William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: Gravity ; Year: 1986; Genre: Funk/Soul Since it is a Funky Friday and Independence Day as well, I needed to pick something to fill both occasions. This was the first song to come to mind and is absolutely perfect in both cases. For me two things in particular come to mind when I hear Living in America start playing: 1. The image of the late great Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed entering the ring against Soviet fighter Ivan Drago, who was played by Dolph Lundgren towards the beginning of the film Rocky IV . And 2. Weird Al Yankovic's funny parody Living With a Hernia . Not to take anything away from the Godfather of Soul's amazing songwriting and unparalleled performance, it's just my personal goofiness.    Watch the music video on YouTube.   Hear the full album version on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Pearls Before Swine - Ballad to an Amber Lady     My song pick 2 years ago today: Hawkwind - The Last Messiah   M...

From: Get Up Offa That Thing ; Year: 1976; Genre: Soul/Funk Say what you like about James Brown, but the man would not leave an ounce of energy behind after a performance; he always gave the audience their money's worth and then some. Even in the studio this was evident; you still, 40+ years after the fact can still hear and feel that energy when you drop the needle/press play. On this album in particular it is all the more in your face with legend Melvin Parker on drums, who was essentially the genesis of funk as we know it.   Hear I Refuse to Lose on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Marmalade - It's All Leading up to Saturday Night   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Sweet Maree   My song pick 3 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour   My song pick 4 years ago today: King Crimson - THRAK   My song pick 5 years ago today: Stone Roses - Fools Gold   My song pick 6 years ago today: Dire Stra...

From: Sex Machine ; Year: 1970; Genre: Funk/Soul It's kind of amazing to think that without James Brown and his unequaled backing band, especially drummer Melvin Parker funk would not exist as we know it. This two-part song is a great groove across the board.   Hear Brother Rapp (Part I & Part II) on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Deadline   My song pick 2 years ago today: Rufus and Chaka Khan - Fool's Paradise   My song pick 3 years ago today: Coleman Hawkins - Night Hawk   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jigsaw - My Summer Song   My song pick 5 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Rubber Duckie My song pick 6 years ago today: Lee Dorsey - Ya Ya My song pick 7 years ago today: Curved Air - Back Street Luv My song pick 8 years ago today: Fairport Convention - Fotheringay My song pick 9 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Van Diemen's Land My song pick 10 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Kelpie My...

From: Sex Machine ; Year: 1970; Genre: Soul/Funk Don't know why, but just felt like picking something from "The Godfather of Soul," James Brown. Funny enough, apparently Lowdown Popcorn is the only studio recording on this live double album; they just added reverb, echoes, and crowd noise to make it fit in with the rest of the material on it. A very cool funk track with a lot of soul thrown in, obviously.   Hear Lowdown Popcorn on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Joan Baez - Rejoice in the Sun   My song pick 2 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Hold Your Head Up   My song pick 3 years ago today: Alice in Chains - Rain When I Die   My song pick 4 years ago today: Return to Forever - Spain   My song pick 5 years ago today: Asia - The Last to Know My song pick 6 years ago today: Pink Floyd - Childhood's End My song pick 7 years ago today: Queensrÿche - Take Hold of the Flame My song pick 8 years ago today: Glenn Frey - Smuggler's Bl...

From: James Brown And His Famous Flames Sing Christmas Songs ; Year: 1966; Genre: Blues/Soul/Funk/Christmas Music One of my go-tos this time of year that gets me in a great Holiday mood is James Brown from his two Seasonal albums. This is a rather bluesy rendition of the more contemporary Christmas classic that encapsulates all the best parts of "The Godfather of Soul's" great sound and style that we all love.   Hear Merry Christmas Baby on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Styx - Just Get Through This Night   My song pick 2 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - Someday At Christmas   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Moody Blues - Have You Heard (Part 1)/Voyage/Have You Heard (Part 2)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Dust   My song pick 5 years ago today: Savatage - Not What You See My song pick 6 years ago today: Winger - Without the Night My song pick 7 years ago today: Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland My ...

From: Cold Sweat ; Year: 1967; Genre: Funk/Soul I haven't a clue why, but just felt like listening to the funky soul of James Brown and the extremely talented musicians he surrounded himself with. This is considered to some as one of the earliest, if not the first true funk song recorded. It's amazing to think that this one was recorded live in only a single take and that's just after being conceptualized the night prior and written in the time between; they were all that magnificent.   Hear Cold Sweat on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Big League   My song pick 2 years ago today: XTC - King For A Day   My song pick 3 years ago today: Wolfmother - White Unicorn   My song pick 4 years ago today: Billy Joel - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) My song pick 5 years ago today: Wild Turkey - A Universal Man My song pick 6 years ago today: War - The World is a Ghetto My song pick 7 years ago today: Megadeth - The ...

From: Through the Storm ; Year: 1989; Genre: Funk/R&B/Soul For some reason lately I have been gravitating towards funky music from the later 1980s into the 1990s; don't really know why exactly, might be the memories I have from that time period. Anyway, this one has a unique duet between the Queen of Soul and the Godfather of Soul and Funk; I'm quite surprised to see that they apparently only came together for this one song, which is a shame; they worked very well together.   Hear Gimme Your Love on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Depeche Mode - Behind the Wheel   My song pick 2 years ago today: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Travelin' Man   My song pick 3 years ago today: Camel - Highways of the Sun   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Guess Who - Three More Days My song pick 5 years ago today: Heart - White Lightning & Wine My song pick 6 years ago today: Audioslave - Nothing Left to Say But Goodbye My song pick 7 years ago today: Er...

From: Hey America ; Year: 1970; Genre: Funk/Soul/Christmas Music Since we are over one week in to December and the Christmas/Holiday Season is fast approaching I thought that I'd get started with some funky/soulful Christmas music from the one and only James Brown.  This song, and entire album for that matter, is a perfect song to have going on whilst having a party at this time of year; a great grooving track.   Hear Go Power At Christmas on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Los Lobos - Will the Wolf Survive?   My song pick 2 years ago today: Sylvia - You're a Legend In Your Own Mind   My song pick 3 years ago today: Marillion - The Carol of the Bells   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Pogues - Fairytale of New York My song pick 5 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Zenergy My song pick 6 years ago today: S.M.V. - Classical Thump (Jam) My song pick 7 years ago today: Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - Titles My song pick 8 years...

From: Hell ; Year: 1974; Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B A new month is upon us, it's a Friday, and it's April Fools' Day to boot. With all of these things happening I had a bit of a boggle as to an appropriate song I should choose and I came up with this one. This is an often-covered jazz standard written back in the 1930s and has been recorded many times since by many different artists; James Brown actually recorded it a few times apparently. This, very soulful interpretation with some funk thrown in as well is my favourite recording of his.   Hear These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love   My song pick 2 years ago today: Billy Joel - Sometimes a Fantasy   My song pick 3 years ago today: Def Leppard - Foolin' My song pick 4 years ago today: The Doobie Brothers - What a Fool Believes My song pick 5 years ago today: Roxy Music - Sentimental Fool M...

From: James Brown Plays James Brown Today & Yesterday ; Year: 1964; Genre: Soul/Funk/Blues For the last few Fridays I've been meaning to pick one from James Brown, but another song got in the way I guess. Anyway, this is a piece of, I suppose could be called "proto-funk" from that point when James Brown was collaborating with drummer Melvin Parker, out of which was one of the main sources of the emergence of funk.   Hear Out Of Sight on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Glenn Miller - PEnnsylvania 6 - 5000   My song pick 2 years ago today: Nirvana - Negative Creep   My song pick 3 years ago today: Gravity Kills - Falling My song pick 4 years ago today: The Network - Roshambo My song pick 5 years ago today: Glass Tiger - Animal Heart My song pick 6 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Can't Strain My Brain My song pick 7 years ago today: Paris - 1 in 10 My song pick 8 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Look Into the Sun My so...

From: Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud ; Year: 1969; Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Getting some funky sounds of James Brown on this first Friday of the new year. This instrumental piece really moves along nicely with that organ and horns. Hear Shades of Brown on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show - Life Ain't Easy My song pick 2 years ago today: Rush - Cinderella Man My song pick 3 years ago today: Primus - Wynona's Big Brown Beaver My song pick 4 years ago today: Survivor - Burning Heart My song pick 5 years ago today: Peter, Paul and Mary - This Train My song pick 6 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Bootzilla My song pick 7 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Do Ya My song pick 8 years ago today: Mr. Big - Take Cover My song pick 9 years ago today: Triumph - Magic Power My song pick 10 years ago today: Nightwish - While Your Lips Are Still Red My song pick 11 years ago today: ...

From: A Soulful Christmas ; Year: 1968; Genre: Soul/Funk Thought I'd double dip by picking a Christmas song and make a Funky Friday Pick. No place to find a song with both criteria than a track by James Brown. Hear Christmas is Coming on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Rage Against the Machine - Sleep Now in the Fire My song pick 2 years ago today: Louis Armstrong with Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra - White Christmas My song pick 3 years ago today: Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio - Jingle Hells Bells My song pick 4 years ago today: Stanley Clarke, George Duke, and Everette Harp - O Tannenbaum My song pick 5 years ago today: Louis Armstrong - Christmas Night in Harlem My song pick 6 years ago today: The Beatles - Please Please Me My song pick 7 years ago today: John Denver - Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas) My song pick 8 years ago today: Mykola Leontovych - Shchedryk (The Carol of the Bells) My song pick 9 years ago today: St...

From: Out of Sight ; Year: 1964; Genre: Soul/Funk Felt like some James Brown on this Friday, so I guess it's another Funky Friday . I thought I'd pick this one, which is probably his most famous song and worth that spot definitely. Hear I Got You (I Feel Good) on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: King Crimson - Dinosaur My song pick two years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Both Sides My song pick three years ago today: Egg - I Will Be Absorbed My song pick four years ago today: Megadeth - Into the Lungs of Hell My song pick five years ago today: Soundgarden - Bones of Birds My song pick six years ago today: Nightwish - Know Why the Nightingale Sings My song pick seven years ago today: Stuart Hamm - Black Ice My song pick eight years ago today: Waylander - Brú Na Bóinne My song pick nine years ago today: Rammstein - Klavier My song pick ten years ago today: Johnny Rivers - Summer Rain

From: A Soulful Christmas ; Year: 1968; Genre: Soul/Funk Got another Christmas song for this Funky Friday . This entire album should be on everyone's player at sometime during the Holiday season; this rather upbeat instrumental really does quite well at closing out the album with that funky soul a Christmas needs. Hear Santa Claus Gave Me a Brand New Start on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: The United States of America - Stranded in Time My song pick two years ago today: Boston - Can'tcha Say (Believe in Me)/Still in Love My song pick three years ago today: Molly Hatchet - Dreams I'll Never See My song pick four years ago today: Miles Davis - Straight, No Chaser My song pick five years ago today: Triumph - Hold On My song pick six years ago today: Jack Black and Jason Segel - The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth My song pick seven years ago today: John Denver - Poems, Prayers and Promises My song pick eight years ago today: Crosby, Stil...

From: Papa's Got a Brand New Bag ; Year: 1965; Genre: R&B/Funk When thinking about today's Funky Friday pick all that was playing in my mind was the King of Soul, and one of the main architects of funk, James Brown. If this one doesn't get ya movin' absolutely nothin' will; this song will undoubtedly be one that they'll be dancing to centuries from now. Hear Papa's Got a Brand New Bag on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Just Run My song pick two years ago today: Muse - Map of the Problematique My song pick three years ago today: Stahlhammer - Nur Ein Tier My song pick four years ago today: Mr. Big - Fool Us Today My song pick five years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - E-Man Groovin' My song pick six years ago today: Led Zeppelin - D'yer Mak'er My song pick seven years ago today: Arthur Smith - Guitar Boogie My song pick eight years ago today: Band of Horses - Ode To LRC

From: Get Up Offa That Thing ; Year: 1976; Genre: Funk/Soul Happy New Year! It's also a Funky Friday , so I was thinking that nothing would be better than something from James Brown for the celebratory occasion; definite boogie inducing track in the extreme. Hear Get Up Offa That Thing/Release the Pressure on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Primus with the Fungi Ensemble - Pure Imagination My song pick two years ago today: The Moody Blues - The Day Begins/Morning Glory My song pick three years ago today: Rush - Here Again My song pick four years ago today: Jethro Tull - Last Man at the Party My song pick five years ago today: Dan Fogelberg - Same Old Lang Syne My song pick six years ago today: ABBA - Happy New Year My song pick seven years ago today: U2 - New Year's Day My song pick eight years ago today: Kiss - Shout It Out Loud

From: A Soulful Christmas ; Year: 1968; Genre: Soul/Funk I'm still not only picking Christmas songs, but am also keeping my streak of Funky Fridays going; this pick actually marks my 67th straight. This track, from none other than the Godfather of Soul himself, is quite the bouncy funk tune complete with a lot of activism; an excellent track for this time of year. Hear Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Police - So Lonely My song pick two years ago today: Ben E. King - Stand By Me My song pick three years ago today: Jethro Tull - Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow My song pick four years ago today: Nightwish - Wishmaster My song pick five years ago today: The Violent Femmes - Color Me Once My song pick six years ago today: The Who - Eminence Front My song pick seven years ago today: John Fogerty - Almost Saturday Night