Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag – A Grammy winning soul classic and a couple of great covers. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #JamesBrown #FreddieKing #CharlesWrightandthe103rdStRhythmBand

Through well over 500 posts I have yet to include James Brown. Today I will feature the godfather of soul and his  breakthrough song ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”. This cross genre classic was released on this day in 1965.

One of the most powerful ways songwriters can utilize their craft is by communicating to their listeners through popular slang or expressions in an era. In the ‘60s the term ‘brand new bag’ referred to an interest, or a taste for, or way of doing something they had never done before. James Brown managed to take this expression and use it as a way of describing an older gentleman and his inspired trip to the dance floor. A combination of astute social awareness and quality songwriting brought the song to the studio. It was once James Brown and his band applied their magic that ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ really took off. The combination of the driving horn section and riff oriented guitar work guides the song to perfection. To many ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ marks the arrival of funk music to the mainstream. It went to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts. The public acclaim did not end there though. ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ received a Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording in 1966.

If you listen closely, you can hear James Brown announcing to the world “This is a hit” at the beginning of the recording before the thirteen players who contributed to the song enter. Sometimes artists just know.

As great as the song was in its time, it stands strong in its legacy. ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ still resides on Rolling Stone Magazines Top 500 Songs of All Time at #71. Over 54 years since its release and it still gets people groovin’.

For today’s cover version I present the great Freddie King. This is all about feel.

If you recall, last week I featured ‘Lean on Me’ by Bill Whithers. He recorded the classic song with the Watts 103^rd Street Rhythm Band. When I saw that Charles Wright and the Watts 103^rd Street Rhythm Band recorded ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ I was naturally intrigued. I was definitely not disappointed. This is great stuff.

This band has a fascinating history. In their words they straddled the line between James Brown and Otis Redding. Their catalogue offers many covers, but the original material is really strong too. The Watts 103^rd Street Rhythm Band can be traced back to Charles Wright’s early days as a musician when he played in a band with Daryl Dragon. You may recognize that name. Dragon was ‘The Captain’ in the well known ‘70s act ‘The Captain and Tennille’. As the ‘60s progressed so did Charles Wright, and when he established what became known as the 103^rd Street Rhythm Band they actually got their big break when they were discovered by a comedian who needed a backing band for an album he was recording at the time. The album was called Silver Throat and the comedian was the now disgraced, Bill Cosby. At the time, the association was gold, and the powerful ensemble got themselves a recording deal with Warner Brothers. Just a few interesting connections that display the lineage of artists through the decades.

Have a great day. Try something new. You may inspire a hit song.