Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is a song written and recorded by James Brown.^[1] Released as a two-part single in 1965, it was Brown's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten, peaking at number eight, and was a number-one R&B hit, topping the charts for eight weeks.^[2]^[3] It won Brown his first Grammy Award, for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.^[4]

Consolidating the rhythmic innovations of earlier James Brown recordings such as "I've Got Money" and "Out of Sight", "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is considered seminal in the emergence of funk music as a distinct style. As Brown sings the praises of an old man brave enough to get out on the dance floor of a nightclub ("brand new bag" meaning new interest, taste, or way of doing something^[5]^[6]), his band provides a horn-heavy backdrop with a prominent rhythm and an electric guitar riff for a hook. Both singer and musicians place overwhelming emphasis on the first beat of each measure ("on the One"). The song is Brown's first recording to feature Jimmy Nolen on guitar.

The taped recording of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" was edited and sped up for its single release, increasing the tempo and raising the pitch by a half step. In 1991 the recording was released in unedited form at its original speed on the box set Star Time.^[7] The track includes lead-in studio chatter, with Brown throatily (and presciently) shouting "This is a hit!" just before the drum and horn intro.

Legacy

In 2004, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" was ranked number 72 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. (In 2010 the magazine updated its list, and the song was moved up a rank to number 71.)^[8] The song is currently ranked as the 80th greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1965, by Acclaimed Music.^[9]

Other recordings

An instrumental version of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" was released as the B-side of Brown's 1965 Smash single "Try Me". He also recorded a big band jazz arrangement of the song with the Louie Bellson Orchestra for his 1970 album Soul on Top.

Live performances of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" appear on the albums Hot on the One, Live in New York, Soul Session Live, Live at the Apollo 1995, and the 2009 Expanded Edition of Live at the Garden. It is also featured in medleys on Love Power Peace and Say It Live and Loud.

Cover versions

In 1965, The Fabulous Echoes covered the song on their album Lovin' Feeling.
In 1965, Buddy Guy played the song participating in the European tour American Folk Blues Festival. The song is not on the record but in the movie that was made of the tour.
In 1965, The McCoys released a version of the song on their debut album, Hang on Sloopy.^[10]
In 1968, Otis Redding released a version of the song.
In 1968, The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band released a version of the song on their album, Together.^[11]
In 1971, Fadoul, a Moroccan musician, covered the song in Arabic.^[12]
In 1987, Roger Troutman covered the song on his album Unlimited!.
In 1995, Jimmy Smith recorded an instrumental version on his album Damn!
In 1999, The Sugarman 3 covered the song on Sugar's Boogaloo.
In 2006, Bebi Dol covered the song on her album Čovek rado izvan sebe živi.^[13]

Personnel

James Brown - lead vocals

with the James Brown Band:

Joe Dupars - trumpet
Ron Tooley - trumpet
Levi Rasbury - trombone
Wilmer Milton - trombone
Nat Jones - alto saxophone
Maceo Parker - tenor and baritone saxophones
St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone
Eldee Williams - tenor saxophone
Al "Brisco" Clark - tenor saxophone
Nat Jones - organ
Jimmy Nolen - guitar
Sam Thomas or Bernard Odum - bass
Melvin Parker - drums

Similarly named songs

An instrumental recorded by the band Pigbag, "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag", was a worldwide hit in 1981.
In 1995 Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Allstarz project recorded "Reach Up (Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag)", which peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart.
The Capitol Steps recorded the parody "Papa's Got A Brand New Baghdad" for their 2004 album of the same name.

References in popular culture

"Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse," an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was named for the song. The song's title was also played on for The Simpsons episode "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge".

2013 musical Kinky Boots contains the line "Papa's got a brand new shoe" in the song "Everybody Say Yeah" (music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper).

Towards the end of one of the mixes of Public Enemy's 1994 song Give it up, Flavor Flav is heard to say "Papa's got a brand new bag." The same line is also heard in the rap part of Color Me Badd's 1991 single Color Me Badd.

References

↑ James Brown interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1970)
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 84.
↑ White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
↑ Brown at AllMusic.
↑ Definition of bag, sense 6, Oxford Dictionaries.
↑ Definition of bag, sense 6, Merriam-Webster.
↑ Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
↑ "'Rolling Stone' Updates '500 Greatest Songs' List". 28 May 2010.
↑ "Acclaimed Music Top 3000 songs". Acclaimed Music. 27 May 2009.
↑ The McCoys, Hang on Sloopy Retrieved June 24, 2015
↑ The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Together Retrieved August 6, 2016.
↑ The Arabic Funk Of Fadoul Retrieved August 25, 2016.
↑ Čovek rado izvan sebe živi at Discogs

External links

AllMusic review

Preceded by "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett	Billboard Hot R&B Singles number-one single August 14, 1965 – October 2, 1965 (eight weeks)	Succeeded by "I Want To (Do Everything For You)" by Joe Tex

James Brown singles

Billboard charting singles (R&B and Pop)

1950s

1956	"Please, Please, Please"

1958	"Try Me"

1959	"I Want You So Bad"

1960s

1960	"I'll Go Crazy" "Think" "You've Got the Power" "This Old Heart" "The Bells"

1961	"Bewildered" "I Don't Mind" "Baby, You're Right" "Just You and Me, Darling" "Lost Someone"

1962	"Night Train" "Shout and Shimmy" "Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." "Three Hearts in a Tangle" "I've Got Money"

1963	"Like a Baby" "Every Beat of My Heart" "Prisoner of Love" "These Foolish Things" "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered"

1964	"Oh Baby Don't You Weep" "Please, Please, Please" "Caldonia" "The Things That I Used to Do" "Out of Sight" "Have Mercy Baby"

1965	"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" "Try Me" "I Got You (I Feel Good)"

1966	"Lost Someone" "I'll Go Crazy" "Ain't That a Groove" "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" "Money Won't Change You" "Don't Be a Drop-Out" "Sweet Little Baby Boy"

1967	"Bring It Up" "Kansas City" "Think" "Let Yourself Go" "Cold Sweat" "Get It Together" "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" "There Was a Time"

1968	"You've Got to Change Your Mind" "I Got the Feelin'" "Licking Stick – Licking Stick" "America Is My Home" "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry" "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" "Goodbye My Love" "Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)"

1969	"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" "Soul Pride" "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself)" "The Popcorn" "Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me)" "Lowdown Popcorn" "World" "Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn" "Ain't It Funky Now"

1970s

1970	"It's a New Day" "Funky Drummer" "Brother Rapp" "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" "Super Bad" "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay" "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved"

1971	"Spinning Wheel" "Soul Power" "I Cried" "Escape-ism" "Hot Pants" "Make It Funky" "I'm a Greedy Man"

1972	"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" "King Heroin" "There It Is" "Honky Tonk" "Get on the Good Foot" "I Got a Bag of My Own" "What My Baby Needs Now Is a Little More Lovin'"

1973	"I Got Ants In My Pants (And I Want to Dance)" "Down and Out in New York City" "Think" "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" "Stoned to the Bone"

1974	"The Payback" "My Thang" "Papa Don't Take No Mess" "Funky President (People It's Bad)" "Coldblooded"

1975	"Reality" "Sex Machine" "Hustle!!! (Dead on It)" "Superbad, Superslick" "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)"

1976	"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" "Get Up Offa That Thing" "I Refuse to Lose" "Bodyheat"

1977	"Kiss in 77" "Give Me Some Skin" "If You Don't Give a Doggone About It"

1978	"Eyesight" "The Spank" "For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes"

1979	"It's Too Funky in Here" "Star Generation"

1980s

1980	"Regrets" "Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)"

1981	"Stay with Me"

1983	"The Night Time Is the Right Time (To Be With the One That You Love)"

1984	"Unity"

1985	"Living in America"

1986	"Gravity"

1987	"How Do You Stop"

1988	"I'm Real" "Static"

1989	"Gimme Your Love"

1990s

1991	"(So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On"

1993	"Can't Get Any Harder"

UK-only
charting
singles

"Hey America" (1970)
"Bring It On...Bring It On" (1983)
"Froggy Mix" (1985)
"She's the One" (1988)
"The Payback Mix" (1988)
"I Got You (I Feel Good) [James Brown v. Dakeyne]" (1992)
"Funk on Ah Roll" (1999)

Notable
productions

"The Grunt" (1970)
"Gimme Some More" (1971)
"I Know You Got Soul" (1971)
"Pass the Peas" (1972)
"Think (About It)" (1972)
"Doing It to Death" (1973)
"Soul Power 74" (1973)

Other
songs

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