Make It Funky

1971 single by James Brown

"Make It Funky (Part 1)"

Single by James Brown

from the album Star Time

B-side

"Make It Funky (Part 2)"

Released

August 1971 (1971-08)

Recorded

July 13, 1971, Rodel Studios, Washington, D.C.

Genre

Funk

Length

3:15 (Part 1)
4:05 (Part 2)

Label

Polydor 14088

Songwriter(s)

James Brown
Charles Bobbitt

Producer(s)

James Brown

James Brown charting singles chronology

"Hot Pants Pt. 1 (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants)"
(1971)

"Make It Funky (Part 1)"
(1971)

"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 3"
(1971)

"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 3"

Single by James Brown

from the album Get on the Good Foot

B-side

"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 4"

Released

1971 (1971)

Genre

Funk

Length

2:39 and 2:48

2:40 (Part 3)
2:50 (Part 4)

Label

Polydor

Songwriter(s)

James Brown
Charles Bobbit

Producer(s)

James Brown

James Brown charting singles chronology

"Make It Funky (Part 1)"
(1971)

"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 3"
(1971)

"I'm a Greedy Man - Part I"
(1971)

"Make It Funky" is a jam session recorded by James Brown with The J.B.'s. It was released as a two-part single in 1971, which reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart and No. 22 on the U.S. Pop chart.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Publication

This was his first song to be submitted solely to Polydor Records. The original master is very slow and steadily formed in tempo, compared to how it is performed live. It features the band members chanting the song's title and a prominent organ part played by Brown himself. Bobby Byrd also contributes vocals and a spoken intro. Brown released the next 6 minutes of the recording as another two-part single, titled "My Part/Make It Funky", which charted #68 R&B. Parts 3 and 4 appeared on the album Get on the Good Foot.

Live versions of "Make It Funky" appear on the albums Revolution of the Mind and Live at the Apollo 1995. Brown also remade the song for his 1992 album Universal James under the title "Make It Funky 2000".

The full version, running 12:50, was released on the compilation Make It Funky – The Big Payback: 1971–1975 in 1996.

Sample used

Audio Two - Make It Funky
Ice-T - Make It Funky (1987)
Marley Marl - Droppin' Science
Slum Village - I Don't Know
Kingdom - Every Beat Of My Heart

Recognition

In 2005, the bassline to all four parts was ranked at number 2 in Stylus Magazine's list of the "Top 50 Basslines of All Time".^[4]

Personnel

James Brown - lead vocal, organ

with The J.B.'s:

Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford - trumpet, vocals
Russell Crimes - trumpet, vocals
Fred Wesley - trombone, vocals
St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone, vocals
Hearlon "Cheese" Martin - guitar, vocals
Robert Lee Coleman - guitar, vocals
Fred Thomas - bass, vocals
John "Jabo" Starks - drums, vocals
Bobby Byrd - vocals
Martha Harvin - vocals

References

^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 85.
^ White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
^ Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
^ "Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Basslines Of All Time - Article". Stylus Magazine. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2016-10-04.

External links

Song Review from Allmusic

James Brown singles

Billboard charting singles (R&B and Pop)

1950s

1956	"Please, Please, Please"
1958	"Try Me"
1959	"I Want You So Bad"

1960s

1960	"I'll Go Crazy" "Think" "You've Got the Power" "This Old Heart" "The Bells"
1961	"Bewildered" "I Don't Mind" "Baby, You're Right" "Just You and Me, Darling" "Lost Someone"
1962	"Night Train" "Shout and Shimmy" "Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." "Three Hearts in a Tangle" "I've Got Money"
1963	"Like a Baby" "Every Beat of My Heart" "Prisoner of Love" "These Foolish Things" "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered"
1964	"Oh Baby Don't You Weep" "Please, Please, Please" "Caldonia" "The Things That I Used to Do" "Out of Sight" "Have Mercy Baby"
1965	"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" "Try Me" "I Got You (I Feel Good)"
1966	"Lost Someone" "I'll Go Crazy" "Ain't That a Groove" "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" "Money Won't Change You" "Don't Be a Drop-Out" "Sweet Little Baby Boy"
1967	"Bring It Up" "Kansas City" "Think" "Let Yourself Go" "Cold Sweat" "Get It Together" "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" "There Was a Time"
1968	"You've Got to Change Your Mind" "I Got the Feelin'" "Licking Stick – Licking Stick" "America Is My Home" "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry" "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" "Goodbye My Love" "Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)"
1969	"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" "Soul Pride" "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself)" "The Popcorn" "Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me)" "Lowdown Popcorn" "World" "Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn" "Ain't It Funky Now"

1970s

1970	"It's a New Day" "Funky Drummer" "Brother Rapp" "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" "Super Bad" "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay" "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved"
1971	"Spinning Wheel" "Soul Power" "I Cried" "Escape-ism" "Hot Pants" "Make It Funky" "I'm a Greedy Man"
1972	"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" "King Heroin" "There It Is" "Honky Tonk" "Get on the Good Foot" "I Got a Bag of My Own" "What My Baby Needs Now Is a Little More Lovin'"
1973	"I Got Ants In My Pants (And I Want to Dance)" "Down and Out in New York City" "Think" "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" "Stoned to the Bone"
1974	"The Payback" "My Thang" "Papa Don't Take No Mess" "Funky President (People It's Bad)" "Coldblooded"
1975	"Reality" "Sex Machine" "Hustle!!! (Dead on It)" "Superbad, Superslick" "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)"
1976	"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" "Get Up Offa That Thing" "I Refuse to Lose" "Bodyheat"
1977	"Kiss in 77" "Give Me Some Skin" "If You Don't Give a Doggone About It"
1978	"Eyesight" "The Spank" "For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes"
1979	"It's Too Funky in Here" "Star Generation"

1980s

1980	"Regrets" "Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)"
1981	"Stay with Me"
1983	"The Night Time Is the Right Time (To Be With the One That You Love)"
1984	"Unity"
1985	"Living in America"
1986	"Gravity"
1987	"How Do You Stop"
1988	"I'm Real" "Static"
1989	"Gimme Your Love"