My Thang

1974 single by James Brown

"My Thang"

Single by James Brown

from the album Hell

B-side

"People Get Up And Drive Your Funky Soul","I Know It's True","Public Enemy No. 1 - Part I"

Released

April 1974 (1974-04)

Recorded

November 27, 1973, A&R Studios, New York, NY; additional recording March - April 1974, Sound Ideas, New York, NY

Genre

Funk

Length

4:20

Label

Polydor
14244

Songwriter(s)

James Brown

Producer(s)

James Brown

James Brown charting singles chronology

"The Payback - Part I"
(1974)

"My Thang"
(1974)

"Papa Don't Take No Mess"
(1974)

"My Thang" is a funk song written and recorded by James Brown. Unlike most of his songs, this song was released not as a two-part single, but instead issued with three different B-sides. It spent two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart - Brown's second #1 in a row, following "The Payback" - and reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1974.^[1]^[2] The song also appeared on Brown's 1974 double album Hell.^[3]

Personnel

James Brown - lead vocals
probably Lew Soloff - trumpet
John Faddis - trumpet
Michael Gipson - trombone
David Sanborn - alto sax
Frank Vicari - tenor sax
Joe Farrell - tenor sax
Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis - baritone sax
Dave Matthews - piano
Joe Beck - guitar
Sam Brown - guitar
Gordon Edwards - bass
Jimmy Madison - drums
Sue Evans - percussion
Fred Wesley - tambourine, background vocals
Bobby Roach - background vocals
Johnny Scotton - background vocals^[4]

Samples

"My Thang" is also sampled on various songs, including:

"Brand New Funk" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
"Funky Child" by Lords Of The Underground
"Gotta Have It (song)" by Kanye West & Jay-Z
Guy - "Groove Me"
Heavy D & The Boyz - "We Got Our Own Thang"
Bell Biv DeVoe - "Something in Your Eyes"

In popular culture

The song was featured in the 1990 psychological horror film Jacob's Ladder.

References

^ 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.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 85.
^ Leeds, Alan (1995). Hell [CD liner notes]. New York: PolyGram Records.

External links

AllMusic review

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"