James Brown Plays the Real Thing
| James Brown Plays the Real Thing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1967 | |||
| Recorded | April 4–6, 1967[1] | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 42:04 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | James Brown | |||
| James Brown chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from James Brown Plays the Real Thing | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
James Brown Plays the Real Thing is the sixteenth studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in June 1967, by Smash Records.[2] The entire album was arranged by Pee Wee Ellis, who'd joined the band a year prior.[1]
The album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated July 15, 1967, peaking at No. 164 during a five-week run on the chart.[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jimmy Mack" | Holland-Dozier-Holland | 5:26 |
| 2. | "What Do You Like" | Alfred Ellis | 7:24 |
| 3. | "PeeWee's Groove In "D"" (featuring Pee Wee Ellis) | Alfred Ellis | 5:10 |
| 4. | "Bernadette" | Holland-Dozier-Holland | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" | Joe Zawinul | 5:01 |
| 6. | "I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You" | Ronnie Shannon | 4:35 |
| 7. | "Funky Broadway" | Arlester Christian | 5:43 |
| 8. | "'D' Thing" | Ted Wright | 5:40 |
Personnel
- James Brown – organ
- Richard Harris, Jimmy Cleveland, Garnett Brown – trombone
- Pee Wee Ellis – alto saxophone, arrangement
- St. Clair Pinckney, Alfred Corley – tenor saxophone
- St. Clair Pinckney – baritone saxophone
- Ernie Hayes – piano
- Jimmy Nolen, Carl Lynch or Wallace Richardson – guitar
- Al Lucas or Jimmy Tyrell – bass
- Bernard Purdie – drums
Charts
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top LPs[4] | 164 |
References
- ^ a b c Leeds, Alan (August 2007). The Singles, Volume 4: 1966–1967 (published October 19, 2007). pp. 14 & 22–23.
- ^ a b Andrew Hamilton. "James Brown Plays the Real Thing - James Brown, James Brown & His Famous Flames". AllMusic. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "James Brown". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 109. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 23. Retrieved July 10, 2025.