Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
Encyclopedia
"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is a song written and recorded by James Brown
. It was released as a two-part single
in 1965, and is considered seminal in the musical genre of funk
.
Top Ten, peaking at number eight. It was also a number-one R&B hit, topping the charts for eight weeks.
"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is widely considered the first recording to showcase what later became Brown's signature musical style, and marks the beginning of the development of funk. As Brown sings the praises of an old man brave enough to get out on the dance floor of a nightclub
, Brown's band provides a horn
-heavy backdrop with a prominent rhythm and an electric guitar
riff for a hook. It is considered one of Brown's signature song
s, and has been covered by many artists, both within the R&B genre and outside of it.
The recording of the tune was taped in under one hour, on the way to a live performance. The released single was the result of speeding up the recording tape so that the key
of the song was raised a musical half-step.
magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. (In 2010 the magazine updated its list, and the song was moved up a rank to number 71.)
The song is currently ranked as the 82nd greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1965
, by Acclaimed Music.
arrangement of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" with the Louie Bellson
Orchestra for his 1970
LP Soul on Top
.
Brown's 1991 4-CD box set Star Time
includes the 6:58-long, un-sped up recording of the song in its original key and tempo. The track includes lead-in studio chatter, with Brown throatily (and presciently) shouting "This is a hit!" just before the drum and horn intro.
-based Diamond Records.
Otis Redding recorded a version of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" in 1968. Recorded live at the Whisky a Go Go
in 1966.
with the James Brown Band:
In addition, "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse," an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was named for the song.
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
. It was released as a two-part single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1965, and is considered seminal in the musical genre of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
.
The hit single
The 45rpm single was Brown's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
Top Ten, peaking at number eight. It was also a number-one R&B hit, topping the charts for eight weeks.
"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is widely considered the first recording to showcase what later became Brown's signature musical style, and marks the beginning of the development of funk. As Brown sings the praises of an old man brave enough to get out on the dance floor of a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Brown's band provides a horn
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
-heavy backdrop with a prominent rhythm and an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
riff for a hook. It is considered one of Brown's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
s, and has been covered by many artists, both within the R&B genre and outside of it.
The recording of the tune was taped in under one hour, on the way to a live performance. The released single was the result of speeding up the recording tape so that the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of the song was raised a musical half-step.
Legacy
In 2004, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" was ranked number 72 on Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. (In 2010 the magazine updated its list, and the song was moved up a rank to number 71.)
The song is currently ranked as the 82nd greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
, by Acclaimed Music.
Other James Brown versions
Brown recorded a big band jazzBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
arrangement of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" with the Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
Orchestra for his 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
LP Soul on Top
Soul on Top
Soul on Top is an album by James Brown. Brown and saxophonist Maceo Parker worked with arranger/conductor Oliver Nelson to record a big band, funk and jazz vocal album...
.
Brown's 1991 4-CD box set Star Time
Star Time
Star Time is a 1991 71-track, 4-CD box set by James Brown. Its contents span most of the length of his career up to the time of its release, starting in 1956 with his first hit record, "Please, Please, Please", and ending with "Unity, Pt. 1", his 1984 collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa...
includes the 6:58-long, un-sped up recording of the song in its original key and tempo. The track includes lead-in studio chatter, with Brown throatily (and presciently) shouting "This is a hit!" just before the drum and horn intro.
Cover versions
In 1965, this song was covered by The Fabulous Echoes on their LP album Lovin' Feeling with the Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based Diamond Records.
Otis Redding recorded a version of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" in 1968. Recorded live at the Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
in 1966.
Personnel
- James Brown - lead vocal
with the James Brown Band:
- Joe Dupars - trumpet
- Ron Tooley - trumpet
- Levi Rasbury - trombone
- Wilmer Milton - trombone
- Nat Jones - alto saxophone
- Maceo ParkerMaceo ParkerMaceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
- tenor and baritone saxophones - St. Clair PinckneySt. Clair PinckneySt. Clair Pinckney was a saxophonist who performed with James Brown as a member of the James Brown Orchestra and The J.B.'s. He played tenor and baritone saxophone.-External links:*...
- tenor saxophone - Eldee Williams - tenor saxophone
- Al "Brisco" Clark - tenor saxophone
- Nat Jones - organ
- Jimmy NolenJimmy NolenJimmy Nolen was an American guitarist, known for his distinctive "chicken scratch" lead guitar playing in James Brown's bands.-Early life and career:...
- guitar - Sam Thomas or Bernard OdumBernard OdumBernard Odum was an US bass guitar player best known for performing in James Brown's band in the 1960s.Odum started playing with Brown in 1956 and became a full-time member of Brown's band in 1958...
- bass - Melvin ParkerMelvin ParkerMelvin Parker is a drummer, brother of saxophonist Maceo Parker and was an important member of James Brown's band. Parker's drumming style was a major ingredient in James Brown's funk music innovations in the late 1960s...
- drums
Similarly named songs
- A song recorded by the band PigbagPigbag-Origin and formation:Pigbag were formed in Cheltenham in late 1980 by Chris Hamlin, a fashion student at Cheltenham Art College. Hamlin recruited multi-instrumentalist Roger Freeman, an old friend from his hometown of Birmingham, along with Chris Lee on trumpet and James Johnstone, a guitarist,...
, "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag", was a worldwide hit in 1981. - In 1995 Paul OakenfoldPaul OakenfoldPaul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
's Perfecto Allstarz project recorded "Reach Up (Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag)", which peaked at #6 in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. - The Capitol StepsCapitol StepsThe Capitol Steps are an American political satire group. It has been performing since 1981, and has released approximately thirty albums consisting primarily of song parodies. Originally consisting exclusively of Congressional staffers performing around Washington, D.C., the troupe now primarily...
recorded the parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
"Papa's Got A Brand New Baghdad" for their 2004 album of the same namePapa's Got a Brand New Baghdad-Track listing:#Green Green Grass at Home#Help Rwanda#Ain't No Surplus, Now It's Gone#Democratic Hit Parade#I Wish I Was on Oxycontin#Hillary's Way#Cameroon#Papa's Got a Brand New Baghdad#Spider Hole#I Want a Guy Just Like the Guy Who Married Dear Old Dad...
.
In addition, "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse," an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was named for the song.