James Brown – Papa Don't Take No Mess (1974) (recorded August 23, 1973)
Released as a two-part single, this epic funk jam was the Godfather of Soul's final #1 R&B hit, and originally intended for the Hell Up In Harlem soundtrack.
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On August 23, 1973, fifty years ago today, James Brown and his band the J.B.’s were at International Studios in Augusta, GA, recording the epic funk masterpiece “Papa Don't Take No Mess.”
It was produced and arranged by Brown, who co-wrote it with trombonist and J.B.’s bandleader Fred Wesley and drummer John “Jabo” Starks (who both played on the track along with Maceo Parker on alto sax), plus unsung songwriter Charles Bobbit. Released as a two-part single a year after it was recorded, in August, 1974, it became Brown’s 17th #1 R&B hit, and third in a row following his previous two singles “The Payback” (1974) and “My Thang” (1974). It was also his last ever record to top the R&B charts.
“Papa Don't Take No Mess” was the second of three singles from Brown’s ambitious double album Hell, which was itself released on June 28, 1974.
See our earlier post on James Brown for more on his career and the back story behind the Hell double LP.
“Papa Don't Take No Mess” also featured Ike Oakley on trumpet, St. Clair Pinckney on tenor sax, guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Hearlon “Cheese” Martin, Fred Thomas on bass, and either John Morgan or Johnny Grigg on percussion. The full-length LP version of the track was nearly 14 minutes long, and featured a piano solo by Brown that did not appear on the Part I and II edits from the single release.
Like “The Payback,” “Papa Don't Take No Mess” was originally recorded by Brown for what he thought would be the soundtrack to Hell Up In Harlem, the sequel to Black Caesar. He was supposed to score it, having previously composed the Black Caesar soundtrack. Then the studio’s executives froze him out of the project by cutting a deal with Motown, and Hell Up In Harlem was composed by Edwin Starr. Brown was furious and instead released most of the material as The Payback album, while some tracks wound up on Hell. He enjoyed his own sweet revenge when The Payback became his all-time best-selling studio album.
On September 14, 1974, Brown and the J.B.’s made a memorable appearance on Soul Train and performed Hell’s two #1 R&B hits, “My Thang” and “Papa Don’t Take No Mess.”
#soul #funk #Hell #FredWesley #JamesBrown