#ThrowbackThursday: “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown

by Sean Smith

The much anticipated James Brown biopic Get On Up finally hits theaters nationwide tomorrow. (To check out its full soundtrack of songs produced solely by Mr. Brown himself click here.) The film details Brown’s rise from poverty to stardom, and according to early reviews does a fair job of accurately portraying James Brown the artist as well as the person. The Reverend Al Sharpton, who was a close friend of Brown’s, wrote an article for The New York Daily News this week about the film and it is well worth checking  out here. To quickly sum up Sharpton’s article, he thought the film did a good job of showing both the good and the bad characteristics of his former friend’s rise to fame.

The role of The Godfather of Soul in Get On Up is played by Chadwick Boseman, who notably portrayed Jackie Robinson in 42, and the film is co-produced by legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. Jagger’s role in helping to produce the film is quite interesting. The Rolling Stone’s rise to stardom in the U.S. coincided with Brown’s rise to mainstream popularity in the 1960s. An interesting fact is that they both played in the now iconic 1964 T.A.M.I. Show. The bill for that show included such great acts as The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry, The Supremes, and of course James Brown and the Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones were chosen to headline and play last in that show which reportedly did not sit well with Brown. It is said that James Brown told the show’s director, “Nobody follows James Brown!” The Godfather of Soul would go on to try and prove that statement true in his performance that night. Brown would later recount that his four song set that night was one of the best of his career. If you have never seen his performance of that night you should definitely check it out in the related media below. Personally, I love Brown’s rendition of “Please, Please, Please” from that night which features his patented “cape act.” The raw emotion and showmanship on display is vintage James Brown, and solidifies his “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business” moniker.

James Brown provided us with a number of great songs over the years that would be worthy of us remembering today. After all, James Brown had an astounding  99 songs break into the Billboard Hot 100 over his career. As hard as it may be to believe, Brown never had one of his songs reach number one on that particular chart. But today we will remember his highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 “, I Got You (I Feel Good.)” That song would reach the third spot on the Hot 100 chart and is probably his most widely recognized offering. It was released in 1965, and features the funk style and shouting that Brown is immortalized for. “I Got You (I Feel Good)” was also a revised version of an earlier work by a James Brown backup singer Yvonne Fair. She released “I Found You” in 1962 which was reportedly written and produced by James Brown. Nevertheless, we all remember the song as James Brown’s signature hit.

So with the James Brown biopic Get On Up hitting theaters tomorrow, today we take the time to remember The Godfather of Soul’s 1965 signature hit “I Got You (I Feel Good.)” Enjoy!

James Brown 

“I Got You (I Feel Good.)”

King Records

Related Media:

T.A.M.I. Show- James Brown Full Performance

American International Pictures