James Brown - Live At The Apollo Volume 2
UK Polydor Deluxe Edition 2 CD set
Available now

There are only two ‘live’ albums that I can honestly say that I’ve had any time for over the last thirty years or so, one being the excellent ‘Live In New Orleans’ by Frankie Beverly & Maze, and James Browns second live set from the Apollo theatre in 1967 (the album we are talking about here).

I first picked up on this double LP set in early 1971 where a local DJ in Manchester constantly played ‘There Was A Time’ during his break and left the rest of the album playing to an excited audience. From that moment on this was an album I just had to have.

There cannot be another soul music act alive today who can boast the same kind of success that JB has enjoyed over the last forty years and I lost count years ago on the amount of singles he has issued during that time. From the early days or R&B right through the 1960’s he was there right at the top and indeed remained so through the following decade which saw serious record sales after the success of ‘Sex Machine’. During that period through to the 1980’s Brown’s music was sampled in soul/hip-hop circles and at one point it got to the stage where the vast majority of the dance music of the day contained at least a JB sample somewhere.

Anyway back to business. This double set was recorded in June 1967 and was eventually issued in the UK as a double LP around 1970. At the time I first picked up on this LP all my attentions seemed to focus on the side that contained ‘There Was A Time’ (and edited version of this song found its way onto a ‘b’ side in ‘69’ before being promoted to an official ‘A’ side a short time later). From the opening introduction from MC Frankie Crocker with Sad Sam I just knew that I was in for a treat of a lifetime - I wasn’t disappointed.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s star time at the Apollo theatre - million dollar seller ‘Try Me’ - ‘Please Please Please’ - 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag' - 'This Is A Mans World' - the most constructive tune of 1966 - ‘Don’t Be A Drop - out’  - SAY IT AGAIN - 'Let Youself Go' - 'Baby Don't You Wait' let's bring him on right now ladies and gentlemen the hardest working man in showbusiness
J A M E S  B R O W N !!!!”

Brown immediately launches into his classic repertoire and within seconds you can hear the packed Harlem theatre going wild with excitement. From ‘Out of Sight’ to ‘I Got You’ (I Feel Good) every song delivered to perfection in a way that only JB could do. The backing band together with sidekicks Bobby Byrd and Marva Whitney play an equal important role in keeping the show together.

Where this CD really kicks in for me is when the band breaks into ‘Let Yourself Go’ and tight workout with funky guitar and stabbing brass inserts complementing Brown’s screaming vocal delivery ‘Hey Everybody, Let Me Tell You......”  a long and arduous workout that constantly encourages the audience to participate - they need no persuasion. Then, just as you think the song has run it’s course the tempo changes and that famous intro. for ‘There Was A Time’ kicks in with a vengeance.

If you thought that the single version was long at four minutes then this doubles at over eight minutes of sheer raw power as only JB could deliver - so engrossed do you find yourself with this track it’s almost a disappointment when it ends - well it doesn’t actually  - as the tempo drops to allow the band to get their breath back but Brown is having none of it as he tells his audience (who by this time are eating out of his hand) that he has a little groove maker he likes to do whereby he launches into an audience call and response workout - ‘Hey Hey, I Feel Alright’  - Ah Ah Ah and so on until the crowd are at fever pitch.

Just when you though the party was over he reminds us that the groove is here, before screaming C O L D  S W E A T - H I T IT! and launches into a superb upbeat rendition of his mid sixties classic ‘Cold Sweat’ and delivers six more minutes of soul power. Further on his classic ‘Please Please Please’ is delivered to a by now fever pitch crowd who are convinced they are there for an all-night session before the finale of ‘Bring It Up’

Other great tunes can be found the other CD in this set with a mega long workout of his 1965 hit ‘It’s A Mans World’ clocking in at a whopping 19 minutes, along with the much respected Bobby Byrd who gives us ‘Sweet Soul Music’. Whilst being well received as an artist in his own right some years later Byrd never matched the status that Brown commanded although he assisted in the production of a number of 45’s for Byrd during the seventies, as well as Marva Whitney who recorded for Brown’s ‘King’ label during that same period.

I’ll let you experience that classic opening by Frankie Crocker & Mad Sam by clicking here before reminding you that this is possibly the greatest James Brown release of all time, so don’t miss out on the opportunity of buying a copy now!.

Finally this release comes in a special deluxe slip case with extensive sleeve notes AND some very tasty colour original photo’s of the man himself who really does justify the title of the Godfather of Soul.

Rating 10/10