Customer Reviews

Best Of: Bobby Byrd Got Soul

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Overlooked and underrated, Bobby Byrd was James Brown's right-hand man for many years. He features prominently on many of JB's most famous hits, singing and playing organ. This collection features tracks from the mid-sixties to the early seventies. The best of what's here features some of the most legendary musicians in James Brown's bands: Fred Wesley (trombone), Maceo Parker (sax), Fred Thomas (bass), St. Clair Pinckney (sax), Pee Wee Ellis (sax), Jabo Starks (drums), Cheese Martin (guitar), among many others. JAMES BROWN himself is featured prominently throughout, singing back-up and/or dueting with Byrd. Two STAND-OUT tracks come from a 1971 concert recorded in Paris with the original JB's group, which included BOOTSY COLLINS on bass.

Seven of these songs were R&B hits, the biggest being "I Need Help," "I know You Got Soul," and "We're in Love." Four tracks were even minor hits on the pop charts. This funky CD should be regarded as more than a footnote in the discography of James Brown. While not on the same level as the Godfather himself, Bobby Byrd was a very important part of the James Brown Sound. I was at the JBs/Maceo/James Brown show at the EMP opening in Seattle earlier this year. Byrd was there, and it was a thrill to see him lead the various re-united JBs through super-charged renditions of "I know You Got Soul" and "I Need Help." If you're a JB fan, I don't see how you couldn't get into this CD in a very big way. The grooves are tight, the singing is powerful-- help give Bobby Byrd the recognition he deserves after all these years.

The classic example of standing in the shadow of JB's Giant. Great collection ofLive and classic hits I know it's pricey but give up something for a month (like eating). Don't worry obby will take care of you. Just check out his cover of Stevie Wonders "Signed Sealed Delivered" featuring Bootsy Collins on Bass.

bobby byrd was good solo, james brown sidekick for many years, best known for his collaborations with james though, even though james does cameo's on this, this is not a bad cd,james could have did these songs himself well at least half of them, includes i know you got soul which was heard in a million rap songs between 1988-1992. man james whole catalog was sampled to death.

There is some filler here I cant lie. But if you love Bobby Byrd like I do,then you just have to buy this Cd. All the hits are here. Call it a guiltless pleasure and enjoy it.

Yes folks, it's true. Bobby taught James everything he knows. Not to detract from the Godfather himself, but Bobby is just so underrated by most who think they know something about soul music. One must take into consideration that this is a greatest hits compilation and as such has some duds in it as filler. But when you put that first track on and hear that first guitar pickin intro and then hear James back in the sound booth just shouting to get out, it's because he knows Bobby's got soul.

Bobby Byrd grew up with James Brown, was there as part of the Famous Flames in the early '50s, and when JB signed with Federal/King in 1956. We all know Byrd was an essential part of "the James Brown Show", yet is is less known how many recordings Byrd made outside of the James Brown catalog. This essential comp covers a decade when black music evolved from gritty r&b and soul into funk, thanks in no small part to Brown and his band and hand picked arrangers.
Bobby Byrd is a legend and there when history was made. He's no James Brown - no visionary, with records often produced by Brown and featuring the leader's bands. But not always; Byrd gets writing credit for several funk classics included in thos 79 minute set; if his voice is somewhat limited in terms of color and expressive range, the grooves and hooks make up it; Byrd is a decent singer, and does a fine job on some of the earlier gospel-inflected ballads. If you love soul, funk, JB - and want to go deeper, this set will satisfy. Superbly compiled and masterd.

I bought this CD because i am a hip hop producer while I was listening to it I found a couple of songs that were used for big songs. Like "IM NOT TO BLAME" that was sample and used for JAYZ's U Don't Know. Check them out.

When you next listen to James Brown's hits - THIS is the guy in the background with the deeper, rougher voice grunting "YEAH!!" "YOU GOT IT" etc...

Bobby Byrd was an amazing artist in his own right and his own underground hits were released on a 45 label called "Brownstone" ...

This is an amazing album - and its amazing that Amazon has got sound clips even though they don't have the CD... Listen to "Sayin it and Doin it", "If you don't Work - you can't eat", and "Never Get Enough" - those alone are great - I haven't heard the rest. Don't get confused buying albums he later recorded - this one is the real thing... PEACE!

Born on August 15, 1934 in Toccoa, Georgia, Bobby Byrd is perhaps best remembered as being the founder of The Famous Flames, the group which backed James Brown on so many of his hits and was, in many ways, as much responsible for their hit status as was Brown himself. Byrd also was the "warm up" act at most of Brown's live concerts before returning to perform back of the master with the group.

In early 1964, when the Billboard R&B charts were in limbo, he struck out on his own to record a duet for Mercury's Smash subsidiary with Anna King, a member of The James Brown Revue. Together they took Baby Baby Baby to # 52 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100. No further hits ensued until the following March when, still with Smash, he had a # 14 R&B with We Are In Love b/w No One Like My Baby. Both sides are here, and the A-side also made the Billboard Hot 100 "bubble under" charts at # 120.

It would then be three long years before he had another hit single, this time with the King label, and it would take a pairing with Brown to get You've Got To Change Your Mind to an anaemic # 47 R&B and a # 102 on the Hot 100 "bubble under" list in March 1968. The flip was I'll Lose my Mind - not included here.

That was followed by another two-year gap before I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone) also made it to # 14 R&B and # 69 Hot 100 [his best ever there] in October 1970. Nine months later I Know You Got Soul peaked at # 30 R&B and # 117 Hot 100 "bubble under" b/w It's I Who Love You (Not Him Anymore) - both hits with the King label [the last flipside is omitted here].

By late 1971 he had moved over to the BrownStone label and in October he had a # 34 R&B/# 85 Hot 100 with Hot Pants - I'm Coming, Coming, I'm Coming b/w Hang It Up [not here]. That was followed in March 1972 by Keep On Doin' What You're Doin' which levelled off at # 40 R&B/# 88 Hot 100. All of his foregoing hits were produced by James Brown, but even with the input of the Godfather of Soul and the backing of many of the musicians who toiled with Brown, his efforts clearly never made much of an impact on record buyers.

The reason was simple: he was quite average as a vocalist who could never even come CLOSE to sounding much like Brown, never mind other contemporaries of the day such as Wilson Pickett, Joe Tex, and Eddie Floyd. Not that there was anything horribly wrong with his hard funk records, but with stiff competition like that there just wasn't enough room on the charts.

In 1973 and 1975, without Brown's production, he had two minor R&B hits with Try It Again [# 82 for the Kwanza label] and, perhaps in a bit of wishful thinking, Back From The Dead [# 57 for Int'l Bros]. Neither side is included here.

If you were one of his loyal fans back then you will like this disc as the sound reproduction is excellent. If you don't know anything about him, but were simply browsing for some late 1960s/early 1970s funk, look elsewhere.

To say Bobby Byrd didn't need James Brown would be the same as saying Mary Wilson didn't need Diana Ross! When one benefits so much from being associated with another, one should be thankful. It is true that James Brown joined Bobby Byrd's group. But that James Brown wound up taking over the group, was the best thing that could have happened to Byrd or the other members of the group. Because if it hadn't have been for James Brown, you would not know who Bobby Byrd is. Similarly, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and other have been making a lot of noise (musically) lately, and its good to see them back in action. But for the most part, the best of this noise comes when they have reunions of the JBs and they play the old James Brown jams all night. So it should come as no surprise that James' influence dominates the best cuts here. "I Know You Got Soul" and "I Need Help" were Bobby's biggest hits, but they got a push from JB, just as Lyn Collins had James in the

background on her biggest hit, "Think (About It)". Bobby Byrd's best singing performance probably came on his third-biggest record, "Keep On Doin'", which (ironically) does not feature James' voice. There are other memorable tracks here that are just a cut below ("Funky Soul," "Hot Pants I'm Comin'"), but make no mistake: Bobby Byrd was at his best as a part of James Brown's revue; warming up the crowd at live performances, playing the organ, and singing superbly in a supporting role on James' own recordings. It is for this reason that Bobby Byrd is most often referred to as Soul Brother #1 and 1/2, as opposed to Soul Brother #2. He can't do it alone!