10:18,208 --> 00:10:19,792
-My first talent show I won
256
00:10:19,792 --> 00:10:22,458
was the Holland Talent Review
in Augusta, Georgia.
257
00:10:22,458 --> 00:10:24,000
That was the Lenox Theater.
258
00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:25,792
The Lenox Theater
was on Ninth Street --
259
00:10:25,792 --> 00:10:27,625
Campbell Street at that time.
260
00:10:27,625 --> 00:10:29,417
Today, it's
James Brown Boulevard.
261
00:10:29,417 --> 00:10:34,458
-He grew up in the South,
and he understood this notion
262
00:10:34,458 --> 00:10:39,542
that your value to other people
is in what you can do.
263
00:10:39,542 --> 00:10:41,042
-If you were on a plantation,
264
00:10:41,042 --> 00:10:42,958
you weren't allowed
to read books.
265
00:10:42,958 --> 00:10:44,917
You weren't allowed
to congregate in big numbers.
266
00:10:44,917 --> 00:10:47,167
But what you could do
is perform.
267
00:10:47,167 --> 00:10:48,750
-♪ Come on up here
268
00:10:48,750 --> 00:10:50,833
-Plantation owners
and overseers,
269
00:10:50,833 --> 00:10:53,792
they would allow slaves
to perform in limited,
270
00:10:53,792 --> 00:10:55,375
circumscribed ways.
271
00:10:55,375 --> 00:10:57,708
They wanted a certain
kind of performance from slaves.
272
00:10:57,708 --> 00:10:59,708
-♪ Ooh, unh
273
00:10:59,708 --> 00:11:01,208
♪ Come on
274
00:11:01,208 --> 00:11:03,083
-James Brown's relationship
to buck dancing
275
00:11:03,083 --> 00:11:04,750
is where you really
have to start.
276
00:11:04,750 --> 00:11:06,500
It's about doing it rhythmically
277
00:11:06,500 --> 00:11:09,833
and producing certain kinds
of sounds with your whole body
278
00:11:09,833 --> 00:11:12,250
but especially
the lower half of your body.
279
00:11:12,250 --> 00:11:13,875
You think of Sammy Davis Jr.
280
00:11:13,875 --> 00:11:16,625
You think of that whole
Black entertainment tradition.
281
00:11:16,625 --> 00:11:20,042
So much of that is about
the understanding
282
00:11:20,042 --> 00:11:22,250
of what the feet have
to do in performance.
283
00:11:22,250 --> 00:11:32,250
♪
284
00:11:32,250 --> 00:11:36,792
♪
285
00:11:36,792 --> 00:11:38,292
-That's exactly what art is.
286
00:11:38,292 --> 00:11:41,417
We took our situation
and made it beautiful.
287
00:11:41,417 --> 00:11:44,875
No matter how ugly it was meant
to be, we made it beautiful.
288
00:11:44,875 --> 00:11:47,042
And that's what James Brown did.
289
00:11:47,042 --> 00:11:50,417
And he took the history of that
and the perseverance therein,
290
00:11:50,417 --> 00:11:54,500
and used this experience as
opportunity for him to blossom.
291
00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:58,292
♪
292
00:11:58,292 --> 00:11:59,542
-In Augusta, Georgia,
293
00:11:59,542 --> 00:12:02,250
he would visit the house
of prayer as a young boy.
294
00:12:02,250 --> 00:12:05,542
And in the house of prayer,
it's a lot of brass.
295
00:12:05,542 --> 00:12:07,083
It's like jubilee.
296
00:12:07,083 --> 00:12:10,708
He was attracted
as a young child to that music.
297
00:12:10,708 --> 00:12:12,167
-At the end of World War II,
298
00:12:12,167 --> 00:12:14,875
when the big band era
was starting to die,
299
00:12:14,875 --> 00:12:16,708
they had what
they called jump bands,
300
00:12:16,708 --> 00:12:19,208
sort of like compact big bands.
301
00:12:19,208 --> 00:12:21,042
♪
302
00:12:21,042 --> 00:12:23,500
-My influence was Louis Jordan.
303
00:12:23,500 --> 00:12:26,000
Fella who recorded a song
by the name of "Caldonia"
304
00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,708
and a lot of things that were
very, very big in the '50s
305
00:12:28,708 --> 00:12:30,208
and the late '40s.
306
00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:32,042
♪
307
00:12:32,042 --> 00:12:35,667
-Louis Jordan's band
was the most popular one
308
00:12:35,667 --> 00:12:37,875
in Black culture at that point.
309
00:12:37,875 --> 00:12:41,375
His music was funny.
Absolutely funny.
310
00:12:41,375 --> 00:12:44,750
-♪ Caldonia, Caldonia
311
00:12:44,750 --> 00:12:46,583
♪ What make
your big head so hard? ♪
312
00:12:46,583 --> 00:12:48,250
-♪ Oww!
313
00:12:48,250 --> 00:12:56,708
♪
314
00:12:56,708 --> 00:12:58,083
♪ Whoa
315
00:12:58,083 --> 00:13:01,708
♪
316
00:13:01,708 --> 00:13:07,250
1949, I was
a juvenile delinquent.
317
00:13:07,250 --> 00:13:10,958
Broken home.
318
00:13:10,958 --> 00:13:14,125
Five kids, you know,
underprivileged.
319
00:13:14,125 --> 00:13:17,042
A low-income family and a lot
of things I just didn't have,
320
00:13:17,042 --> 00:13:19,708
and a lot of knowledge
weren't there for my parents,
321
00:13:19,708 --> 00:13:21,375
and they just didn't understand.
322
00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:24,917
♪ Been a long time
323
00:13:24,917 --> 00:13:28,333
♪ I acted like a clown
324
00:13:28,333 --> 00:13:32,458
♪ I really don't know
what to do ♪
325
00:13:32,458 --> 00:13:33,958
♪ What to do
326
00:13:33,958 --> 00:13:36,042
-Well, unfortunately,
it was a situation
327
00:13:36,042 --> 00:13:38,875
where there's a car theft
was involved,
328
00:13:38,875 --> 00:13:41,542
and he was sent up
for car theft.
329
00:13:41,542 --> 00:13:44,042
-I was 15 years old.
330
00:13:44,042 --> 00:13:49,292
I was taken by the authorities,
the police.
331
00:13:49,292 --> 00:13:52,042
Took me about
300 miles away from home
332
00:13:52,042 --> 00:13:55,042
to a camp just like that,
333
00:13:55,042 --> 00:13:59,583
where I had 8 to 16 years.
334
00:13:59,583 --> 00:14:03,292
8 to 16 years.
That's a long time.
335
00:14:03,292 --> 00:14:06,167
-James Brown being arrested
at such a young age,
336
00:14:06,167 --> 00:14:08,375
being told that you have
minimum eight years
337
00:14:08,375 --> 00:14:10,125
that you're going to serve,
for a young person,
338
00:14:10,125 --> 00:14:12,167
that's their foreseeable future.
339
00:14:12,167 --> 00:14:15,000
"You're taking my foreseeable
future away from me
340
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,083
for trying to boost
a car battery."
341
00:14:17,083 --> 00:14:18,750
-One time, a reporter
asked him,
342
00:14:18,750 --> 00:14:20,250
"Mr. Brown, you were stealing.
343
00:14:20,250 --> 00:14:23,792
You were doing
these types of things. Why?"
344
00:14:23,792 --> 00:14:27,333
And my father's response
was, "Survival."
345
00:14:27,333 --> 00:14:29,583
[ Cell door slams ]
346
00:14:29,583 --> 00:14:34,583
♪
347
00:14:34,583 --> 00:14:38,083
-Along with Mr. Johnny Terry,
my father was an inmate
348
00:14:38,083 --> 00:14:41,250
at Alto Correctional Institution
in Alto, Georgia,
349
00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:44,208
and they became cellmates.
They entertained their self.
350
00:14:44,208 --> 00:14:47,375
The two would dance
and sing in the cells.
351
00:14:47,375 --> 00:14:51,042
Other inmates saw him, and they
were really attracted to the --
352
00:14:51,042 --> 00:14:53,125
"What are these two guys
doing in this cell?
353
00:14:53,125 --> 00:14:54,917
They're having so much fun."
354
00:14:54,917 --> 00:14:57,625
At that time,
that's when the other inmates
355
00:14:57,625 --> 00:15:02,042
started labeling my father
with the nickname "Music Box."
356
00:15:02,042 --> 00:15:06,583
-Bobby Byrd, who was a
clean-cut, upstanding citizen,
357
00:15:06,583 --> 00:15:08,500
was part of a gospel unit
358
00:15:08,500 --> 00:15:12,208
that would often perform
at various functions
359
00:15:12,208 --> 00:15:15,500
schools, churches,
and, in this case, prison.
360
00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:18,750
-On one particular weekend,
Mr. Terry and my father
361
00:15:18,750 --> 00:15:20,875
went to see
the gospel group perform,
362
00:15:20,875 --> 00:15:22,750
and that was the beginning
of the magic
363
00:15:22,750 --> 00:15:25,417
between my father
and Mr. Byrd,
364
00:15:25,417 --> 00:15:27,708
because he saw what Mr. Byrd
was doing on stage
365
00:15:27,708 --> 00:15:30,375
and he said, "This is great.
This is what I wanted to do."
366
00:15:30,375 --> 00:15:33,667
-Uncle Bobby
became friendly with him,
367
00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:38,000
and in order for him to get
out of the detention center,
368
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,750
he had to have a home.
And he didn't.
369
00:15:41,750 --> 00:15:43,375
-Served almost four years.
370
00:15:43,375 --> 00:15:45,417
But one day, I got wise
to myself and said,
371
00:15:45,417 --> 00:15:47,208
"I want to get straight,"
and I sat down
372
00:15:47,208 --> 00:15:50,125
and wrote a letter to the
parole board myself, you know?
373
00:15:50,125 --> 00:15:52,083
And they accepted me.
374
00:15:52,083 --> 00:15:54,375
-So Mr. Byrd and his family
375
00:15:54,375 --> 00:15:56,250
orchestrated a way
to help my father
376
00:15:56,250 --> 00:16:00,833
get paroled into
their household back in Toccoa.
377
00:16:00,833 --> 00:16:03,417
-The Famous Flames.
-That's my group.
378
00:16:03,417 --> 00:16:06,292
James, he wasn't
in the group at first.
379
00:16:06,292 --> 00:16:09,833
-Bobby Byrd expressed
an interest in him and said,
380
00:16:09,833 --> 00:16:11,875
"Let me help you,"
and took him in.
381
00:16:11,875 --> 00:16:15,125
And that's where he met
his first wife and --
382
00:16:15,125 --> 00:16:17,542
and just started
a life there.
383
00:16:17,542 --> 00:16:20,042
-It was all written by,
by the Lord up front, you know?
384
00:16:20,042 --> 00:16:22,500
And said, "You got to live
this out, James Brown,
385
00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:24,917
and be an example to people
of what can be done
386
00:16:24,917 --> 00:16:26,417
and the way you should
be going, you know?"
387
00:16:32,417 --> 00:16:33,708
-My experience was --
was like a teaching,
388
00:16:33,708 --> 00:16:35,208
but it was also luck,
you know?
389
00:16:35,208 --> 00:16:36,917
People out there are pulling
in your corner,
390
00:16:36,917 --> 00:16:39,375
and then somebody upstairs
391
00:16:39,375 --> 00:16:41,833
who kind of gave you
that extra chance.
392
00:16:41,833 --> 00:16:44,167
♪ Yeah, pretty baby
393
00:16:44,167 --> 00:16:47,000
♪ This is what I say
394
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,750
♪ You can always pay my way
395
00:16:49,750 --> 00:16:51,542
-How my parents met,
396
00:16:51,542 --> 00:16:54,958
it all kind of goes back into
his friendship with Bobby Byrd.
397
00:16:54,958 --> 00:16:57,042
Mr. Byrd wanted
to take my father out
398
00:16:57,042 --> 00:16:59,042
to a basketball game
at a local high school.
399
00:16:59,042 --> 00:17:00,875
Whitman Street High School.
400
00:17:00,875 --> 00:17:04,250
And my mom, Velma Warren, was
a basketball player on the team.
401
00:17:04,250 --> 00:17:06,000
She was very athletic,
402
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,333
and it was like instant magic
between the two.
403
00:17:08,333 --> 00:17:10,917
Shortly after that,
when he married my mother,
404
00:17:10,917 --> 00:17:13,042
he knew that,
"Hey, I have to find
405
00:17:13,042 --> 00:17:16,417
something better
to really feed my family."
406
00:17:16,417 --> 00:17:17,667
-But I know
that I had to make it.
407
00:17:17,667 --> 00:17:20,000
I had to have a determination
to go on,
408
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,208
and my determination
was to be somebody.
409
00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:26,958
-Most of the groups were nice,
smooth-singing people.
410
00:17:26,958 --> 00:17:30,792
James came in with this
rowdy type of a idea,
411
00:17:30,792 --> 00:17:34,208
up-tempo, gutsy stuff.
412
00:17:34,208 --> 00:17:36,042
We'd start rehearsing,
and we had --
413
00:17:36,042 --> 00:17:37,500
the porch
would be full of people
414
00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:39,708
and everybody peeping
through the windows
415
00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:41,125
and that kind of thing.
416
00:17:41,125 --> 00:17:42,917
They didn't do that
for no other groups.
417
00:17:42,917 --> 00:17:45,250
I knew we had something.
418
00:17:45,250 --> 00:17:47,208
-♪ I grabbed what I had
in one hand ♪
419
00:17:47,208 --> 00:17:49,417
♪ And my baby by the other
420
00:17:49,417 --> 00:17:51,208
♪ A giant grabbed my coattail
and said ♪
421
00:17:51,208 --> 00:17:52,875
♪ Don't you go another farther
422
00:17:52,875 --> 00:17:56,042
-He and Bobby Byrd formed
what became the Famous Flames,
423
00:17:56,042 --> 00:17:57,500
and they started playing
424
00:17:57,500 --> 00:18:00,417
all those White colleges,
like Clemson,
425
00:18:00,417 --> 00:18:04,208
the University of Georgia,
University of South Carolina,
426
00:18:04,208 --> 00:18:05,750
building up their audience.
427
00:18:05,750 --> 00:18:10,792
♪
428
00:18:10,792 --> 00:18:12,667
James started getting booked
429
00:18:12,667 --> 00:18:16,083
by all these White college
fraternities and their parties.
430
00:18:16,083 --> 00:18:19,833
Southern frat groups
were hiring Black bands
431
00:18:19,833 --> 00:18:23,125
because, man, they were
stirring up those women.
432
00:18:23,125 --> 00:18:25,000
You know, they --
[ Laughing ] They --
433
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,667
they were getting
those women excited.
434
00:18:27,667 --> 00:18:29,875
-He said when he first heard
the ladies scream,
435
00:18:29,875 --> 00:18:31,708
he knew music was it.
436
00:18:31,708 --> 00:18:32,833
[ Laughing ]
437
00:18:32,833 --> 00:18:36,042
[ Women screaming ]
438
00:18:36,042 --> 00:18:38,042
-Him and Mr. Byrd
would practice like
439
00:18:38,042 --> 00:18:40,708
I don't know what
to become successful.
440
00:18:40,708 --> 00:18:44,750
-♪ Da da la, da da la
441
00:18:44,750 --> 00:18:48,750
♪ Da da la, da da la
442
00:18:48,750 --> 00:18:51,375
-During that time,
a lot of Black entertainers
443
00:18:51,375 --> 00:18:56,042
would perform at local clubs
in Alabama, Lower Georgia,
444
00:18:56,042 --> 00:18:57,958
and they wanted
to see the impact
445
00:18:57,958 --> 00:18:59,542
that they were having
on their crowds,
446
00:18:59,542 --> 00:19:01,417
and I think that was
the first time they went down
447
00:19:01,417 --> 00:19:04,042
and they met
and saw Little Richard.
448
00:19:04,042 --> 00:19:06,458
-♪ Lucille
449
00:19:06,458 --> 00:19:08,625
♪ You won't do
your sister's will ♪
450
00:19:08,625 --> 00:19:10,250
-Little Richard was
already out there.
451
00:19:10,250 --> 00:19:11,583
Little Richard
was doing his thing.
452
00:19:11,583 --> 00:19:13,875
So at that time,
he was hotter than dad.
453
00:19:13,875 --> 00:19:19,542
-In the 1950s, James Brown
borrowed a lot of his look
454
00:19:19,542 --> 00:19:21,750
and sound and style
from Little Richard.
455
00:19:21,750 --> 00:19:25,250
-They had the same manager,
Brown and Richard,
456
00:19:25,250 --> 00:19:27,833
and Richard was double booked.
457
00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:30,292
Wasn't nobody turning money
down in those days.
458
00:19:30,292 --> 00:19:33,042
-James Brown would actually
fill in for Little Richard,
459
00:19:33,042 --> 00:19:35,375
and people were kind of like,
460
00:19:35,375 --> 00:19:36,875
"I don't know if that's
Little Richard or not,"
461
00:19:36,875 --> 00:19:40,208
but for a while, James Brown
was able to pull it off.
462
00:19:40,208 --> 00:19:42,167
-People sometimes forget
that Little Richard
463
00:19:42,167 --> 00:19:45,417
was the direct influencer
of James Brown.
464
00:19:45,417 --> 00:19:48,875
-That friendship lasts over
the course of 5 or 6 decades.
465
00:19:48,875 --> 00:19:51,208
And they loved each other.
466
00:19:51,208 --> 00:19:54,042
-Mr. Brown,
if we could get into
467
00:19:54,042 --> 00:19:55,375
something of your background.
468
00:19:55,375 --> 00:19:57,167
When did you first begin?
469
00:19:57,167 --> 00:20:00,667
-Well, Brother Brown, I guess
we should bring this thing down
470
00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:03,667
and start by just
calling me James, brother.
471
00:20:03,667 --> 00:20:04,792
Okay?
-Right on.
472
00:20:04,792 --> 00:20:06,375
-All righty.
473
00:20:06,375 --> 00:20:09,625
I started
professionally in 1956,
474
00:20:09,625 --> 00:20:11,708
the first of '56,
475
00:20:11,708 --> 00:20:13,667
when we recorded
"Please, Please,"
476
00:20:13,667 --> 00:20:17,417
the last of '55, and it was
released April of '56.
477
00:20:17,417 --> 00:20:21,917
-♪ Please, please,
please, please ♪
478
00:20:21,917 --> 00:20:24,083
-♪ Please, please, don't go
479
00:20:24,083 --> 00:20:28,375
-♪ Please, please, please
480
00:20:28,375 --> 00:20:30,542
-He recorded
"Please, Please, Please"
481
00:20:30,542 --> 00:20:33,375
pretty much as an independent
recording in Macon.
482
00:20:33,375 --> 00:20:35,250
-When I heard myself,
I just kept running around
483
00:20:35,250 --> 00:20:36,667
and saying, "That's me.
You know that's me.
484
00:20:36,667 --> 00:20:38,042
That's me, man!
You hear this cat singing?
485
00:20:38,042 --> 00:20:39,875
That's me, man."
486
00:20:39,875 --> 00:20:42,625
"Please, Please" was out about
a year being played on the air
487
00:20:42,625 --> 00:20:43,958
just on a demo.
488
00:20:43,958 --> 00:20:47,875
-The guy from King Records
heard it being played
489
00:20:47,875 --> 00:20:50,708
and got James signed to King.
490
00:20:50,708 --> 00:20:52,292
-One night, it was --
it was raining,
491
00:20:52,292 --> 00:20:53,542
and a fella come through,
and he was sitting
492
00:20:53,542 --> 00:20:55,125
in a restaurant,
and he heard the record,
493
00:20:55,125 --> 00:20:56,750
and he said, "Who's this guy?"
494
00:20:56,750 --> 00:20:59,458
He said, "Well, you know, that's
a local group round here."
495
00:20:59,458 --> 00:21:02,333
And I was in Florida, and they
called me from Georgia.
496
00:21:02,333 --> 00:21:06,250
And I drove up 500-some miles
and got the okay
497
00:21:06,250 --> 00:21:08,125
and drove another 500
to record it.
498
00:21:08,125 --> 00:21:12,042
-It was an interesting label
that culturally was living
499
00:21:12,042 --> 00:21:14,125
in hillbilly and country music.
500
00:21:14,125 --> 00:21:18,542
Syd Nathan had the presence
of mind to see a marketplace,
501
00:21:18,542 --> 00:21:20,167
certainly among
the Black community
502
00:21:20,167 --> 00:21:22,833
for a music like
James Brown's.
503
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:28,000
-Syd Nathan was not sold
on James Brown immediately.
504
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,875
When he first heard
"Please, Please, Please,"
505
00:21:29,875 --> 00:21:31,542
he was like,
"Well, where's the lyrics?
506
00:21:31,542 --> 00:21:33,375
Like, where's the...?
507
00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:35,333
Is 'please' the only word
you're gonna say?"
508
00:21:35,333 --> 00:21:37,500
-♪ Please, please,
please, please ♪
509
00:21:37,500 --> 00:21:40,458
♪ Please, please,
please, please ♪
510
00:21:40,458 --> 00:21:42,458
-And my first record,
"Please, please,"
511
00:21:42,458 --> 00:21:44,375
went right to the top.
512
00:21:44,375 --> 00:21:45,833
-♪ I love you so
513
00:21:45,833 --> 00:21:53,250
♪
514
00:21:58,750 --> 00:21:59,875
-♪ Try me
515
00:21:59,875 --> 00:22:03,917
♪ Just try me
516
00:22:03,917 --> 00:22:06,333
♪ And your love
517
00:22:06,333 --> 00:22:11,167
♪ Your love will always
be true ♪
518
00:22:11,167 --> 00:22:12,375
♪ Whoa
519
00:22:12,375 --> 00:22:14,833
♪ I need you
520
00:22:14,833 --> 00:22:16,667
♪ I, I
521
00:22:16,667 --> 00:22:18,083
♪ Alright
522
00:22:18,083 --> 00:22:19,708
♪ Whoa-oh
523
00:22:19,708 --> 00:22:21,042
♪ I
524
00:22:21,042 --> 00:22:23,958
-My records were a cross
of R&B and race music.
525
00:22:23,958 --> 00:22:26,375
-That's right. You never got
played on stations
526
00:22:26,375 --> 00:22:27,917
Elvis got played on.
-That's right.
527
00:22:27,917 --> 00:22:29,833
-You never got --
I never worked at a station
528
00:22:29,833 --> 00:22:31,542
that played your records.
-That's right.
529
00:22:31,542 --> 00:22:33,458
-Lot of what we called
White stations never played you.
530
00:22:33,458 --> 00:22:34,958
-Mine was underground.
531
00:22:34,958 --> 00:22:36,875
-James Brown not being
on his first album
532
00:22:36,875 --> 00:22:39,667
is just a typical
expression of erasure,
533
00:22:39,667 --> 00:22:42,042
of Black bodies and Blackness
534
00:22:42,042 --> 00:22:44,917
that we're on the other side
of, in some respects,
535
00:22:44,917 --> 00:22:47,542
but that we still
have to negotiate today.
536
00:22:47,542 --> 00:22:49,542
-If you were Black in the '50s,
537
00:22:49,542 --> 00:22:51,833
and you wanted to make it
in show business,
538
00:22:51,833 --> 00:22:54,375
you needed to be tall,
light-skinned --
539
00:22:54,375 --> 00:22:56,375
as he'd say,
"light-skinneded" --
540
00:22:56,375 --> 00:22:59,667
wavy hair,
and a certain polish.
541
00:22:59,667 --> 00:23:01,417
♪
542
00:23:01,417 --> 00:23:05,542
-So, here you have this
shorter man who's dark-skinned,
543
00:23:05,542 --> 00:23:07,833
and he has something to prove.
544
00:23:07,833 --> 00:23:11,250
♪
545
00:23:11,250 --> 00:23:13,708
-James Brown
is stepping into himself
546
00:23:13,708 --> 00:23:16,250
as he is presenting himself,
this beautiful,
547
00:23:16,250 --> 00:23:19,500
dark-skinned Black man
who's screaming at you,
548
00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:22,583
talking about, "Please,
please, please, please."
549
00:23:22,583 --> 00:23:25,917
-First, "Please, Please, Please"
had the Famous Flames on it.
550
00:23:25,917 --> 00:23:27,500
Just the Famous Flames.
551
00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:31,375
Then it became James Brown
with the Famous Flames.
552
00:23:31,375 --> 00:23:34,583
Now, all that was done
unbeknownst to us.
553
00:23:34,583 --> 00:23:37,750
You know, we didn't know
this was about to happen
554
00:23:37,750 --> 00:23:40,417
until that record came out.
555
00:23:40,417 --> 00:23:45,500
Then it had James Brown
and his Famous Flames.
556
00:23:45,500 --> 00:23:48,292
That's where the problems
started right there.
557
00:23:48,292 --> 00:23:51,583
-Well, dad being dad --
[ Laughs ] --
558
00:23:51,583 --> 00:23:55,042
being James Brown
before he was "James Brown,"
559
00:23:55,042 --> 00:23:56,750
kind of took over.
560
00:23:56,750 --> 00:24:02,458
♪
561
00:24:02,458 --> 00:24:06,375
-It's always trouble
when you single someone out.
562
00:24:06,375 --> 00:24:07,958
Naturally,
it's gonna be tension,
563
00:24:07,958 --> 00:24:12,792
so the Famous Flames quit
and moved back to Toccoa
564
00:24:12,792 --> 00:24:15,750
to get, like, regular day jobs.
565
00:24:15,750 --> 00:24:18,542
-A lot of people think
that when James recorded
566
00:24:18,542 --> 00:24:21,542
"Please, Please, Please"
that...
567
00:24:21,542 --> 00:24:23,958
that shot his career
into high gear and everything.
568
00:24:23,958 --> 00:24:26,542
It was another two years
before James had another hit.
569
00:24:26,542 --> 00:24:28,458
-♪ I need you
570
00:24:28,458 --> 00:24:30,125
[ Cheers and applause ]
571
00:24:30,125 --> 00:24:32,708
♪
572
00:24:32,708 --> 00:24:36,875
♪ Oh, oh,
walk with me ♪
573
00:24:36,875 --> 00:24:38,208
-♪ Walk with me
574
00:24:38,208 --> 00:24:40,750
-His second successful hit,
which was "Try Me,"
575
00:24:40,750 --> 00:24:42,958
wound up selling a million units
576
00:24:42,958 --> 00:24:46,750
and became
James Brown's saving grace.
577
00:24:46,750 --> 00:24:49,167
The power of James Brown is,
578
00:24:49,167 --> 00:24:53,667
he somehow got the Flames
back into the fold.
579
00:24:53,667 --> 00:24:55,792
-He literally
built himself from scratch.
580
00:24:55,792 --> 00:24:57,875
I mean, this was
one of those guys
581
00:24:57,875 --> 00:25:01,958
who just felt every inch
of the soul that he gave people.
582
00:25:01,958 --> 00:25:05,708
-Soul is a man finding his way
into something
583
00:25:05,708 --> 00:25:08,500
that he don't have a theory for.
584
00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:10,250
He's singing just what he feels.
585
00:25:10,250 --> 00:25:11,542
♪
586
00:25:11,542 --> 00:25:18,625
-♪ Aaaaaaah
587
00:25:18,625 --> 00:25:21,417
-We're talking about
an artist/audience relationship.
588
00:25:21,417 --> 00:25:24,167
If you didn't represent
excellence,
589
00:25:24,167 --> 00:25:25,208
they would let you know.
590
00:25:25,208 --> 00:25:26,792
James Brown is a performer
591
00:25:26,792 --> 00:25:29,833
who cut his teeth
in the Chitlin' Circuit, right?
592
00:25:29,833 --> 00:25:32,208
He had to become
the hardest-working man
593
00:25:32,208 --> 00:25:33,417
in show business.
594
00:25:33,417 --> 00:25:35,125
That wasn't just a title.
595
00:25:35,125 --> 00:25:37,375
That was something
he really was invested in.
596
00:25:37,375 --> 00:25:43,833
♪
597
00:25:43,833 --> 00:25:47,375
The Chitlin' Circuit
was a run of venues,
598
00:25:47,375 --> 00:25:50,042
primarily in
the 1940s, '50s, and '60s,
599
00:25:50,042 --> 00:25:52,333
where African-American
performers could play.
600
00:25:52,333 --> 00:25:55,542
They had these small spaces
in these kind of sundown towns
601
00:25:55,542 --> 00:25:57,833
or even in bigger markets,
602
00:25:57,833 --> 00:26:00,917
where Black performers could
literally go entertain the crowd
603
00:26:00,917 --> 00:26:03,875
and really build themselves up
and build their brands.
604
00:26:03,875 --> 00:26:06,250
-You had the Uptown Theater
in Philly,
605
00:26:06,250 --> 00:26:08,167
the Regal Theater in Chicago,
606
00:26:08,167 --> 00:26:10,917
the Howard Theatre
in Washington, D.C.,
607
00:26:10,917 --> 00:26:12,583
the Fox Theatre in Detroit,
608
00:26:12,583 --> 00:26:14,292
and the Apollo Theater
in New York.
609
00:26:14,292 --> 00:26:15,875
These were like a tour.
610
00:26:15,875 --> 00:26:17,875
-But one thing
you better not do...
611
00:26:17,875 --> 00:26:21,000
you better not be wack
and take Black people's money.
612
00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,208
Ain't got no money
for you to waste
613
00:26:23,208 --> 00:26:26,750
by me spending my time
and what little money I got
614
00:26:26,750 --> 00:26:29,542
on you being a terrible-ass act.
615
00:26:29,542 --> 00:26:37,792
♪
616
00:26:37,792 --> 00:26:41,458
-Black people gravitated
to a James Brown concert
617
00:26:41,458 --> 00:26:43,875
because James Brown
was a phenomenon.
618
00:26:43,875 --> 00:26:46,083
He was unprecedented.
619
00:26:46,083 --> 00:26:49,417
♪
620
00:26:49,417 --> 00:26:51,583
-Well, that's James Brown.
621
00:26:51,583 --> 00:26:54,542
Dancing, singing, entertaining,
622
00:26:54,542 --> 00:26:55,875
falling to the floor with,
623
00:26:55,875 --> 00:26:57,792
you know, the theatrics
and everything.
624
00:26:57,792 --> 00:27:01,083
It was enhancing everything else
that was going on musically.
625
00:27:01,083 --> 00:27:04,625
The totality of it
was an experience,
626
00:27:04,625 --> 00:27:06,792
the ultimate experience,
627
00:27:06,792 --> 00:27:08,375
that people are still --
628
00:27:08,375 --> 00:27:11,208
such as Bruno Mars
or Janelle Monáe.
629
00:27:11,208 --> 00:27:14,000
Like, there are
so many artists out today
630
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,458
who are still coming
from this --
631
00:27:16,458 --> 00:27:18,875
this influence
of the great James Brown.
632
00:27:18,875 --> 00:27:20,833
-You move around a lot,
don't you?
633
00:27:20,833 --> 00:27:22,875
-Yes, I do a lot of dancing.
-You get down on the floor?
634
00:27:22,875 --> 00:27:25,083
-Yes. Splits, knee drops.
635
00:27:25,083 --> 00:27:28,042
I can make the mike stand
just stand there,
636
00:27:28,042 --> 00:27:29,750
and I can spin around
three or four times.
637
00:27:29,750 --> 00:27:31,333
Triple spins and everything.
638
00:27:31,333 --> 00:27:34,125
-Did you plan that or
did that just start happening?
639
00:27:34,125 --> 00:27:35,333
-It happened.
640
00:27:35,333 --> 00:27:36,917
Along with the cape act,
as well,
641
00:27:36,917 --> 00:27:39,792
where I throw the cape
and run off and come back.
642
00:27:39,792 --> 00:27:42,417
That was --
It happened extemporaneous,
643
00:27:42,417 --> 00:27:43,708
right off -- to impulse.
644
00:27:43,708 --> 00:27:45,542
And then it became --
it was so great,
645
00:27:45,542 --> 00:27:47,583
it had to become part of my act.
646
00:27:47,583 --> 00:27:51,292
-My mom loved
all my father's music.
647
00:27:51,292 --> 00:27:52,750
And my father was performing.
648
00:27:52,750 --> 00:27:57,000
I mean, he was throwing
watches, necklaces,
649
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,500
taking his shirt off,
throwing it in the audience.
650
00:27:59,500 --> 00:28:01,875
And the audience was going wild.
651
00:28:01,875 --> 00:28:07,292
♪
652
00:28:07,292 --> 00:28:11,750
-He had the most exciting
stage show in the business,
653
00:28:11,750 --> 00:28:16,292
and logic tells you,
"We should release this,
654
00:28:16,292 --> 00:28:18,542
make a record out of this."
655
00:28:18,542 --> 00:28:21,792
-[ Singing ]
♪ Alright
656
00:28:21,792 --> 00:28:23,208
-James Brown saw the connection
657
00:28:23,208 --> 00:28:25,708
between him
and his audience live.
658
00:28:25,708 --> 00:28:28,667
People falling out,
trying to jump on stage.
659
00:28:28,667 --> 00:28:31,542
They're screaming before
he even get a note out.
660
00:28:31,542 --> 00:28:33,708
And the Apollo at the time
661
00:28:33,708 --> 00:28:37,583
is the hottest venue
in the world.
662
00:28:37,583 --> 00:28:39,125
It's Harlem.
663
00:28:39,125 --> 00:28:41,708
It's the epicenter
of Black culture.
664
00:28:41,708 --> 00:28:43,458
To be the king of that,
665
00:28:43,458 --> 00:28:45,417
you got to get that
on that real.
666
00:28:45,417 --> 00:28:49,875
-In 1962, I had a planned show
at the Apollo Theater
667
00:28:49,875 --> 00:28:52,125
to give the public
what they want.
668
00:28:52,125 --> 00:28:55,042
-The show was --
It was exciting.
669
00:28:55,042 --> 00:28:57,833
Him doing this as a live album
and expecting people to buy it,
670
00:28:57,833 --> 00:28:59,917
his record company didn't think
it was a good idea.
671
00:28:59,917 --> 00:29:02,542
And then James said,
"I'm going to do it anyway."
672
00:29:02,542 --> 00:29:04,375
-He went to the labels and
whatnot, and they was giving --
673
00:29:04,375 --> 00:29:06,167
You know, they didn't think it
would work or whatnot.
674
00:29:06,167 --> 00:29:08,792
"It's fine. I'll take
my own money and I'll do it."
675
00:29:08,792 --> 00:29:10,875
He paid for it himself.
676
00:29:10,875 --> 00:29:13,792
He produced that thing
with his own cash.
677
00:29:13,792 --> 00:29:15,875
-We're used to live albums now,
678
00:29:15,875 --> 00:29:18,375
but at that time,
what are you, crazy?
679
00:29:18,375 --> 00:29:21,042
-♪ Hey, come on, hey, hey
680
00:29:21,042 --> 00:29:23,000
♪ I'm feelin' alright, huh
681
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,708
-They said it couldn't be done.
682
00:29:24,708 --> 00:29:26,542
I've always been a man
to do my own thing
683
00:29:26,542 --> 00:29:27,958
and control my own destiny.
684
00:29:27,958 --> 00:29:29,667
-♪ I'm feeling alright, get it
685
00:29:29,667 --> 00:29:31,125
♪ Uh, uh, uh
686
00:29:37,250 --> 00:29:38,958
-So, now, ladies and gentlemen,
it is star time.
687
00:29:38,958 --> 00:29:41,000
Are you ready for star time?!
[ Audience cheers ]
688
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:42,917
-"Live at the Apollo" is one
of the most important albums
689
00:29:42,917 --> 00:29:44,375
in the history of recorded music
690
00:29:44,375 --> 00:29:48,208
because it captures James Brown
and his band
691
00:29:48,208 --> 00:29:51,500
at a very specific time
in the evolution of his career.
692
00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:53,958
He had figured out
how to perform in such a way
693
00:29:53,958 --> 00:29:55,833
that was going to
win people over.
694
00:29:55,833 --> 00:29:57,750
-It is indeed a great pleasure
to present to you
695
00:29:57,750 --> 00:29:59,167
at this particular time --
696
00:29:59,167 --> 00:30:01,750
national and international known
697
00:30:01,750 --> 00:30:04,500
as the hardest-working man
in show business.
698
00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:07,125
Here to sing "I'll Go Crazy."
699
00:30:07,125 --> 00:30:10,375
-The emcee famously did
the big introduction.
700
00:30:10,375 --> 00:30:13,375
"The hardest-working man
in show business. Mr. Dynamite."
701
00:30:13,375 --> 00:30:16,083
Bah-bah-bah. And the band
is wailing. It's like...
702
00:30:16,083 --> 00:30:19,875
-James Brown
and the Famous Flames!
703
00:30:19,875 --> 00:30:24,875
-Then everybody in the place
just lost it!
704
00:30:24,875 --> 00:30:26,375
-The record company
didn't believe in it.
705
00:30:26,375 --> 00:30:27,875
The record person said,
706
00:30:27,875 --> 00:30:29,667
"You can't sing the same thing
over and over."
707
00:30:29,667 --> 00:30:30,875
And I said, "Well, I can because
708
00:30:30,875 --> 00:30:32,625
when you sing it live,
it's different."
709
00:30:32,625 --> 00:30:34,375
-Well, you know in the studio
recordings, they can fix it.
710
00:30:34,375 --> 00:30:37,375
They can -- They're gonna,
"Take two. Take three."
711
00:30:37,375 --> 00:30:39,083
What he was thinking is,
"Well, I'm going to give them
712
00:30:39,083 --> 00:30:40,792
the feeling of being there,"
713
00:30:40,792 --> 00:30:42,333
which you still get
when you listen to it now.
714
00:30:42,333 --> 00:30:45,375
Put it on now, you feel like
you're at the show.
715
00:30:45,375 --> 00:30:48,208
-He and his band
had gone through so much,
716
00:30:48,208 --> 00:30:52,417
and he had gone through so much
to get to where he was.
717
00:30:52,417 --> 00:30:55,833
It's an album
that actually confirms its title
718
00:30:55,833 --> 00:30:57,708
because it is all the way live.
719
00:30:57,708 --> 00:31:01,000
♪
720
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,875
-It's one of the earliest
examples of being viral.
721
00:31:03,875 --> 00:31:06,042
Every household had to have
722
00:31:06,042 --> 00:31:09,583
"James Brown:
Live at the Apollo, Volume 1."
723
00:31:09,583 --> 00:31:11,708
He revolutionized
the live album.
724
00:31:11,708 --> 00:31:14,375
Deejays,
they're playing the entire album
725
00:31:14,375 --> 00:31:16,125
from start to finish.
726
00:31:16,125 --> 00:31:18,042
And it's a hit,
but not only that,
727
00:31:18,042 --> 00:31:21,583
but this album is also
making its way overseas.
728
00:31:21,583 --> 00:31:26,292
♪
729
00:31:26,292 --> 00:31:28,083
-"James Brown:
Live at the Apollo"
730
00:31:28,083 --> 00:31:30,417
was a big hit album.
731
00:31:30,417 --> 00:31:33,833
Collecting records in those
early days was quite expensive.
732
00:31:33,833 --> 00:31:36,250
-♪ Believe me
733
00:31:36,250 --> 00:31:38,208
♪ I'll go crazy
734
00:31:38,208 --> 00:31:40,708
-Not all these records were
readily available in England
735
00:31:40,708 --> 00:31:42,375
and not easy to get.
736
00:31:42,375 --> 00:31:44,917
But that one was,
and we all shared it around.
737
00:31:44,917 --> 00:31:46,750
I just loved
the tone of his voice,
738
00:31:46,750 --> 00:31:48,625
and it's so raspy
and so powerful
739
00:31:48,625 --> 00:31:52,833
and doing those high screams,
and, yeah, it was amazing.
740
00:31:52,833 --> 00:31:56,458
♪
741
00:31:56,458 --> 00:31:58,875
♪ Try me
742
00:31:58,875 --> 00:32:00,667
-♪ Try me
743
00:32:00,792 --> 00:32:02,250
-♪ Try me
744
00:32:02,375 --> 00:32:04,083
-♪ Try me
745
00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:06,875
-♪ Darlin', tell me
746
00:32:06,875 --> 00:32:09,625
♪ I need you
747
00:32:09,625 --> 00:32:12,375
-I write and arrange
all my tunes with my records,
748
00:32:12,375 --> 00:32:14,375
and I've never taken music
in my life.
749
00:32:14,375 --> 00:32:17,042
I write all the lyrics,
all the music,
750
00:32:17,042 --> 00:32:19,042
record the record
and everything.
751
00:32:19,042 --> 00:32:21,167
So when the record come out,
it's James Brown.
752
00:32:21,167 --> 00:32:22,542
It's not somebody else.
753
00:32:22,542 --> 00:32:24,458
♪
754
00:32:24,458 --> 00:32:26,333
♪ Hey
755
00:32:26,333 --> 00:32:27,542
♪ Yeah
756
00:32:27,542 --> 00:32:34,542
♪
757
00:32:34,542 --> 00:32:36,917
-"Live at the Apollo"
peaked at number two
758
00:32:36,917 --> 00:32:39,250
on the Billboard charts.
759
00:32:39,250 --> 00:32:41,875
It was on the charts
for 66 weeks.
760
00:32:41,875 --> 00:32:45,208
So that's, what,
a year and 14 more weeks.
761
00:32:45,208 --> 00:32:47,583
So -- Wow.
That says quite a lot.
762
00:32:47,583 --> 00:32:49,333
Especially at that time.
763
00:32:49,333 --> 00:32:52,542
-It's the opposite of the way
the label was thinking.
764
00:32:52,542 --> 00:32:54,542
That's genius thinking.
765
00:32:54,542 --> 00:32:56,000
He's knowing
the power of the show.
766
00:32:56,125 --> 00:32:57,542
He's seeing
the power of the show.
767
00:32:57,708 --> 00:32:59,208
He's seeing the power
of how people feel,
768
00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:01,542
and they're crying
and falling out every night.
769
00:33:01,542 --> 00:33:03,708
I do feel like the live album
gives you a different feeling
770
00:33:03,708 --> 00:33:05,458
when you listen to it. That's
the whole purpose of them,
771
00:33:05,458 --> 00:33:06,917
is that you do feel like
you're there,
772
00:33:06,917 --> 00:33:08,875
and they do feel like
the little --
773
00:33:08,875 --> 00:33:10,708
the little imperfections
are great.
774
00:33:10,708 --> 00:33:12,792
♪
775
00:33:12,792 --> 00:33:15,375
[ Audience cheers ]
776
00:33:15,375 --> 00:33:18,917
♪
777
00:33:18,917 --> 00:33:21,458
-♪ Ohh
778
00:33:21,458 --> 00:33:23,917
♪ Ohh-ohh
779
00:33:23,917 --> 00:33:26,583
♪
780
00:33:26,583 --> 00:33:27,625
-♪ I don't mind
781
00:33:27,708 --> 00:33:29,833
-♪ I don't mind
782
00:33:29,833 --> 00:33:33,500
-♪ Your love
783
00:33:33,500 --> 00:33:34,833
♪ I don't mind
784
00:33:34,958 --> 00:33:36,167
-♪ I don't mind
785
00:33:36,167 --> 00:33:38,750
-♪ The one you thinking of
786
00:33:38,750 --> 00:33:40,833
-James Brown
was an amazing singer.
787
00:33:40,833 --> 00:33:43,625
He comes out of
a Black church tradition
788
00:33:43,625 --> 00:33:46,083
where you know how to sing.
789
00:33:46,083 --> 00:33:48,917
You imbue a song
with a certain kind of power.
790
00:33:48,917 --> 00:33:50,750
You're able to tell
your own story
791
00:33:50,750 --> 00:33:54,083
by kind of pulling your voice
out of your body
792
00:33:54,083 --> 00:33:57,042
in such a way
that it enters into your music.
793
00:33:57,042 --> 00:34:00,583
-♪ I found someone
to love me ♪
794
00:34:00,583 --> 00:34:03,333
♪
795
00:34:03,333 --> 00:34:07,167
-James Brown.
He appealed to everybody.
796
00:34:07,167 --> 00:34:09,125
I get visitors at the Apollo
from France,
797
00:34:09,125 --> 00:34:13,792
Germany, Japan, Italy,
Australia, Belgium, Israel.
798
00:34:13,792 --> 00:34:15,542
And they all talk about
James Brown.
799
00:34:22,125 --> 00:34:23,042
-I'm a religious man
because a man must believe
800
00:34:23,042 --> 00:34:24,167
in something, you know?
801
00:34:24,167 --> 00:34:25,208
I know
I believe in myself, too.
802
00:34:25,208 --> 00:34:26,542
I'm religious that way, too.
803
00:34:26,542 --> 00:34:27,875
I'm religiously believing
in James Brown.
804
00:34:27,875 --> 00:34:29,375
-♪ I said I lost someone
805
00:34:29,375 --> 00:34:31,792
♪ But I know where
I'm gonna find them ♪
806
00:34:31,792 --> 00:34:33,167
♪ All aboard!
-♪ Yeah!
807
00:34:33,292 --> 00:34:35,250
-♪ All aboard!
-♪ Yeah!
808
00:34:35,250 --> 00:34:36,625
-♪ The night train
809
00:34:36,625 --> 00:34:42,292
♪
810
00:34:42,292 --> 00:34:44,333
-The success of
"Live at the Apollo"
811
00:34:44,333 --> 00:34:46,458
woke up another part
of James Brown,
812
00:34:46,458 --> 00:34:48,958
which is the business acumen.
813
00:34:48,958 --> 00:34:51,333
-To bootstrap if you were Black
814
00:34:51,333 --> 00:34:53,708
is Booker T. Washington theory.
815
00:34:53,708 --> 00:34:55,500
Work hard. Have a trade.
816
00:34:55,500 --> 00:34:57,250
You utilize what skill you have
817
00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:59,750
to bring yourself up
in the American fabric,
818
00:34:59,750 --> 00:35:02,250
and those will be the things
that were earned profit
819
00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:04,167
that helped to make you
more self-sufficient,
820
00:35:04,167 --> 00:35:05,875
which is really something
that James Brown
821
00:35:05,875 --> 00:35:07,500
was really, really big on.
822
00:35:07,500 --> 00:35:10,208
-This is a man who was fierce
in his self-determination
823
00:35:10,208 --> 00:35:12,167
and his desire to also have
824
00:35:12,167 --> 00:35:14,375
that kind of autonomy
and sovereignty.
825
00:35:14,375 --> 00:35:16,333
He was determined to do that.
826
00:35:16,333 --> 00:35:18,375
-Having a whole lot
of creativity about yourself
827
00:35:18,375 --> 00:35:20,750
and no place to exercise it,
it's very bad.
828
00:35:20,750 --> 00:35:24,375
-The tension between
James Brown and Syd Nathan
829
00:35:24,375 --> 00:35:26,917
was almost necessary for Brown's
830
00:35:26,917 --> 00:35:29,375
"I have to do it myself"
character.
831
00:35:29,375 --> 00:35:33,500
-Hold it. That was a good start,
man. We're rolling.
832
00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:35,875
-Tell him
not to holler that much.
833
00:35:35,875 --> 00:35:39,500
-Mr. Nathan said cool the melody
a little bit, you know.
834
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:41,542
I mean, make it more of
a melodic thing.
835
00:35:41,542 --> 00:35:43,958
Because you're singing
the hell out of it,
836
00:35:43,958 --> 00:35:45,625
but, you know,
just a little more melody
837
00:35:45,625 --> 00:35:48,167
like you did on the --
-Trying to sing too hard.
838
00:35:48,167 --> 00:35:49,792
Tell him --
-Yeah, don't sing too hard.
839
00:35:49,792 --> 00:35:52,042
-♪ Get away from me
840
00:35:52,042 --> 00:35:54,792
-♪ Get away, get away
841
00:35:54,792 --> 00:35:57,292
-Well, one would easily say
that being in jail
842
00:35:57,292 --> 00:36:02,333
is a far cry more difficult
than speaking truth to power
843
00:36:02,333 --> 00:36:04,875
to a White man
who holds purse strings.
844
00:36:04,875 --> 00:36:07,625
Throughout all of his
difficult upbringing,
845
00:36:07,625 --> 00:36:11,875
James Brown was able to adapt
and was able to be ingenious.
846
00:36:11,875 --> 00:36:13,542
♪
847
00:36:13,542 --> 00:36:17,458
-♪ Why
848
00:36:17,458 --> 00:36:21,333
♪ Does everything
have to happen to me? ♪
849
00:36:21,333 --> 00:36:23,958
-James Brown felt
that he wasn't going to
850
00:36:23,958 --> 00:36:25,375
get the kind of money
851
00:36:25,375 --> 00:36:28,042
that he wanted
from King Records.
852
00:36:28,042 --> 00:36:32,042
He knew exactly what he wanted.
He knew exactly how to do it.
853
00:36:32,042 --> 00:36:33,667
-I don't want
to be totally programmed.
854
00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:36,375
I want to be able to think
for myself to some degree.
855
00:36:36,375 --> 00:36:38,833
I think one thing
that makes a Black man
856
00:36:38,833 --> 00:36:41,250
that's more heavier for the soul
857
00:36:41,250 --> 00:36:45,708
is because of the fact
that he had extra-hard knocks,
858
00:36:45,708 --> 00:36:48,458
and he's lived with
the word "can't" for so long.
859
00:36:48,458 --> 00:36:53,542
-W.E.B. Du Bois talks about
the way in which the slave song
860
00:36:53,542 --> 00:36:57,750
is the one great gift
that came from slavery.
861
00:36:57,750 --> 00:36:59,375
Everything else is crazy,
862
00:36:59,375 --> 00:37:02,000
but the song and the sound
863
00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,792
illuminates this truth
about the nature of freedom.
864
00:37:06,792 --> 00:37:11,292
-For James Brown,
the dollar is freedom and power.
865
00:37:11,292 --> 00:37:14,625
So he cuts a side deal
on Smash Records,
866
00:37:14,625 --> 00:37:17,417
doing what he felt
was best for his future.
867
00:37:17,417 --> 00:37:19,542
-Let's make a record.
One take. Here we go.
868
00:37:19,542 --> 00:37:21,792
♪
869
00:37:21,792 --> 00:37:25,625
-♪ You've got your
high-heeled sneakers on ♪
870
00:37:25,625 --> 00:37:27,500
-Smash Records.
They turned me loose.
871
00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:29,792
I wrote "Out of Sight"
and "Maybe the Last Time."
872
00:37:29,792 --> 00:37:31,042
Had a two-sided hit.
873
00:37:31,042 --> 00:37:33,375
-"Out of Sight" represents
874
00:37:33,375 --> 00:37:37,375
a major tempo shift
in James Brown's music.
875
00:37:37,375 --> 00:37:40,375
"Out of Sight" had a slower,
876
00:37:40,375 --> 00:37:42,792
slinkier, sexier,
877
00:37:42,792 --> 00:37:44,333
syncopated groove,
878
00:37:44,333 --> 00:37:46,417
and the slower that funk gets,
879
00:37:46,417 --> 00:37:48,750
the nastier funk gets.
880
00:37:48,750 --> 00:37:50,917
-You know, if you get
a good James Brown "Huh,"
881
00:37:50,917 --> 00:37:52,042
you felt it!
882
00:37:52,042 --> 00:37:53,875
-♪ Ho!
883
00:37:53,875 --> 00:37:55,208
♪ Hey, hey
884
00:37:55,208 --> 00:37:58,042
-He used an alias
for "Out of Sight."
885
00:37:58,042 --> 00:38:00,542
"Ted Wright"
is actually James Brown.
886
00:38:00,542 --> 00:38:03,458
Syd Nathan has an injunction
slapped on him
887
00:38:03,458 --> 00:38:05,000
to stop all future pressings.
888
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,708
-Fortunately, at that moment,
it was a hit record.
889
00:38:08,708 --> 00:38:11,542
-In this sort of arm-wrestling
game that they had,
890
00:38:11,542 --> 00:38:13,625
James Brown had the upper hand
891
00:38:13,625 --> 00:38:15,667
because he comes back
to King Records
892
00:38:15,667 --> 00:38:18,375
on his own terms
with a bigger percentage.
893
00:38:18,375 --> 00:38:20,542
-Business is a part that
you've got to adapt yourself to
894
00:38:20,542 --> 00:38:23,375
so you can be prepared
for whatever might come up.
895
00:38:23,375 --> 00:38:25,208
-From one minute to another,
896
00:38:25,208 --> 00:38:30,583
you can't tell how this guy
James Brown is going to act,
897
00:38:30,583 --> 00:38:35,583
and we respect the fact
that he has made it.
898
00:38:35,583 --> 00:38:38,458
And he will fight with me
899
00:38:38,458 --> 00:38:41,625
and say,
"Mr. Nathan, you are wrong."
900
00:38:41,625 --> 00:38:43,417
♪
901
00:38:43,417 --> 00:38:44,917
-As an olive branch.
902
00:38:44,917 --> 00:38:48,417
Syd Nathan gave James Brown
his own imprint,
903
00:38:48,417 --> 00:38:50,833
which was Try Me Records.
904
00:38:50,833 --> 00:38:52,500
-Even when I was coming up
in the industry,
905
00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:54,667
myself or Puff or Jay-Z
or anybody in that era
906
00:38:54,667 --> 00:38:56,708
was always like, "Okay, well,
once we get a record big,
907
00:38:56,708 --> 00:38:58,583
then how do we get
our own record label?
908
00:38:58,583 --> 00:39:00,750
How do we get our own this?
How do we get our own that?"
909
00:39:00,750 --> 00:39:02,583
And he was really the first one
to show you
910
00:39:02,583 --> 00:39:04,042
that all that could happen.
911
00:39:04,042 --> 00:39:05,458
-James Brown was really setting
912
00:39:05,458 --> 00:39:06,875
the standard of excellence,
913
00:39:06,875 --> 00:39:09,500
having a crystallized vision
for himself
914
00:39:09,500 --> 00:39:11,333
where he wanted to be,
915
00:39:11,333 --> 00:39:13,250
always creating a "yes."
916
00:39:13,250 --> 00:39:16,500
And this is something
that I saw with Beyoncé.
917
00:39:16,500 --> 00:39:19,750
-♪ Alright tonight
918
00:39:19,750 --> 00:39:23,375
♪ And I do just
what I want, ow ♪
919
00:39:23,375 --> 00:39:24,750
-He wouldn't take no
for an answer.
920
00:39:24,750 --> 00:39:26,917
And he was fearless.
His music was fearless.
921
00:39:26,917 --> 00:39:29,875
His sound, sonically,
was fearless.
922
00:39:29,875 --> 00:39:34,833
-He decided that he wanted
to not only draw his own people,
923
00:39:34,833 --> 00:39:37,708
but he wanted
to draw White audiences.
924
00:39:37,708 --> 00:39:42,250
♪
925
00:39:42,250 --> 00:39:44,125
-He got on the "T.A.M.I. Show,"
926
00:39:44,125 --> 00:39:46,000
and everybody said,
927
00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,875
"Well, he's not gonna fit,"
and this and that.
928
00:39:48,875 --> 00:39:52,458
James Brown definitely
was a showman, and he proves it.
929
00:39:52,458 --> 00:39:55,208
-The stakes were high
in the "T.A.M.I. Show."
930
00:39:55,208 --> 00:39:57,375
Those were probably
the highest stakes
931
00:39:57,375 --> 00:39:59,375
that James Brown
had gone up against
932
00:39:59,375 --> 00:40:02,417
in terms of other artists.
933
00:40:02,417 --> 00:40:04,542
-The greatest of the great,
including such kings
934
00:40:04,542 --> 00:40:06,875
of rock entertainment as...
935
00:40:06,875 --> 00:40:09,583
♪
936
00:40:09,583 --> 00:40:11,417
...and today's hottest exponents
937
00:40:11,417 --> 00:40:13,208
of the Merseybeat from England,
938
00:40:13,208 --> 00:40:15,542
The Rolling Stones!
939
00:40:15,542 --> 00:40:17,500
-Steve Binder.
He was the producer.
940
00:40:17,500 --> 00:40:19,375
And Binder said,
"Well, you go on last."
941
00:40:19,375 --> 00:40:21,417
You kind of did what
you were asked to do.
942
00:40:21,417 --> 00:40:23,333
You're not gonna go,
"I'm not going to go on.
943
00:40:23,333 --> 00:40:24,833
I want to go on here.
I want to go there."
944
00:40:24,833 --> 00:40:26,708
If you're asked to go on
at the end, you go on at the end
945
00:40:26,708 --> 00:40:28,375
and you do your thing, you know?
946
00:40:28,375 --> 00:40:30,542
And then James came to me
and he said,
947
00:40:30,542 --> 00:40:32,542
"Well, I'm not comfortable
with this."
948
00:40:32,542 --> 00:40:34,917
And I said,
"Well, it's gonna be edited
949
00:40:34,917 --> 00:40:38,000
and you could end up
as the final act."
950
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,208
In 50 years of hindsight,
951
00:40:40,208 --> 00:40:41,708
should have said
to Steve Binder,
952
00:40:41,708 --> 00:40:43,708
"I'd prefer to go on
before James."
953
00:40:43,708 --> 00:40:45,667
[ Laughs ]
But, you know, I didn't.
954
00:40:45,667 --> 00:40:47,708
-If you've been around
most entertainers,
955
00:40:47,708 --> 00:40:49,833
you know they do not like
956
00:40:49,833 --> 00:40:53,333
somebody taking away
that thunder away from them.
957
00:40:53,333 --> 00:40:54,583
And I'll say this about
958
00:40:54,583 --> 00:40:56,708
Mick Jagger
and the Rolling Stones.
959
00:40:56,708 --> 00:40:58,708
They had that "T.A.M.I. Show"
taken away from them
960
00:40:58,708 --> 00:41:01,667
by James Brown
and the Famous Flames.
961
00:41:01,667 --> 00:41:03,167
-♪ All aboard!
-♪ Yeah!
962
00:41:03,292 --> 00:41:04,625
-♪ All aboard!
-♪ Yeah!
963
00:41:04,625 --> 00:41:06,667
-♪ The night train
964
00:41:06,667 --> 00:41:08,292
♪
965
00:41:08,292 --> 00:41:10,208
[ Crowd cheering ]
966
00:41:10,208 --> 00:41:11,417
♪ Miami, Florida
967
00:41:11,417 --> 00:41:14,083
♪
968
00:41:14,083 --> 00:41:15,333
♪ Atlanta, Georgia
969
00:41:15,417 --> 00:41:17,667
♪ Atlanta, Georgia, ah!
970
00:41:17,667 --> 00:41:21,083
♪
971
00:41:21,083 --> 00:41:23,208
-The "T.A.M.I. Show"
was the first time
972
00:41:23,208 --> 00:41:26,625
you really got to see him
in front of a mixed crowd
973
00:41:26,625 --> 00:41:29,042
doing this amazing,
electrifying set.
974
00:41:29,042 --> 00:41:31,583
-Oh! Oh, God!
When he did "Night Train"?
975
00:41:31,583 --> 00:41:35,417
Oh, man! Yo! Come on. Come on
976
00:41:35,417 --> 00:41:37,458
-♪ Night...
♪ Train!
977
00:41:37,458 --> 00:41:38,792
-♪ Train
978
00:41:38,792 --> 00:41:47,917
♪
979
00:41:47,917 --> 00:41:50,708
-It really signaled
that Black music
980
00:41:50,708 --> 00:41:53,792
was a predominant force
in music.
981
00:41:53,792 --> 00:41:56,917
James Brown was literally
on his way to take over.
982
00:41:56,917 --> 00:42:03,375
♪
983
00:42:03,375 --> 00:42:10,125
♪
984
00:42:10,125 --> 00:42:16,917
♪
985
00:42:16,917 --> 00:42:23,542
♪
986
00:42:23,542 --> 00:42:24,958
♪ Yeah
987
00:42:24,958 --> 00:42:30,083
♪
988
00:42:30,083 --> 00:42:35,167
♪
989
00:42:35,167 --> 00:42:40,167
♪
70178
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