SEX MACHINE |

J&R Retail Exclusive
Personnel: James Brown (vocals, piano, organ); James Brown; Bobby Byrd (vocals, organ); Richard "Kush" Griffith (guitar, trumpet); Alphonso "Country" Kellum, Jimmy Nolen, Kenny Poole (guitar); Pee Wee Ellis (alto saxophone); Eldee Williams, Robert "Chopper" McCullough (tenor saxophone); Joseph Davis , Clayton "Chicken" Gunnells, Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison, Clayton Gunnells, Darryl Jamison (trumpet); Bootsy Collins, Sweet Charles Sherrell (bass instrument); Melvin Parker, John Starks (drums); Johnny Griggs (congas); Art Lopez (percussion); Robert Graham, Marva Whitney (background vocals); Phelps "Catfish" Collins (guitar); St. Clair Pinckney (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Maceo Parker (tenor saxophone, organ); Fred Wesley (trombone); Clyde Stubblefield (drums).
Recording information: Augusta, GA (06/12/1969-07/23/1970); Bell Auditorium, Augusta, GA (06/12/1969-07/23/1970); Cincinatti, OH (06/12/1969-07/23/1970); Miami, FL (06/12/1969-07/23/1970).
Although the CD was supposedly "Recorded live at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self," these recordings come from two different sources: a live concert recorded at Augusta's Bell Auditorium in 1969, and a series of studio recordings that were doctored with audience noises and applause. The record, long considered a soul classic, actually features two different bands. The concert recordings feature Brown's band from the 1960s, while the studio songs feature Brown's then-new band, powered by Bootsy Collins on bass and Pelps "Catfish" Collins on guitar.
Whether these recordings are "live" or not is really not the point; Brown has never sung a calculated note in his life, and one would be hard-pressed to distinguish whether one of Brown's trademark howls was recorded in a studio or onstage. His scat singing on "Brother Rapp" sure sounds live. As the furious, barely one-minute-long "I Got the Feelin'" segues into the pure funky adrenaline rush of "Give it Up or Turnit A Loose," it is nearly impossible to keep still. The groove is that infectious. Surprisingly, the title track is not the hit single version of "Sex Machine," but rather an extended, more leisurely rendition.

• Genre: R&B
• Released: 1993-03-23
• Format: CD
• Format: CD
• Released: 1993-03-23