Money Won't Change You

1966 single by James Brown

"Money Won't Change You Part 1"

Single by James Brown

from the album Sings Raw Soul

B-side

"Money Won't Change You Part 2"

Released

July 1966 (1966-07)

Recorded

June 9, 1966, Talent Masters Studios, New York, NY

Genre

Soul, funk

Length

2:45 (Part 1)
2:19 (Part 2)

Label

King
6048

Songwriter(s)

James Brown
Nat Jones

Producer(s)

James Brown

James Brown charting singles chronology

"It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
(1966)

"Money Won't Change You Part 1"
(1966)

"Don't Be a Drop-Out"
(1966)

"Money Won't Change You" is a song recorded by James Brown in 1966. It was released in edited form as a two-part single which charted #11 R&B and #53 Pop.^[1] Both parts of the single were included on Brown's 1967 album Sings Raw Soul.

An unedited version of the song appeared for the first time in the 1991 box set Star Time.^[2]^[3]

Background

It was his third message song, after "Don't Be a Drop-Out," and "Get it Together", songs recorded in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement.^[4]

Billboard described the single as a "soulful wailer in the groove of the past Brown hits."^[5] Cash Box said that it is a "pulsating, bluesy, danceable affair about a guy who appears to have serious problems with his gal."^[6]

Cover versions

Aretha Franklin covered "Money Won't Change You" on her 1968 album Lady Soul.

Popular culture

The song would be remade as "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" for the film Slaughter's Big Rip-Off. ^[7]

References

^ White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
^ Watrous, Peter (May 5, 1991). "Record Brief". The New York Times. Some tracks — "Money Won't Change You" and "Papa's Got a Brand-New Bag" — have been restored to their original length after being pruned for radio play, and it's wonderful to hear the band stretching out, flexing its muscles in service of the groove, the almighty rhythm.
^ Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
^ Vincent, Ricky. "Biography of James Brown" (PDF). Rock and Roll: An American Story. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-05-01. Brown wrote the first of his message songs, "Don't Be a Dropout," and followed it with "Get it Together," and "Money Won't Change You" within months. The rugged grooves and piercing screams of Brown became a trademark of the urgency and prideful presentation of the black man in full awakening.
^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. July 23, 1966. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 30, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
^ Elias, Jason. "AllMusic Review by Jason Elias". AllMusic. Netaktion LLC. Retrieved 12 November 2020.

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"