James Brown: In the Jungle Groove (2LP) [HIP-O]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set spreads nine long funk cuts across four sides. It put Clyde Stubblefield's "Funky Drummer" on an album for the first time, and The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics voted it one of the best reissues of 1986.

This edition

• 2LP set

About the album

By the mid-1980s hip hop producers were already digging through James Brown's old singles for breaks, so Polydor did the sensible thing and gave them a proper record to dig through. Reissue producers Cliff White and Tim Rogers went back to the 1969 to 1971 tapes, when Brown was cutting some of the hardest funk ever recorded, and pulled together remixes, edits, unissued takes and full-length versions.

"Funky Drummer" is the reason many people come, with Clyde Stubblefield's loose, ghost-note groove and its bonus beat reprise for anyone who wants the break on its own. "It's A New Day," "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" and "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothing" get remixes that stretch the grooves out, "Soul Power" hits like a sermon, "Get Up, Get Into It And Get Involved" is a Bobby Byrd co-write built on call and response, and "Hot Pants" closes things on a strut. "I Got To Move" is a previously unissued gem from the same 1970 session that gave the album its name.

Chicago Tribune critic Ken Tucker praised Brown here as a great bandleader as well as a singer and rhythm innovator. The drum breaks on these sides have turned up on more records than anyone can count, so think of it as the original sample pack, cleared for home use.

Also at Kops: more James Brown on vinyl · browse Classic Soul

Tracklist

Listen

On Polydor / UMe (cat# B0021511-01), a reissue of the 1986 compilation.