"Everybody Got Soul" |
April 1973 |
January 29, 1973, International Studios, Augusta, GA |
Funk |
|
People 621 |
James Brown |
James Brown |
"Doing It to Death", also known as "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time", is a funk song recorded by The J.B.'s featuring James Brown. A 10-minute, two-part version of "Doing It to Death" was included on a J.B.'s album of the same name. The complete, unedited and nearly 13-minute-long original recording of the song was first issued on the 1995 J.B.'s compilation Funky Good Time: The Anthology. Performances of the song also appear on the albums Live at Chastain Park and Live at the Apollo 1995.
Background[edit]
Although the song has a lead vocal by Brown (who also wrote the tune and the lyrics), the recording is credited to "Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s". It was the first J.B.'s recording to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker, who had returned to work with Brown again after attempting a career as a bandleader.
"Doing It to Death" contains an uncommon key change in which Brown tells the band to modulate downward from F to D ("In order for me to get down, I have to get down in D"). Composers who place key changes in tunes typically have them modulate upwards. Unusually for a James Brown song, the actual words "doing it to death" appear nowhere in the song's lyrics, which feature the hook "we're gonna have a funky good time." The title came from a figure of speech Brown heard Wesley use.
Personnel[edit]
- James Brown - lead vocal
with Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s:
- Fred Wesley - trombone
- Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison - trumpet
- Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford - trumpet
- Ike Oakley - trumpet
- Maceo Parker - alto saxophone and flute
- St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone
- Eldee Williams - tenor saxophone
- Jimmy Nolen - guitar
- Hearlon "Cheese" Martin - guitar
- Fred Thomas - bass
- John "Jabo" Starks - drums[1]
Chart performance[edit]
"Doing It to Death" was released as a single in 1973 and peaked at number one on the soul singles chart and number twenty-two on the Hot 100.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Leeds, Alan (1995). Discography. In Funky Good Time: The Anthology [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 617.
LyricsAlbum listSinger IntroRelated Video
James Brown( James Joseph Brown ) We're Gonna Have a Funky Good Time
Ahhhhhhhhh do it, yeah!
Clap my body,
Her body,
My body,
Clap your body,
My body,
Her
body,
Clap my body,
Her body,
My body,
Clap your body,
My body,
Clap your body,
My body!
Alright!
We're gonna have a funky good time [Repeat x5]
Take em up,
We gotta take you higher!
We're gonna have a funky good time [Repeat x3]
Take em up,
We gotta take you higher!
Bad!
You can take us up all the way.
Yeah!
You take us up.
Take us up!
Find more lyrics at ※ Mojim.com
Make me
high,
Make me high,
Make me high,
A natural high,
A ghetto high,
Giant high,
High,
High,
Nothin'but high,
Downright high,
Everybody high,
Need to get high,
Down high,
Yo high...
Bad, bad, bad, bad,
Bad, bad, bad, bad,
Bad, bad, bad, bad,
Bad, bad, bad, bad...
Give them a big round of applause,
Hear what I say:
Give em a big round of applause.
Take em up.
Got to take em higher.
We gotta take em higher!
We're gonna have
a funky good time [Repeat x7]
Mojim Lyrics
LyricsAlbum listSinger IntroRelated Video
James Brown( James Joseph Brown ) Gonna Have a Funky Good Time (Live Version)
Ahhhhhhhhh do it, yeah!
Clap my body,
Her body,
My body,
Clap your body,
My
body,
Her body,
Clap my body,
Her body,
My body,
Clap your body,
My body,
Clap your body,
My body!
Alright!
We're gonna have a funky good time Take em up,
We gotta take you higher!
We're gonna have a funky good time Take em up,
We gotta take you higher!
Bad!
You can take us up all the way.
Yeah!
You take us up.
Take us up!
Make me high,
Find more lyrics at ※ Mojim.com
Make me
high,
Make me high,
A natural high,
A ghetto high,
Giant high,
High,
High,
Nothin'but high,
Downright high,
Everybody high,
Need to get high,
Down high,
Yo high...
Bad, bad, bad, bad,
Bad, bad, bad, bad,
Bad, bad, bad, bad,
Bad, bad, bad, bad...
Give them a big round of applause,
Hear what I say:
Give em a big round of applause.
Take em up.
Got to take em higher.
We gotta take em higher!
We're gonna have a funky good time
Mojim Lyrics