| Soul on Top | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1970 | |||
| Recorded | November 10–11, 1969 | |||
| Genre | Soul, jazz | |||
| Length | 51:57 (2004 reissue) | |||
| Label | King | |||
| Producer | James Brown | |||
| James Brown chronology | ||||
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Soul on Top is the 28th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in April 1970, by King. Brown and saxophonist Maceo Parker worked with arranger/ conductor Oliver Nelson to record a big band, funk and jazz vocal album. It was recorded with Louie Bellson and his 18-piece jazz orchestra at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California in November 1969, and features jazz standards, show tunes, and middle of the road hits, as well as a new arrangement of Brown's funk hit " Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".
The album was reissued in 2004 with one previously unreleased bonus track, a big band version of Brown's 1967 hit " There Was a Time", and new liner notes by jazz critic Will Friedwald.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | 
[2] |
| The Village Voice | A [3] |
Reviewing the Verve reissue for The Village Voice in September 2004, Tom Hull said, "This extends Ray Charles's omnivorous big-band soul, with Brown reinventing standards—' That's My Desire,' ' September Song,' ' Every Day I Have the Blues,' ' Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'—in front of Louie Bellson's orchestra, which arranger-conductor Oliver Nelson barely manages to discipline, so caught up is the band in the singer's excitement. In Brown's discography, just a curio. But in the whole history of big band jazz, there's never been a singer like him." [3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | " That's My Desire" | Helmy Kressa, Carroll Loveday | 4:10 |
| 2. | " Your Cheatin' Heart" | Hank Williams | 2:59 |
| 3. | " What Kind of Fool Am I?" | Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley | 3:06 |
| 4. | " It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" (Unedited Version) | James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome | 6:40 |
| 5. | "The Man in the Glass" | Bud Hobgood | 5:56 |
| 6. | " It's Magic" | Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne | 3:14 |
| 7. | " September Song" (Unedited Version) | Maxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill | 5:02 |
| 8. | " For Once in My Life" (Unedited Version) | Ron Miller, Orlando Murden | 4:43 |
| 9. | " Every Day I Have the Blues" (Unedited Version) | Memphis Slim | 4:28 |
| 10. | "I Need Your Key (To Turn Me On)" | Louie Bellson | 3:46 |
| 11. | " Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" | Brown | 4:41 |
| 12. | " There Was a Time" (2004 reissue only) | Brown, Bud Hobgood | 3:04 |
Personnel
- James Brown - vocal
- Oliver Nelson - arranger and conductor
- Ernie Watts - alto saxophone
- Joe Romano - alto saxophone
- Maceo Parker - tenor saxophone
- Buddy Collette - tenor saxophone
- Pete Christlieb - tenor saxophone
- Jim Mulidore - baritone saxophone
- Al Aarons - trumpet
- Chuck Findley - trumpet
- John Audino - trumpet
- Tom Porello - trumpet
- Jimmy Cleveland - trombone
- Nick DiMaio - trombone
- Kenny Shroyer - trombone
- Bill Tole - trombone
- Frank Vincent - piano
- Bill Pitman - guitar
- Louis Shelton - guitar
- Ray Brown - bass
- Louis Bellson - drums, bandleader
- Jack Arnold - percussion
Notes
- Terrel, Tom (October 5, 2004). " James Brown's 'Soul on Top' Reissued". National Public Radio. Retrieved on April 27, 2007.
References
- ^ Henderson, Alex. "James Brown: Soul on Top > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
- ^ 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 Hull, Tom (September 28, 2004). "Jazz Consumer Guide (2): The Caribbean Tinge". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 25, 2020 – via tomhull.com.
Further reading
- Christian McBride (2015). "Mr. Soul on Top". Retrieved July 05, 2022. Christian McBride's recollections about convincing James Brown to join him for a 2006 revival performance of "Soul On Top" at the Hollywood Bowl.
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