James Brown Live At The Apollo

This man will make your liver quiver! This man will make your bladder splatter! This man will make your knees freeze! If you will let’s all welcome the worlds Godfather of Soul, Soul Brother #1, JAMES BROWN!!! 1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die Day 9. I FEEL GOOD!! The album for today is Live At The Apollo (1962). Let me start by saying that it would be an impossible task to find another more influential artist in the history of modern music and dance. The best you can convince me of, is that he’s had some equals along the way, though few and far between. Now that we have that settled, I thought to myself, what’s my first memory of James Brown and his funky, soulful music? My first conscience memory is Living In America, the super smash, Grammy winning song that also just happened to be in the blockbuster film Rocky IV in 1986. Seeing The Godfather Of Funk giving an explosive performance in that movie moments before Apollo Creed would die in the ring against Ivan Drago changed my childhood. Apollo the boxer died in the movie. Live at the Apollo from Mr. Brown lives on forever. Mr. Please Please Please was only 29 when he recorded this live album at the historic Apollo Theater, a theater named after a Greek God that hosted many, many musical Gods over the years. Brown paid for this project out of his own pocket as his label didn’t think he held the same appeal to deliver a live recording that someone like Sam Cooke had at the time. In early ‘63 this album came out and it was so popular that it was hard to find a copy. Record stores bought cases upon cases in order to meet the demand, and if you found a copy, you had to share it with the whole household, and it was played so much that when you finally wore it out you had to re-up. Most of Mr. Dynamite’s biggest hits weren’t even recorded yet in 1962. Deciding to showcase his best repertoire at the time in a live setting was a genius move. Sure, James Brown sounded just as good on his records as he did in his live performances, but there is an electricity in hearing it live, even if it’s just on an 8-track in the 60’s or Spotify in 2021. You can almost feel the vibrations of this man working up a sweat. Just listen to the crowd go berserk. On the song Lost Someone you can hear the girls in the crowd literally falling apart at the seams. James Brown had the crowd in the palm of his hands and he knew it. His band, The Famous Flames, are “Clean as a silk suit” as quoted by Robert Christgau in Rolling Stone magazine. They never miss a beat, literally. This live album has my most favorite song from The Hardest Working Man In Show Business, Try Me. The passionate pleasing and soulfulness of that record, especially live, is worthy of being added to The Library Of Congress, which it has been. The first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, James Brown sounds like a preacher at times. The way he uses the call and response technique has me in the shower damn near testifying! There’s no bad songs here. Make sure to check out Try Me, I’ll Go Crazy Night Train and Think. Also, make sure to listen to the girls losing their shit on Lost Someone. James Brown is The Godfather of not only Soul, but of Funk, Pop, and Hip Hop as well. He is the highest sampled artist in the world. His work has been borrowed a record smashing 7,413 times over the years. Listen to his song Funky Drummer and you’ll get the idea. James Brown is the Johnny Appleseed of music and I’m grateful for him.

1) All music since James Brown is a failed attempt to match his rhythm. Discuss. 2) Please explain why more albums should have seprate tracks for instrumental bridges. 3) Somewhere in these 31 minutes is the formula for Al Green's music. Please represent this as a mathematical equation, showing your workings. 4) James Brown never released a particularly good studio album, but is still responsible for much of the best music of the 20th century. Did he know something we don't?

What a performer. I remember hearing how JB would be furious if he heard any member of the band slip out of time or play a bum note. It’s tight as all hell and funky as a washerman’s dishcloth. If the mix was a little better we could appreciate it in all glory, but the scratchy, tinny sound, backed by the screaming fans really takes me back to those sweaty, heady early 60’s club nights. Much fun.

I want to like it, but it's so hard to enjoy a live album.

He's a good singer and the instrumentals are decent but the live element of this is just much too irritating. Theres so much background sceaming and talking that I just cant enjoy it

Probably blasphemy to some but I found this totally underwhelming. There wasn't even a fake walk off.

One of the iconic live albums of all time, it is a bit amazing that this was recorded in 1962 (released in 1963). A year and half before the Beatles would appear on the Ed Sullivan show. At a time when the biggest hits on the Billboard charts were “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (Frankie Vali and 4 Seasons) and “He’s So Fine” (Chiffons). Into this safe and comfortable world burst James Brown, in a live setting, saturated with a primal energy that had to frighten the grown-ups. Listen in the context of its time and it is even more impressive. His energy, reflected back by the crown…. Well, it is impressive. I was too young to have caught this when it was fresh, but it’s an album I knew by reputation long before I ever heard it. And I’ve owned this for a long time. This is why Jame Brown is known as the Godfather Of Soul, and The-Hardest-Working-Man-In-Show-Business. The sound quality is better than one should expect for a live album in 1963, but you need to recognize that it isn’t known for its crystal sound quality. This is a testament to a moment. This absolutely belongs on this “must hear” list, a wonderful time capsule of music from an earlier era. It is notable that this album was recorded before the Civil Rights Act, before the Beatles, before JFK’s assassination. A dramatic recording from a dynamic time. 5/5

An album that just oozes out "60s vibes". Makes you regret the fact that you were born in the late 90s and you will never experience this era ever again in such a way as back then.

3

My man

driving the ladies WILD

I know who James Brown is, of course, but I don't think I had heard any of the songs from this album. I'm curious as to where this performance fits within context of Brown's career as a whole. I was surprised how short some of the tracks were, especially for a live performance. "Lost Someone" is the longest track, and has some of the back and forth between Brown and the audience that you might expect with a live performance. This album is fine, but I'm not sure if I'd listen to it again. 3 stars

I can't believe that people went to his concerts just to listen to some mediocre R&B for 30 minutes and go home

I've never been big into James Brown's music. Maybe what ruins it for me is knowing what a wacko, and abusive SOB he was off-stage. Though I try to seperate the artist from the art, it's hard when a man's act centers around being a showman, but he's responsible for a lot of misery in people's livs. The music is forgetable, and James Brown sucks as a person.

Fantastic album, James Brown was an incredible musician and this really made me feel like I was seeing this live performance. If anything I found it too short.

Talk about tearing the roof off the house. 'nuff said.

This album flew by, I actually wish it was longer. It was fun to hear the audience's participation, and even more fun to hear how tight the live band is. It sounds legendary.

5.0 + It's incredible to hear the hardest working band arguably at their prime. They honed their stage performance to a non-stop onslaught of scream-inducing licks, shrieks and moans, MC'ed by arguably the greatest frontman in history. I'd say their schtick sounds too polished but then I hear James Browns' vocals on "Love Someone" - the way he digs to the bottom of his soul to convey that feeling of heartbreak, that's not a sound that can be manufactured.

Wow! It must have been something to see James Brown Live at the Apollo in 1962! I had expected an energetic performance, and that’s what I got. Crazy to think this was happening in a year where the top song of the year was a slow clarinet instrumental. Totally enjoyed this. The interplay with the audience was great. What a recording!

Brown was a tremendous performer, had a great back up band and interacted really well with the audience. Obviously what's missing here is the visual aspect, as seeing James Brown go nuts on stage must have an awesome sight. I wonder how many parties have been graced by this fab LP?!

Yes. All day long. Hit me!

The quality of this recording of a live performance puts a massive swath of studio albums to shame. Sure, we lose Mr. Brown a bit while he's working the crowd, but that's the price you pay to work the instrument that is the audience; and it's worth it in the long run, as the crowd swells and swoons along with the tracks. Literally every song is winner. I couldn't help but move my feet and wiggle in my seat as I listened along to tracks like "Think", "Night Train" and even the various instrumental brides. When things slowed down on "Try Me" and "I Don't Mind" I was still swaying along and hanging on every verse. This album provides a glimpse into the undeniable fact that James Brown (and his band) had mastered the art of the stage show, and that's even without being able to see his expressions and footwork. I wish I had had the chance to see them myself. That chance has passed. But I'm glad to have albums like this, so I can at least glimpse into the experience and carry the energy on in my heart.

Good live album. Crowd can get a bit in the way of listening sometimes though, lots of screaming etc.

Amazing!!!

I never fully appreciated this when listening before, despite being a huge JB fan, as it doesn't have the same funk as his later work but wow, something clicked with me today listening. This is molten, the slower stuff particularly - Lost Someone >>>>

Can't deny this record it's due. Live albums tend to be a showcase for an artist's greatest hits, but can get bogged down in rough performances or poor sound quality. But this 1962 recording of James Brown at the Apollo Theatre transports you there. From the M.C.'s introduction to the tight band to Brown's captivating performance, this recording is better than any greatest hits album, because it's fresh and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Fav Tracks: Lost Someone, Try Me and I Don't Mind Rating 4.5/5

An excellent example of what a live album can accomplish. Joyful and uplifting

5 all day

that was one intense performance - he just never stopped that whole way through. amazing, and an awesome album as well.

Love the interaction with the audience! And this must be where Michael Jackson got the influence for his "Aowh!"

Big influencer on all music that followed.

Shit that's good. The faster version of I got you is truly a masterpiece. James' browns voice is also one of the greats

Love his music.

James Brown, the legend, the creator of Funk, here in the early 60's, still as a Soul, R&B and Rock n' Roll singer whose fame was at an all time high and decided to release the live show from the Apollo theatre as an album which became his best known and most influential album. David Bowie quoted it as one of his all time albums and many other artists said that it was highly influential to them and their music. The album is full of passionate vocal deliveries and wonderful energetic instrumental performances. The album is an absolute beast in what it does and stands as one of the best albums of that year and the whole early 60's. The 'Introduction and Theme' starts the albums tone with an introduction that hypes up James Brown and his band plays a fanfare to bridge the way into the first song. It is just an interlude but it does its job very well and really hypes the whole thing up with an energetic and groovy melody. Especially the end is just incredible. 'I'll Go Crazy' really starts the whole thing with James showing how great he can sing and it's then followed by an energetic and very dancable song in typical Soul and R&B style that really suits James Brown's incredible performance. The song is just simply incredible although I wish that it'd go on for a little longer. The Doo-Wop example that 'Try Me' really gets a more sentimental tone into the album and Brown still delivers with his vocals as does the brass band and the backing vocals. It's a joyful but slower song nearly feeling like a Waltz. It's beautiful and an incredible song followed up by a short instrumental bridge towards the end. The fast rhythm section that feels very Jazzy which is featured on 'Think' really carries the song which feels much more reliant on the instruments than on the vocals. The result isn't as great as a couple of previous songs but it's still really good, great even. And again, an instrumental bridge in the end. 'I Don't Mind' is pretty much a mix of the styles heard so far. It's a little slower but has incredible vocals in a very Soul sounding style but also a couple of melodic and dynamic changes throughout. It's another pretty awesome song but it again feels a little less like it can hold up to the standard that has been set so far. Really good song but sadly with not enough strength that would really make me love it. And another short bridge towards the end that flows into the next song. The song 'Lost Someone' was actually split into two parts on the original vinyl release because it is a staggering 10 minutes long which is even crazier when the longest song so far 2.5 minutes long. Although this seems like it'd go totally wrong with the length of it, the song actually keeps very steady throughout and doesn't really go down in quality or keeping the listener interested. The vocals are great, the melody is great and it builds tension. It does feel a little bit over the top and even a little dragged around halfway through but it picks up again after a while. The song transitions into another quite lengthy track. The 'Medley' which consists of 9 different song that were put together into one 7 minute masterpiece of Soul, R&B, Jazz and even a little early form Funk. Because it plays with so many different songs and melodies in one, the song is interesting and amazing the whole way through. I absolutely love it and all the little changes and songs throughout. Every hook, every chorus is just simply perfect. All that means that the whole song is perfect. The album closes with the thematically fitting 'Night Train' which is easily the most Rock n' Roll sounding song on the album. It's still very much R&B and Soul but the guitar playing and the drums are very reminiscent of early Rock n' Roll. The song keeps it steady, neither really crazy nor with a slower tone and just finishes the album perfectly even if the song itself might've needed a little improvements around the edges to make it more interesting throughout. favourites: Medley, I'll Go Crazy, Try Me, Think, Lost Someone least favourites: I Don't Mind Rating: decent to strong 8 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Hell of a live show recording. Setlist flowed from number to number with almost no downtime, bouncing from upbeat ditties (I'll Go Crazy, Think) to some bluesy ballads (I Don't Mind). Most expansive track, Lost Someone, gives a display of both in one with plenty of space for Brown to stretch his voice and interact with the crowd. Not the kind of music I typically go in for, but credit where it's due. This was solid. 3.5 rounding up

absolute bop. the part where he tells the men in his audience not to hit their wives was insane though

I don't normally like live albums but this is something special. The way the crowd screams is almost incorporated into the songs. It sounds like it's own instrument that James Brown uses. I like how this feels like I am a fly at the wall of a very special performance. I love the horn section. I love Brown's vocals that always feel as though they are reaching directly out the listener. The Instrumental Bridges are really cool with how they attempt to go from one song to another and each feels like they stick the landing

James Brown is one of those artists that has been more of an outlandish pop culture caricature to me than an actual tangible performer. He's been quantified to me more through countless "I feel good na na na na na na na" references rather than his actual body of of work. This is the first time it ever even occurred to me to listen to one of his albums, and I don't think a live one is the right starting point. But either way, I can understand why he's been crowned the Godfather of Soul; he has undeniable emotive vocal talent and his music is rife with soul. I like the raspy, gritty quality in his voice, it scratches a specific sonic itch I didn't know was there when I'm listening. I can feel what he's feeling when he sings, I dig that. He sweats authenticity from the very core of his being and I can hear that he left it all out there on stage that night in '63. I may not become a regular, routine listener, but he has my utmost respect.

Nr. 49/1001 Introduction NR I'll Go Crazy 4/5 Try Me 5/5 Think 3/5 I Don't Mind 4/5 Lost Someone 3/5 (2x) Medley 4/5 Night Train 3/5 Average: 3,63 Great vocal performance. Didn't love some songs

Short live album but demonstrates how much of an impact James Brown will have had on multiple musical genres. Brown’s voice and the band are great.

Eternal classic, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD

I’m sure this is an important album that deserves better, but I didn’t latch onto anything here.

Live album loses a point

It's a cooking band and an energetic performance, probably the best live recording of early 60s RnB. That makes it a legendary and iconic performance, but why is this the only James Brown on the 1001 list? He was a pretty good RnB performer, and this album really made his reputation, but not the music that changed everything. It has some great, even iconic moments ("Ladies and gentlemen, it is star time, are you ready for star time?", "the hardest workin' man in show business", an uptempo version of Think, the audience screams during Please Please Please, a proto-funk Night Train), and shows off his impeccable skills as a band leader. I would have LOVED to see this show. However, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (and the invention of funk) was still a few years off. And, if we are talking about James Brown, how can you have him on the list with an album that pre-dates his greatest contribution to popular music, the invention of an entire genre? James Brown is one of the truly great singles performers. he released literally hundreds of singles, and many of them have been amazingly influential on music as a whole. But he is not so well known for albums that make the grade, and so they have picked this one. Good album, but not what is truly great about James Brown. The listmakers desperately want to have James Brown on the list (because of course!), but the constraint of albums but no compilations make it impossible to showcase his most amazing work. Missed opportunity.

Live at the Apollo by James Brown (1963) This recording from a concert at New York City’s Apollo Theater on October 24, 1962 is a quaint look back at a moment in the career of the great R&B pioneer, James Brown. One gets a clear sense of the effect he had on an audience of 1,500, even if his own talents were imperfectly preserved (see below). The venue was the center of the urban black middle class universe at the time. The Apollo, in Harlem, was owned by Sidney Cohen and managed by Morris Sussman, catering to the well dressed and well coiffed ladies and gents who made their way to 253 West 125th Street. It sounds like they had a good (and raucous) time. The Beatles did not invent mania. The music is passionate, showy, exhilarating, and lush. James Brown’s blues voice is surpassed only by Janis Joplin’s, with its energetic and lusty flourishes and starkly contrasting smoothness, all woven together. The backing instrumental and vocal ensemble is generous and disciplined (even if the brass and reeds are not entirely in tune with one another). Among the weaknesses of the original 1963 album, one should note the faulty mix (shunting both lead and backing vocals into the right channel, and bass in the left with the gain too high), and the inconsistent vocal mic direction. The result is that James Brown’s delicious voice is frequently subdued to the point of concealment. These problems were somewhat repaired in the 1990 and 2004 reissues, but with a commensurate loss in fidelity. Also, in the live setting, the female screams (even coached along in the second half of “Lost Someone”) obliterate some of Brown’s most delicate stylings. And in slow, subdued sections (e.g., “I Found Someone”), the murmur of conversation is distracting, if not disrespectful. Plus, Brown seems to lose the audience on “Night Train”, especially at the dud ending of this final track—worst ending to a concert set I’ve ever heard. The serious listener should stick to the studio recordings, but there’s entertainment enough here to sustain interest for 32 minutes. 3/5

Dynamic, high energy R&B/Soul performance

What a concert to attend.Apparently it was a tough ticket to get. The band is very tight. Not sure if you watched any of the videos but there were a lot of band members to keep tight. He had quite the high pitch screams but the low quality recording didn't  do them justice. I thought by the late sixties live recordings were better quality. Might have scored higher if recording quality was better.

James Brown rules, but there is not a ton here.

Pretty good, upbeat live album. Not too memorable though

Uninteresting, but with good vocal performances

Didn't realize James Brown was active so early, for some reason I thought he was mainly in the 70s. I'd like to say I enjoyed this more than I did; unfortunately, most of this didn't catch me. I hope James has other records that catch my ear more in the future.

There are very few live albums I enjoy. This ain’t one of them. So much crowd noise.

I stopped listening to it halfway through the first time, though it wasn't the best listening environment. Will try again, I guess.

Концертик коротенький, половина это попурри и женские крики. Ну не солидно как-то. Сорян, Джеймс Браун

Yesterday I listened to the Alice In Chains unplugged for fun, so this has the bar set very high right after listening to one of the best live albums of all time. Recording quality is good, but the crowd can be very annoying. The vocals are really good, and instrumentation is good. You can very much tell this was an early 60s album. Overall not my thing, but I cannot deny the talent displayed on this album. That said, I probably wont listen again. I almost feel bad rating it this low, but the crowds constantly screeching ruins the album for me. 4/10.

Nice to hear some James Brown that aren't the same old overplayed cliche tunes. Still not very interesting however

Not for me. 1/5

phenomenal

Love the riff on the last song

[insert soul artist] Live at [insert venue] is basically an automatic 5 stars for your boy

The godfather of soul himself, James Brown. This is such a great example of an excellent live album. Every single musician is right on time. The whole album is tight, funky, and absolutely dripping with soul. The instrumental bridges being listed as their own tracks is super interesting too. It’s short, but it’s sweet. At 31 minutes it certainly comes nowhere close to overstaying its welcome, and I found myself wishing it was a little longer. While it’s certainly not my favourite album we’ve listened to on this list, it is undeniably great. James Brown is one of those influential figures in so many different genres of music, a true legend. 5*

As a document and a piece of musical history, this album is really a gem. James Brown, 1963, the Apollo in Harlem… wow. The inclusion of the crowd noise really works here as well, and you can really imagine being there and practically see the sweat falling from Brown’s brow. The musical content is also delightful, with Brown more on the crooning side of soul rather than the funky side that would become such a huge part of his legacy. Still, his performance is electric and his talent seeps from every note he sings. I don’t think any single song really stands out to me above the experience of it all. What a wonderful record to exist. I only wish it were longer. 10/10

Possibly the greatest live recording ever made! I could listen to this on repeat all day.

I like the beat i love it i give it 5 out 5. really recomend it i also love the lyircs.

20 minutes of magic from the Godfather of Soul

I got to see James Brown play at Woodstock ‘99 and even then he was full of explosive energy. On this recording that energy threatens to overwhelm the tape and set it on fire. What an incredibly badass ensemble he’s got behind him too!

Maybe some hometeam bias but this is a historical artifact in the best way. You can feel the hype in the opening laying out the set to come, and a normally languid B-side is bolstered by a super receptive Apollo audience. No hits but the code is there. Clearly. Lost Someone to the Please Please Please medley solidifies the 5

Spectacular showmanship!

Ma powerhouse of a performance. The star is Brown’s vocals.

Soul Brother # 1, James Brown! Classic. Soul

gut

It’s James Freaking Brown! Of course it’s good.

Great live show, hella energy, audience reactions are very entertaining and the transitions are fantastic. Would love to revisit

what makes this record phenomenal is that it captures in a bottle what makes james brown special. his studio recordings are great, but what sets him apart from everyone else is his high octane performances, his charisma, his vocal chops. he is wailing all over this thing and it is so damn impressive. i don't know how you could listen to this and not be floored. a live album of the greatest stage performer of all time, what could it be other than pure, distilled energy?

I am pretty sure James Brown Live in 1963 would have been worthy of 5 stars and this album gives you a good sense of that. 5 stars or A for me.

Too short ! Really enjoyed, not much notes, it’s just really good. I like hearing the crowd! Highlights: (all of it?) - I’ll go crazy - I don’t mind - Lost someone - Please x3 / You’ve got the power

Phew! An American treasure doing what he does best, entertain!

I don't know any of these songs, it's such a weird experience listening to live versions of songs you don't know but holy fuck Brown was a phenomenal performer. This is the most fun I've had listening to music in so long it is a must-listen genuinely.

This is the sound of star power. An essential soul record and one of the best live albums ever recorded. All hail James Brown, the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business and Godfather of Soul.

This album is basically what this list is for. James Brown is an absolute legend. But the band, oh that band. Five Stars!

I normally don't go for many live albums (preferring the studio versions of songs) but I like the way this has the Intro and the asides as part of the act. James was one of the greatest showmen ever and it comes across in this record. This doesn't really have a whole load of hits but that doesn't matter. This guy is the business.

God bless James Brown! One of a kind. Saw this badass back in the early 90’s, on Seattle’s downtown waterfront. A bit long in the tooth by then, but still managed to light it up like it was 1968! This album I own, and gets in the rotation on a regular basis. I love him and miss him!

Never really listened to James Brown but this album was incredible. A ton of fun. I don't even really care much for this period/genre of music. The way he interacts with the crowd is so fun. You can hear all the girls screaming and going wild. I feel like even I would have had a blast at this show.

He really is one of the greatest voices and musicians to have ever lived.

yet another incredibly exciting live concert album from years ago. i absolutely love vintage live recordings where you can literally feel and hear the awe and wonder from the audience, the young women absolutely SHRIEKING as soon as james sings the first word. some songs are for slow-dancin' others are for boogying down. it's short and sweet.

Big game James Brown all Ways brings the big house down town Alive, life’s lives live. Such energy. Even during the “breaks” these guys pull out all the bus stops. Fantastic album. All aboard? Yes All aboard? Yes All aboard? Yes The night train[!]

I like that you have to specify which year of pivotal James Brown Live at the Apollo album you mean. Lost Someone rules. Must be the most interesting audience noise I've heard on an album. The bit where he wanders away from the microphone is awesome. Have to figure this is as close as it gets to capturing the wild magic of live music, where the performer intuits exactly where to find the equivalent of a resonance frequency for a gathering of people & messes around nearby. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

I waffled a bit between a 4 and a 5 here, but the way Brown harnesses the screaming crowd’s energy into the most psychotic sounding call and response imaginable (on Lost Somebody) is enough to make the call. Remarkable.

One of the best live albums ever.

Potentially the best live album ever recorded. The whole band is cooking here.

This isn’t a show, it’s a party. And James is one hell of a host. You can feel the energy coming through. The larger than life presentation, the soul, the passion, it is all spectacular.

Just really good. The band is playing almost perfectly and the energy is great. Yeah that’s it basically

Soul brother #1.

Lots of things say they are the best live album. This might be.

Absolutely incredible. Generational

Really really good. My favorite so far

James Brown had been making music for a decade by the time Live at the Apollo was release. His live show was polished, and Brown's unmatched, energetic performances were well polished, and well known. This live album captures the the full, rich sound of Brown and his band. His gospel-inspired vocal sound, and the R&B sound to the band helped define the early sound of popular rock music. His band's vocal harmonies and rich horn section also set standards for the music that could be called early rock 'n roll. This is an incredible live album, both for the quality of the recording from that era, but more for the remarkable performance captured. This is an album that introduce the world to the hardest working man in show business.

Great

9/10

fine music