James Brown: The Singles Volume One The Federal Years: 1956-1960

Disc 1
1. Please, Please, Please (Single Version)
2. Why Do You Do Me (Single Version)
3. I Don’t Know
4. I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On
5. No, No, No, No
6. Hold My Baby’s Hand
7. I Won’t Plead No More
8. Chonnie-On-Chon
9. Just Won’t Do Right
10. Let’s Make It
11. Gonna Try
12. Can’t Be The Same
13. Messing With The Blues
14. Love Or A Game
15. You’re Mine, You’re Mine
16. I Walked Alone
17. That Dood It
18. Baby Cries Over The Ocean
19. Begging, Begging
20. That’s When I Lost My Heart
21. Try Me (I Need You) (Demo Version)
Disc 2
1. Try Me (I Need You) (Single Version)
2. Tell Me What I Did Wrong (Single Version)
3. I Want You So Bad
4. There Must Be A Reason
5. I’ve Got To Change (Album Version/Mono)
6. It Hurts To Tell You (Album Version/Mono)
7. I’ve Got To Change (Stereo Version)
8. It Hurts To Tell You (Stereo Version)
9. [James Davis] Doodle Bee (Instrumental)
10. [James Davis] Bucket Head (Instrumental) (Single Version)
11. It Was You
12. Got To Cry
13. Good Good Lovin’ (Single Version)
14. Don’t Let It Happen To Me
15. I’ll Go Crazy (Single Version)
16. I Know It’s True (Single Version)
17. Think (Single Version)
18. You’ve Got The Power (duet with Bea Ford) (Single Version)
19. This Old Heart
20. Wonder When You’re Coming Home

Does anyone own this set from Hip-Oselect. It’s the first in many volumes of the great James Brown (and the Famous Flames) as next volume will have singles from 1960-1964.

Disc one starts out with the Famous Flames first single and on charting song on disc one, “Please, Please, Please” after that there are a couple of good tracks. “I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On,” “Chonnie-On-Chon,” “Just Won’t Do Right,” “Love Or A Game,” and “That’s When I Lost My Heart.” The most of the remaining tracks are “Please, Please, Please” remakes like “I Won’t Plead No More.” JB and the Flames are really just trying to find themselves, their sounds and so forth. They go from Gospel to Blues to Jazz to Little Richard Type Rock. It got so bad (9 flops in a row!) the Flames quit around early-1957 (came back mid-58) and the label just about gave up on them until they cut a demo for “Try Me” and the rest is history. Before “Try Me,” JB and the Flames never had their own band, Brown, Byrd and King Keels (Flame member) doubled up on drums, keyboards and got the studio musicians for whatever was left.

Disc two starts of with their first charting single in almost three years “Try Me” and James first with his own band. You can hear the difference from disc one to disc two, they sound more confident in themselves as they found their sound. This is the disc “The Godfather of Soul” was created. You also hear the first incarnation of the JB’s on two instrumentals (as James Davis), the early stages of Funk and there are 6 charted singles compared to just one on the first disc. Standouts include “I Want You So Bad,” “Bucket Head,” “It Was You,” “I Know It’s True” and “This Old Heart.”

It also comes with a great booklet (28 pages of great information and early photos of JB and the Famous Flames).
[Edited 1/12/07 23:39pm]

oh fuck! is this new?

KidOmega said:

It came out September 1st, I ordered mine about a week 1/2 ago and it came in Thursday. There is only 5000 made, so you better jump on it quick.

That little review is what I think of the set. If you are a big JB fan, I wouldn't hesitate.

I wish they were all out now!