James Brown – Funky President (People It’s Bad) / Coldblooded [1974; Polydor]

image

Bopping along on a popping beat between the drums and bass, the A-side of this single (pulled from the ‘74 album Reality) features James Brown giving general upbeat encouragement about perseverance.  Horns and guitar touch-ups add further flair, bringing it all together for a memorably hooky piece.  The B-side, taken from Brown’s other 1974 album, Hell, rides a shuffling guitar riff through warnings against taking too many risks.  A slick bridge ups the intensity before sliding back into the horn flourishes, a repeat of the earlier lyrics, and woodblock punctuation.  A cool pair, with the sampling of both of Brown’s ‘74 albums as a bonus.

Here’s the cover art used in Germany.

image

In the Netherlands.

image

And in Belgium.

image