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James Brown - Soul Pride: The Instrumentals (1960-69) (1969)

Track listing:
CD1
  1. Hold It 2:08
  2. The Scratch 1:43
  3. Suds 2:17
  4. Cross Firing 2:21
  5. Joggin' Along 2:23
  6. Doin' The Limbo 2:27
  7. Choo-Choo (Locomotion) 2:51
  8. (Can You) Feel It, Pt. 1 2:51
  9. Soul Food, Pts. 1 & 2 4:04
  10. Evil 2:45
  11. Infatuation 4:25
  12. Headache 2:19
  13. Every Beat Of My Heart 4:58
  14. Try Me 3:05
  15. Jabo 2:55
  16. Devil's Den (Live) 5:53
CD2
  1. Mashed Potatoes '66 5:02
  2. Gittin' A Little Hipper 2:45
  3. Go On Now 5:51
  4. In The Middle, Pt. 1 2:39
  5. Tighten Up (Live) 7:18
  6. The Popcorn 2:59
  7. Soul Pride, Pts. 1 & 2 4:27
  8. Sudsy 4:37
  9. The Chicken 4:06
  10. Come On In The House 2:27
  11. Lowdown Popcorn 4:27
  12. Top Of The Stack 2:46
  13. Ain't It Funky Now, Pts. 1 & 2 7:11
  14. Funky Drummer 9:25

Notes

Everyone knows how hot James Brown's bands were, but not everyone's aware that he and his sidemen recorded lots of instrumental sides in the '60s. Originally scattered haphazardly over many out-of-print singles and albums, Soul Pride brings together the best of this work into one cohesive and chronological package. These cuts are nearly equal in power to J.B.'s vocal performances. Not only does the band cook on most of these insinuating vamps, but you can also hear the evolution of the man's sound from gritty R&B to tight-as-a-drum soul to free-form funk. Soul Brother number one himself plays organ and adds unpredictable shouts and screams on most of these tracks. But the chief stars are sidemen like Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis, who broke new ground with their compulsive counterpoint riffs. This fiery two-disc, 36-track box set contains over two hours of music, as well as a few non-LP B-sides and previously unreleased tracks.