Does anyone have some detail about these late great Soul artist. There was a rivalry between these two going all the way back to the 1950's.


Both of these guys were from the deep south, JB in Georgia and Tex in where else, Texas. Both of their careers started out around the same time, actually Tex a year earlier in 1955. Both men were made famous at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Tex won 'Armature Night' their in 1954 and JB's coming out LP, Live at the Apollo was recorded in 1962.
It took Tex a while longer to get a charting hit then JB, from 1955 to 1964 he went hitless finally charting in late 1964 with Hold What You've Got, a top 5 pop smash.


These guys were actually label mates in the 50's on King Records. I think this is where the talk about JB using some of Joe Tex's mic move, spins and what not comes from. I've never seen JT perform so I wouldn't know.


One of JB's early single's, 1960's Baby, You're Right was originally written and released by Joe Tex earlier on the Anna label. JB's version charted at number 2 R&B/49 Pop and Tex's original didn't hit the charts.


Supposedly, that's not all James took from Joe, he took his then wife, singer Bea Ford, who can be heard on the JB's single, You've Got the Power.


In 1963, Joe released an emotional single called You Keep Her aimed at JB and Bea Ford. Apparently, JB wrote JT a letter telling him he can have Bea back, but Joe responded with You Keep Her, as he had found him a knew women. This didn't chart either. I don't know if this was recorded before or after the infamous gunfight with James Brown and Joe Tex.


Speaking of the Gunfight, here are two version of what supposedly happened.

There also was the legendary night in the early '60s when Brown returned to Macon for a "homecoming show" at the City Auditorium. Joe Tex opened the concert and decided to have some fun at Brown's expense. Mimicking Brown's traditional closing bit, Tex walked out on stage wearing a ragged blanket as a cape. He did a picture-perfect imitation of a James Brown fall, except he grabbed his back as he reached his knees. He tangled himself up in the blanket and fought to get out as he sang, "Please, please, please ... get me out of this cape."
Brown was not amused. He found Tex at a Macon club later that night, where a young Otis Redding was performing. Brown walked in and gunshots erupted. Redding and the other musicians scrambled off the stage and took cover behind a piano, while Tex ran outside and hid in the woods until Brown left.

-----

The gunfight
Not long after his groundbreaking Live At The Apollo album was released in 1963, James Brown returned to Macon to play a "homecoming show" at the City Auditorium on a bill with Joe Tex. Two people in attendance were Newton Collier, who would go on to perform in Sam & Dave's band, and a local white singer named Wayne Cochran. Afterward, James Brown went out to Club 15 in east Macon where Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers were performing. In addition to Jenkins, the band included Otis Redding.

Jessie Hancock: When a black band would play at the City Auditorium, they had a string upstairs on the balcony about middle ways down. Whites would sit on one side upstairs, and blacks would sit on the other. And no whites would come downstairs. But, man, them white people would be jumping upstairs! They'd be dancing! I didn't know white people could dance like that.

Newt Collier: Joe Tex could imitate anybody he wanted to. You know how James came out with the cape? Joe had one made up out of a raggedy blanket, with holes all in it. You know how James would break down and fall on his knees? Joe fell on his knees, and all of a sudden, he grabbed his back. He had the cape on and got all tangled up in it, and he was fighting to get out, singing, "Please, please, please, get me out of this cape." He just made a mockery of James. Here it was, James' homecoming show, and James didn't appreciate this at all. He went out to Club 15 after the show, and Joe Tex was out there. And James took a couple of shotguns, and I think six people got shot. James did most of the shooting, and Joe was running back behind the trees and bushes. So that was the end of the Joe Tex/James Brown revue.

Charles Davis: I was the last one to know what was happening. I'm playing drums with my eyes closed and getting down. The crowd was noisy, and I couldn't hear the shooting. By the time I figured out what had happened, everybody was on the floor, and I'm up there on the stage by myself.

Wayne Cochran: James and somebody else was in there, shooting across the room at each other and reloading. Didn't neither one of them hit the other. James ran outside, and I saw his tour bus pull out of the parking lot with him behind the wheel.

Johnny Jenkins: Seven people got shot. They were reloading and coming back in. Me and Otis, we were hiding behind a piano. A guy went around later, and I think he gave each one of the injured $100 apiece not to carry it no further. And that just quieted it down.


On a 1966 B-Side titled I'm a Man Joe mentions JB on the track, "If I were a dance floor, James Brown could ‘mashed potatoes’ on me all night long"

Around 1968, apparently Joe road around in a tour bus with The "Original" Soul Brother #1 on the side.


On JB's 1972 LP, Get On the Good Foot on a song titled Funky Side of Town there is a mention of JT.

From another web site.




Just a little bit of history of what I found on the web.

Anyone who has more stories on Joe Tex/James Brown, feel free to add them!!!

joe was doing the mic stand tricks, and what not way back then,it's a good subject to discuss but not too many are aware of this subject....but artist had great songs.....

"I gotcha! Uh huh huh...thought I didn't see ya now, didncha? Uh huh huh!"

I still have my Joe Tex "I Gotcha!" 45 RPM - too funky!

Wow....never heard that one.

Graycap23 said:

Never heard what ... which part.

Alot was new to me also.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Joe Tex pissing off JB with the cape.

Graycap23 said:

You'd probally do the same thing if JB "supposedly" stole your wife, your stage moves and your hit.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

As I visualize the story it's FUNNY as hell.

Graycap23 said:

Imagines James shooting a Joe's feet and really making him dance.



James Brown: "A Joe, I Gotcha" **shoots gun**

Joe Tex: "James man Please, Please Pleas don't shot me"

James Brown: You thought I wouldn't catch but I Gotcha
[Edited 5/31/07 12:58pm]

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Lol.....LOUD.

RodeoSchro said:

The b-side Mother's Prayer is a nice tune also

studentofmusic said:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...nZ0j5Yol7E




http://www.youtube.com/wa...Sdib6gd190

Good stuff, how did I miss this thread the first time around

Abdul said:

Oh well. Come on in , reminisce and Funk awhile.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Now that's straight up gangsta, unlike today's fakers(50 & Ja Rule).

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I posted this a long time ago and this part...

Joe Tex could imitate anybody he wanted to. You know how James came out with the cape? Joe had one made up out of a raggedy blanket, with holes all in it. You know how James would break down and fall on his knees? Joe fell on his knees, and all of a sudden, he grabbed his back. He had the cape on and got all tangled up in it, and he was fighting to get out, singing, "Please, please, please, get me out of this cape." He just made a mockery of James. Here it was, James' homecoming show, and James didn't appreciate this at all. He went out to Club 15 after the show, and Joe Tex was out there. And James took a couple of shotguns, and I think six people got shot. James did most of the shooting, and Joe was running back behind the trees and bushes. So that was the end of the Joe Tex/James Brown revue.

...is still funny as hell.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

IT'S BIGGER THAN HIP-HOP!!!!!

R.I.P. JOE TEX!!!!!

R.I.P. JAMES BROWN!!!!!