James Brown ‘Live At Home with His Bad Self’ For 50th Anniversary Release

James Brown’s celebrated homecoming concert in Augusta, Georgia will have its 50th anniversary marked by Republic/UMe’s first-ever release of the complete show on 25 October. Live At Home with His Bad Self will be available on CD, 2LP vinyl, and digital audio as a full memento of the Godfather of Soul’s concert at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta on 1 October 1969.

The concert audio has been newly mixed for the release, which includes seven performances that have never been released. ‘Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose’ is now available to stream and download.

The show was recorded with the intention of making a live album, which was then scheduled as a holiday release late that year, and would commemorate his move back to Mr. Brown’s southern roots. It featured a stellar band with his esteemed saxophone player Maceo Parker and no fewer than three drummers, Parker’s brother Melvin, Jabo Starks and Clyde Stubblefield. But the line-up disbanded soon after the concert and the soul legend assembled a new group including the emerging young bassist William ‘Bootsy’ Collins.

That team soon recorded the anthemic ‘Sex Machine,’ and as that funk landmark climbed the charts without an album behind it, Brown shelved the Live At Home release and instead created the double album Sex Machine. Released in September 1970, it included a near-11-minute version of the title hit and excerpts of the Augusta show.

Fifty years on, Live at Home with His Bad Self emerges as the Godfather first planned it. It’s been newly mixed from the original analog multi-tracks by Peter A. Barker, who has mixed records by Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Babyface and others. Among the newly-available material are the instrumentals ‘Lowdown Popcorn’ and ‘Spinning Wheel,’ which were re-cut with pre-recorded applause for the Sex Machine album.

Also on Live at Home… is Brown’s hit of the time, ‘World,’ which he performed at the concert as a live vocal over the studio recording’s instrumental arrangement. Far from keeping this a secret, he explains this unusual move to the audience. ‘There Was A Time’ and ‘Mother Popcorn,’ which were heavily edited on Sex Machine, appear at twice the length. There’s also a live rendition of his 1968 hit ‘Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose,’ which appeared on Sex Machine, but as a studio re-record.

Live At Home with His Bad Self is released on 25 October. Scroll down for the full tracklisting and pre-order it here.

James Brown: Live at Home with His Bad Self [2LP vinyl]
Side 1
1. Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud
2. James Brown Thanks and Introduction to “World”*
3. World*
4. Stage Dialogue*
Side 2
1. Lowdown Popcorn*
2. Spinning Wheel*
3. If I Ruled The World
4. Kansas City*
Side 3
1. Introduction to Startime
2. I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I’ll Get It Myself)
3. I Got The Feelin’*/Licking Stick-Licking Stick
4. Try Me*
5. There Was A Time **
Side 4
1. Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose*
2. It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World
3. Please, Please, Please
4. I Can’t Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
5. Mother Popcorn **

James Brown: Live at Home with His Bad Self [CD; digital]
1. Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud
2. James Brown Thanks and Introduction to “World”*
3. World*
4. Stage Dialogue*
5. Lowdown Popcorn*
6. Spinning Wheel*
7. If I Ruled The World
8. Kansas City*
9. Introduction to Startime
10. I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I’ll Get It Myself)
11. I Got The Feelin’*/Licking Stick-Licking Stick
12. Try Me*
13. There Was A Time **
14. Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose*
15. It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World
16. Please, Please, Please
17. I Can’t Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)
18. Mother Popcorn **

* Previously Unreleased / All other performances, though previously issued in some form, are presented in new mixes, including: ** Extended from track’s original release

Format: UK English