462 PART 4 | SINCE WORLD WAR II
songwriter: James Brown
date: 1965
performers: James Brown, vocal; the
James Brown Band (alto, tenor, and baritone
saxes; trumpets; trombones; electric organ;
electric guitar; electric bass; drums)
genre: soul music
meter: duple
form: strophic 12-bar blues, modifi ed by
extended vampstiming section text comments
0:00 chorus 1 Come here, sisters... A stabbing chord from the horns, Brown enters on
the upbeat, and on the downbeat the full band locks
into a tight, bluesy groove. At bar 10 of the 12-bar
chorus, Brown sings the title phrase (refrain) as a
break (while the band is silent), followed by furious
guitar chords in bar 11 and a turnaround in bar 12.
0:24 chorus 2 Come down, brother... Note the polyrhythmic texture: an active bass line;
the horns’ two polyrhythmic layers (a low note in
the baritone sax on beat 2, then a four-note motive
in the other horns); guitar and snare drum in a
crisp backbeat.
0:46 vamp He did the jerk... New polyrhythmic texture for the 8-bar vamp, built
on a single tonic chord: now the horns play a short
three-note motive on beat 2. Over that texture,
Brown lists some of the latest dance steps.
1:01 chorus 3 Come down, sister... Return to the texture and 12-bar structure of the
earlier choruses.1:23 chorus 4 Oh and father... Brown names more dance moves.1:45 vamp Hey, come on, hey hey... Return to the texture of the earlier vamp. (Side A of
single fades out at 2:04.)2:04 I just want you to blow,
Maceo...Brown calls on tenor sax player Maceo Parker to
take a solo.2:08 Tenor sax solo, emphasizing blue notes. Note
Brown’s calls of encouragement.3:52 He’s doing the jerk... Return to the words of the fi rst vamp.4:07 Come here, sister... The lyrics suggest a possible return to a chorus, but
instead the record fades out over the vamp.WHAT TO LISTEN FOR- tight ensemble polyrhythms
- extended vamp emphasizing rhythm
CD 3.22 Listening Guide 18.5 “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” JAMES BROWN172028_18_440-467_r3_sd.indd 462 23/01/13 11:02 AM