(February 15, 2024) He is on the Mount Rushmore of 20th Century artists, a singular star who changed the world of popular music with envelope-pushing sounds that presaged funk, hip-hop and progressive soul. Of course, we’re talking about The Godfather, James Brown.
Now more than two decades after Brown released has last single, Universal is issuing “We Got To Change,” a lost track that has been unearthed and will play a role in the upcoming documentary, James Brown: Say It Loud, premiering February 19.
“We Got To Change” was recorded in 1970, just after the iconic hit “Sex Machine,” and has all of the elements of the time, with killer horns, call-and-response-vocals, and that incredible rhythm section. And, consistent with lyrical themes of the time, the cut is a hopeful plea, asking with us all – beginning with the singer – to do better and make the world a better, more just place.
This is absolutely classic JB, and it is a shock that it has been sitting in the vaults for more than a half century. Check out “We Got To Change,” and recall the greatness of James Brown.
By Chris Rizik
James Brown – “We Got To Change”
