James Brown's Original Funky Divas

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This long-overdue collection shines a light on the lesser-known side of James Brown's musical empire: the ladies. And what ladies--seriously soulful songbirds like Lyn Collins ("The Female Preacher"), Vicki Anderson and Yvonne Fair, bawdy blues shouter Elsie Mae ("T.V. Mama"), and the unheralded Marva Whitney, who unleashes the hip-hop sample staple "Unwind Yourself." There are also two tracks from a young singer named Tammy Montgomery, who after leaving Brown's tutelage would sign with Motown and emerge as Tammi Terrell. From big hits like Collins's "Think (About It)" to obscure singles such as Elsie Mae's "Do You Really Want to Rescue Me, Part 1" (an answer to Fontella Bass's "Rescue Me"), this two-CD anthology is sheer R&B heaven and essential for fans of gritty, hip-shaking, finger-wagging, "You better think, boy" anthems. --Amy Linden

Tracks:

You've Got The Power (Duet) - Bea Ford, James Brown
A Little Taste Of Soul - Sugar Pie Desanto
I Found You - Yvonne Fair
If I Knew - Yvonne Fair
You Can Make It If You Try - Yvonne Fair
Straighten Up - Yvonne Fair
Say Yeah Yeah - Yvonne Fair
I Cried - Tammy Montgomery
If You Don't Think - Tammy Montgomery
If Somebody Told You - Anna King
Make Up Your Mind - Anna King
Baby Baby Baby (Duet) - Anna King, Bobby Byrd
All Of Me - Elsie Mae-'T.V. Mama'
Whole Lot Of Lovin' - Elsie Mae-'T.V. Mama'
Do You Really Want To Rescue Me, Part 1 - Elsie Mae-'T.V. Mama'
This Is My Story - The Jewels
Wide Awake In A Dream - Vicki Anderson
Baby, Don't You Know - Vicki Anderson
Unwind Yourself (Remix) - Marva Whitney
I'm Tired, I'm Tired, I'm Tired (Things Better Change Before It's Too Late) - Marva Whitney
What Do I Have To Do To Prove My Love To You - Marva Whitney
You Got To Have A Job (If You Don't Work-You Don't Eat) - Marva Whitney
It's My Thing (You Can't Tell Me Who To Sock It To), Parts 1&2 - Marva Whitney
I Made A Mistake Because It's Only You, Parts 1&2 - Marva Whitney
Things Got To Get Better (Get Together) (Remix) - Marva Whitney
Answer To Mother Popcorn (I Got A Mother For You) - Vicki Anderson
I Want To Be In The Land Of Milk And Honey - Vicki Anderson

Tracks:

The Message From The Soul Sisters, Pts. 1&2 - Vicki Anderson
Super Good (Answer To Super Bad), Pts. 1&2 - Vicki Anderson
I'm Too Tough For Mr. Big Stuff (Hot Pants) - Vicki Anderson
Don't Throw Your Love In The Garbage Can - Vicki Anderson
You're Welcome, Stop On By (Duet) - Vicki Anderson, Bobby Byrd
The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow, Pts. 1&2 - Kay Robinson
People Make The World A Better Place - Shirley Jean & The Relations
Wheel Of Life - Lyn Collins
Think (About It) - Lyn Collins
Me And My Baby Got A Good Thing Going - Lyn Collins
Mama Feelgood - Lyn Collins
Take Me Just As I Am - Lyn Collins
Don't Make Me Over - Lyn Collins
What My Baby Needs Now Is A Little More Lovin' (Duet) - Lyn Collins, James Brown
We Want To Parrty, Parrty, Parrty, Pts. 1&2 - Lyn Collins
Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (6 Times) - Lyn Collins
You Can't Love Me, If You Don't Respect Me - Lyn Collins
Put It On The Line - Lyn Collins
Summertime (Duet) - Martha High, James Brown

Amazon.com

This long-overdue collection shines a light on the lesser-known side of James Brown's musical empire: the ladies. And what ladies--seriously soulful songbirds like Lyn Collins ("The Female Preacher"), Vicki Anderson and Yvonne Fair, bawdy blues shouter Elsie Mae ("T.V. Mama"), and the unheralded Marva Whitney, who unleashes the hip-hop sample staple "Unwind Yourself." There are also two tracks from a young singer named Tammy Montgomery, who after leaving Brown's tutelage would sign with Motown and emerge as Tammi Terrell. From big hits like Collins's "Think (About It)" to obscure singles such as Elsie Mae's "Do You Really Want to Rescue Me, Part 1" (an answer to Fontella Bass's "Rescue Me"), this two-CD anthology is sheer R&B heaven and essential for fans of gritty, hip-shaking, finger-wagging, "You better think, boy" anthems. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews:

SIMPLY AMAZING AT FIRST LISTEN.......2006-12-29

this one dives deep, now. everytime i hear this double cd, i think of two hip hop joints: IT'S MY THING by epmd and NO TIME by lil kim. the two songs they came.....................WAIT A MINUTE, IT TAKES TWO by rob base and dj easy rock of course!!!!! the THREE songs that these three classics came from plus kay robinson's funky version of THE LORD WILL MAKE A WAY SOMEHOW just does it for me. i love blowing dust off rare stuff, now. you like doing that too, check this one out.

Roll Over Rover.......2005-07-16

This is the missing 4th volume to James Brown's legendary "JB's Funky People" series - although there are actually more tracks on this CD set than on all 3 Funky People albums combined, and many of the same female vocalists. The two CDs are roughly chronological, with disc one representing more of the 1950s and '60s bepob era, and disc two moving into the heavier '70s funk. Disc two is some of the funkiest music you will ever hear, and the tracks are taken from some incredibly hard to find albums: you'll really have to pay through the nose to track down playable copies of Vicki Anderson's "Message From A Soul Sister," or Lyn Collins's "Think (About It)." It's unfortunate that only early work from Yvonne Fair makes the collection, since tracks from her later LP "The Bitch Is Black" would fit right in with the other disc two material.

Of course, you have to pay through the nose for THIS album on Amazon, too. If you are not a collection fetishist, and just want the music, you can actually download the album for a lot cheaper through MSN Music or even the new commercial Napster (roughly $18-$20 at either of these). Sorry Amazon!

mothers of the funk.......2001-07-30

these are the most famous funky divas who sang for james brown, all of these are long lost treasures, another branch of the jb funk tree few even knew existed, history is included as well, lyn collins think about it is a classic that song has been sampled to death like anything else james brown made, vicki anderson soul sisters is good bootsy on bass,funk gelore then supergood that is so funky, bootsy bumps on the bass tip, plus catfish rocked maggot brain style, the cut we want to party love the bass line, maceo jams the sax in waya only he knew how. i like take me just as i am, lyn collins goes off -plus maceo blows another sax riff legendary. if you like james brown music please get this to explore some real long lost funk classics.

funky they are the divas.......2001-06-12

overlooked divas, good collection of james most well known female singers. hell for the whole entourage would take another double cd. my favorite is supergood catfish bangs the guitar maggot brain style and bootsy rips the bass as well. like they did on the gospel cut the lord will make a way somehow. you don't work features marva whitney and james. this is soul maceo blows up but the sound is low you don't care caues it still kicks. lyn collins we want to party bumps too.too bad these jams are long lost.r.i.p yvonne fair, and tammi terrell, and st. clair pickney, cheese, jimmy nolen, country kellum,

funky they are the divas.......2001-06-12

a part of the james brown legacy few explored, includes some of james best divas, liner notes include history on the divas,the jb's work their ...off, brown does some cameo's himself, tammi terrell sings i cried i love that she was best known as marvin gaye's duet partner, marva whitney, and the godfather show us how to funk on you don't work you can't eat i like this better than bobby byrd's version, the groove is funkier and maceo rips even though it's low you are still feeling this. vicki anderson comes in with message from the soul sisters love the piano ghetto right here, but supergood was vicki at her best bootsy kicks booty on the bass but catfish plays guitar like he heard funkadelic was in town, vicki, and husband booby byrd did a nice remake of you're welcome stop on by, lyn collins was on here with think about it one of the most sampled songs in history, listen to it and folks 25 and over will agree weith me, take me just as i am is the bomb maceo on sax took me to funkland, then we want to party i love how lyn sang that at the end, another sax solo by maceo, those are my favorite tracks on this double cd if you love james brown and want to hear how some of his best divas sounded this is for if you can't get enough of maceo parker, and fred wesley this is for you though i recommend the jb's horns, and the jb's doing it to death.

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