On a recent road trip through the Deep South, I made a pilÂgrimÂage to sevÂerÂal sacred shrines of AmerÂiÂcan music, includÂing obligÂaÂtory stops in MemÂphis at the garÂish GraceÂland and unasÂsumÂing Sun StuÂdios. But the highÂlight of the tour had to be that city’s Stax MuseÂum of AmerÂiÂcan Soul Music (“nothÂing against the LouÂvre, but you can’t dance to Da VinÂci”). Housed in a re-creÂation of the origÂiÂnal Stax Records, the museÂum mainÂly conÂsists of aisles of glass casÂes, in which sit instruÂments, cosÂtumes, and othÂer memÂoÂraÂbilÂia from artists like BookÂer T. and the MGs, Sam & Dave, The StaÂples Singers, and Isaac Hayes. One parÂticÂuÂlar relÂic caught my attenÂtion for its radiÂatÂing aura of authenticity—a batÂtered first pressÂing of James Brown’s 1956 “Please, Please, Please,” the song that built the house of Brown and his backÂing singer/dancers the Famous Flames—a song, wrote Philip GoureÂvich, that “doesn’t tell a stoÂry so much as express a conÂdiÂtion.”
“Please, Please, Please” was not a Stax release, but the museÂum rightÂly claims it as a semÂiÂnal “preÂcurÂsor to soul.” Brown bequeathed to sixÂties soul much more than his over-the-top impasÂsioned delivery—he brought to increasÂingÂly kinetÂic R&B music a theÂatriÂcalÂiÂty and showÂmanÂship that dozens of artists would strive to emuÂlate. But no group could work a stage like Brown and his band, with their machine-like preÂciÂsion breakÂdowns and elabÂoÂrate dance rouÂtines. And while it seems like ChadÂwick BoseÂman does an admirable impresÂsion of the GodÂfaÂther of Soul in the upcomÂing Brown biopic Get on Up, there’s no subÂstiÂtute for the real thing, nor will there ever be anothÂer. By 1964, Brown and the Flames had worked for almost a decade to hone their act, espeÂcialÂly the cenÂterÂpiece renÂdiÂtion of “Please, Please, Please.” And in the ’64 perÂforÂmance above at the T.A.M.I.—or Teenage Awards Music International—at the SanÂta MonÂiÂca Civic AudiÂtoÂriÂum, you can see Brown and crew for the first time do the so-called “cape act” (around 7:50) durÂing that sigÂnaÂture numÂber. David RemÂnick describes it in his New YorkÂer piece on this perÂforÂmance:
…in the midst of his own self-induced hysÂteÂria, his fit of longÂing and desire, he drops to his knees, seemÂingÂly unable to go on any longer, at the point of colÂlapse, or worse. His backÂup singers, the Flames, move near, tenÂderÂly, as if to revive him, and an offÂstage aide, DanÂny Ray, comes on, drapÂing a cape over the great man’s shoulÂders. Over and over again, Brown recovÂers, throws off the cape, defies his near-death colÂlapse, goes back into the song, back into the dance, this absolute abanÂdonÂment to pasÂsion.
It’s an act Brown disÂtilled from both charisÂmatÂic BapÂtist church serÂvices and proÂfesÂsionÂal wrestling, and it’s a hell of a perÂforÂmance, one he pulled out, with all his othÂer shimÂmyÂing, strutÂting, moonÂwalkÂing stops, in order to best the night’s lineÂup of big names like the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, MarÂvin Gaye, the Supremes, and the Rolling Stones, who had the misÂforÂtune of havÂing to folÂlow Brown’s act. KeiÂth Richards latÂer called it the biggest misÂtake of their career. You can see why. Though the Stones put on a decent show (below), next to Brown and the Flames, writes RemÂnick, they looked bland and compromising—“Unitarians makÂing nice.”
via The New YorkÂer
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Every AppearÂance James Brown Ever Made On Soul Train. So Nice, So Nice!
James Brown Gives You DancÂing Lessons: From The Funky ChickÂen to The BoogaÂloo
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
EveryÂone knew his name where I grew up in the Philly projects. But few got to see him. All I can say is, he earned every accoÂlade ever givÂen him. Before Lebron became the King of basÂketÂball, James was and is the King of soul.
I saw LitÂtle Richard do the “cape act” around 1953/4 in San AntoÂnio’s MunicÂiÂpal AudiÂtoÂriÂum. He was part of a Rhythm and Blues Review…many acts such as Chuck Berry and Frankie Lymon. Don’t know if Richard startÂed it but James defÂiÂniteÂly adoptÂed it as his own, refined it, and made it iconÂic.
It nevÂer struck me before, but you can see James Chance doing his own wacky verÂsion of the cape act at the end of this video http://youtu.be/KhRi2EtCVZY
wish i had seen this live. incredÂiÂble amazÂing perÂforÂmance. very movÂing. i did see a beauÂtiÂful young woman in a black coat towards the end watchÂing-didÂn’t know it was michelle obaÂma. james brown‑a brilÂliantÂly talÂentÂed enterÂtainÂer-king of soul-ahead of his time. i’m also a big marÂvin gaye fan. love them both. so glad i was able to watch this wonÂderÂful clip.
Great James Brown! AmazÂing!
I actuÂalÂly disÂagree. I think what we see here is the true emerÂgence of the Stones (who hadÂn’t even recordÂed SatÂisÂfacÂtion yet) as charisÂmatÂic stars. Despite KeiÂth’s opinÂion, what I see is Brown at his theÂatriÂcal best (which is fabÂuÂlous), but the Stones refusÂing to back down — KeiÂth in parÂticÂuÂlar stampÂing and rockÂing, and dragÂging the band along with him, and the final effect is a kind of brash who-cares streetÂwise no-bull rockÂ’n’roll. HisÂtorÂiÂcalÂly, of course, JagÂger then proÂceedÂed to work bits of Brown’s act into his own, and the Stones became their own kind of theÂater. But this is the moment when they made it. Much as I love him, I think they made James Brown look just a wee bit out of date.
I’d always heard that James Brown blew away the Rolling Stones, but that isn’t what I see here. I don’t think JagÂger and comÂpaÂny were intimÂiÂdatÂed at all. Maybe they were just too young to notice or care.
For those of you who are falling for the Michelle ObaÂma “sightÂing” gag, please rememÂber that this is 1964 and Mrs. ObaÂma would be a todÂdler, at best, at this time.
Also, with respect to the Stones holdÂing their own or makÂing James Brown look anachroÂnisÂtic, you Rolling Stone fans are tryÂing too hard. Just accept the fact that James was a much more dynamÂic perÂformer. Even the Stones themÂselves were fulÂly aware of this. They have even told us so, sevÂerÂal difÂferÂent times. That is not a knock on the Stones. Mick was clearÂly influÂenced by what he’d just seen James do as he appears to be emmuÂlatÂing his moves in the first song. That doesÂn’t last very long, howÂevÂer. The Stones had nothÂing to be ashamed of, howÂevÂer. They simÂply didÂn’t have the same theÂatriÂcal chops as James in 1964.
It’s urban legÂend that James blew away the Stones. The way that show worked is there was an hour or two break between acts…which includÂed an entireÂly new audiÂence. The Stones and James perÂformed before two difÂferÂent crowds.
Next to James Brown, BobÂby Byrd, BobÂby BenÂnett, and Lloyd StallÂworth, the Rolling Stones were clearÂly out classed,out-performed, and litÂerÂalÂly blown off of the stage !!! James Brown & The Famous Flames COMPLETELY DESTROYED THEM. There is no othÂer way to say it !!! In 18 minÂutes, they put on a show that The Stones couldÂn’t match in their ENTIRE CAREER !!
The young black woman in the dark coat was what I would call mesÂmerÂized, as if she were seeÂing an alien emerge from a spaceÂship. Great, very short moment in time. WonÂderÂful.
OK. Let’s be CLEAR. The young African-AmerÂiÂcan woman standÂing up durÂing the perÂforÂmance of James Brown and his origÂiÂnal singing group, The Famous Flames, on The T.A.M.I. Show WAS NOT and COULDN’T POSSIBLY BE, Michelle ObaÂma. Why ? A simÂple trip to Wikipedia would have preÂventÂed a dumb, misÂinÂformed comÂment from being postÂed. The T.A.M.I. Show was filmed in the Autumn of 1964. Michelle ObaÂma was born in JANUARY of 1964. At best, she would have been a baby in diaÂpers at the time this movie was filmed…less than ONE YEAR OLD. This girl was in her late teens / earÂly twenÂties. We don’t know who she WAS…BUT we sureÂly know who she WASN’T…and that was Mrs. ObaÂma. (So much for THAT dumb comÂment.)
SecÂond: I have seen the T.A.M.I.SHOW, litÂerÂalÂly DOZENS of TIMES.on VHS, DVD, and in the movies durÂing it’s origÂiÂnal theÂatriÂcal release. I saw the young lady. Believe me, she was MORE than impressed by that perÂforÂmance. she was MESMERIZED.You can tell she had NEVER seen a perÂforÂmance THAT EXCITING IN HER ENTIRE YOUNG LIFE !! If ANYTHING, she was BORED by The STONES’ “PERFORMANCE” . RememÂber, at that time , JAMES BROWN & THE FAMOUS FLAMES were the most DYNAMIC PERFORMING GROUP in AMERICA !! No othÂer group, Black or White, could touch them…including the highÂly toutÂed Temptations…So, what chance could The STONES posÂsiÂbly have ??