Backwards Beats Podcast

James Brown - Sex Machine (Live) (#439)

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Get on up! This week, Dan and Carl dive into James Brown’s monumental 1970 double album, Sex Machine (Live). Sitting high on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list, this record is a legendary, high-energy masterclass in the evolution of funk.

The guys break down the album’s unique hybrid structure—from the "live" studio tracks on Sides 1 and 2 (complete with hand-mixed fake crowd noise) to the raw, sweat-soaked energy recorded live in Augusta, Georgia on Sides 3 and 4. They dissect James Brown’s unmatched bandleader instincts, the incredible precision of a teenage Bootsy Collins on bass, Clyde Stubblefield’s mind-blowing drum pockets, and how this exact record basically served as the DNA for the golden era of hip-hop sampling.

Key Points
  • The "Live" Illusion: We pull back the curtain on the album's first half, exploring the production decisions to sweeten tight studio recordings with artificial crowd noise and heavy reverb.
  • The Master of the Groove: An in-depth appreciation of the rhythm section—specifically Bootsy Collins' foundational, melodic basslines and Clyde Stubblefield’s legendary, intricate 16th-note drum patterns.
  • The Blueprint for Hip-Hop: How this record became a goldmine for producers, with practically every track on the tracklist being sampled by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Ice Cube, and beyond.
  • The "Licking Stick" Tangent: Dan shares a ridiculous, legendary IT workplace story involving his own custom-made "licking stick" (aka the office "Widow Maker").
  • Separating the Art from the Artist: A candid, real-talk discussion about James Brown's deeply volatile personal life, legal troubles, and domestic abuse, contrasted against his undisputed genius as a musical innovator.
    • Music Referenced
    • In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry
    • Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield
    • Chicago
    • Frank Zappa
    • Prince
    • David Byrne
    • Bootsy Collins
    • James Jamerson
    • Rocco Prestia
    • Business Time by Flight of the Conchords
    • Luther Vandross
    • A Tribe Called Quest
    • Footsteps in the Dark by The Isley Brothers
    • Shout by The Isley Brothers
    • Who's That Lady by The Isley Brothers
    • Sissy Strut by The Meters
    • Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears
    • If I Ruled the World by Leslie Bricusse
    • Aretha Franklin
    • Otis Redding
    • Buddy Rich
    • Steely Dan
    • Jacob Collier
    • The Ronettes
    • Michael Jackson
    • Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter
    • Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
    • Little Richard
    • Chinese Wall by Philip Bailey
    • Easy Lover by Philip Bailey
    • Reasons by Earth, Wind & Fire
    • Easy Lover by Phil Collins
    • Reminiscing by Little River Band
    • Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
    • Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder
    • Song 2 by Blur
    • Damon Albarn
    • Rubber Soul by The Beatles
    • Funk Overload by Maceo Parker
    • Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

      • Join us next week when we cover, Parklife by Blur.

      ...more
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      Backwards Beats PodcastBy Tunawood Productions