#329 - James Brown - In the Jungle Groove (1986)

MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY ADAM BERNARD:

JAMES BROWN BIO

The Godfather of Soul was born in South Carolina in 1933, but his career started to grow next door in Georgia, beginning his career as a gospel singer. He started to gain national attention in the mid 1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, founded by Brown's eventual right-hand man, Bobby Byrd. It was around this time that the funk icon's reputation as being an outstanding performer began to take hold. By the time The 60's rolled around, Mr. Dynamite was peaking in popularity with hits like Papa's Got A Brand New Bag and It's A Man's Man's Man's World. Later in the decade, he shifted from a blues/gospel combo to an "Africanized" " approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of his backing band, the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud". Disco took its toll on Brown's popularity, and his career took a bit of a hit because of it in the late 1980s. The album we're talking about today was an effort to put Soul Brother #1 back on the map. Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006. 

Brown was one of the first 10 musicians inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He was also inducted as part of the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music HOF in 2013 as an artist and then again in 2017 as a songwriter. He is ranked 7th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

BACKGROUND – IN THE JUNGLE GROOVE

This is a compilation album that was released in 1986. Hip-hop was a format that was beginning to gain footing in the mid 1980s, and Brown's music was popular in those circles. Tracks like "Funky Drummer" were heavily sampled in the hip-hop world, so this was an attempt to try and capitalize off of that. The album is a mix of unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and remixes. This compilation preceded another compilation album that came out 2 years later, "Motherlode". The album's tracks were recorded in 4 locations: Cincinnati, Miami, Macon-Georgia and NYC.

The album's title is taken from a song recorded back in 1970, but the full version of "In the Jungle Groove" remains unissued. The intro to this track can be heard at the beginning of "I Got To Move" on this album though. 

While the first few numbers here feature Brown sidemen who were in on his mid-'60s hits, the majority feature the original "J.B.'s" outfit (his backing band) that helped the singer forge several extended and funk-defining tracks during 1970. 

In 2000, Vibe magazine included it on their list of the 100 essential albums of the 20th century.