Godfather of Soul; Original Disco Man; Mr Dynamite: James Brown, the ‘hardest working man in show business’, inspired almost as many honorific titles as he did devotees. From first hit Please Please Please in 1956, his transformation of gospel fervour into the explosive intensity of rhythm & blues determined the destiny of soul, funk and rap.
A child of the Great Depression, Brown picked cotton, shined shoes and spent three years in Alto Reform School, Georgia. It was there he first met Bobby Byrd, leader of a gospel group JB later joined before being lured to the secular scene by the slamming live sound of rock ‘n’ roll legend Fats Domino. As flamboyant front-man for the James Brown Revue, Brown reportedly shed up to 7lbs a night in sweat as he whirled around stage, theatrically donning and doffing his cape and feigning the occasional heart attack. The Elvis Presley of R&B, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he racked up an astonishing 114 entries on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and amassed a total of 800 songs in his repertoire.
Also like Elvis, he’s inspired a legion of tribute ensembles – among them Supabad, a Bangkok-based ménage of mostly music teachers dedicated to the “super heavy, gritty funk” sound synonymous with the ultimate Sex Machine. A big band for a big man, their horn-rich homage to a musical and cultural revolutionary cuts it with the best. “James Brown completely revolutionised the world of modern music,” says guitarist, percussionist and backing vocalist David ‘DJ Kermie’ Cameron. “We’re just starting to see that. Michael Jackson wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for JB. So many dance moves, beats and riffs have been lifted off JB that it’s just impossible to imagine what any kind of modern music would sound like without his influence.”
What would JB make of today’s R&B? “He’d dig the more underground stuff no one hears, such as Goodie Mob, but he’d be appalled with all the processing and artificiality of much of today’s music. James liked it loud, hard and dirty – not too neat and clean, if you know what I mean. We’re really focused on the ‘larger than life’ aspect. The sequinned suits; jump suits; hairy chest; big hair – his time in the ‘70s, when he was truly becoming the Number One Soul Brother. That seems to work best for us.”
Making his debut when Supabad perform at The FCC in August is new front-man Mike Humble (their former front-man is hanging up his wig this summer “because he’s pulled the splits a few too many times”). “Mike is a respected blues and soul singer here in Bangkok and also plays a mean blues harp,” says the band’s founder, Mark Bourgeouis. “He’s British but has a classic soul voice… and has played many gigs in a variety of bad, brightly coloured suits, so he has the wardrobe and the attitude to fill the shoes of James Brown.” Supabad will also be unveiling a new tenor sax player, Anton Fenech. “Both are part of the Famous Blues Brothers Review Band here, so they’re used to performing in character.
“Funk is definitely about ‘feel’, and as white boys we have to work a bit harder at it, but we have a great rhythm section that lays down an excellent platform for our horn section and soloists. Reproducing this act in an authentic way has been a challenge, especially the music for the horn parts. That just isn’t available on the internet or anything. It all had to be scored out from the original recordings.”
Devotees can expect a mixture of James Brown standards such as I Got You; Sex Machine, and Get on the Goodfoot, as well as some of the more obscure tracks such as My Thang, from the Hell album, and Ain’t it Funky Now from Jungle Groove. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag from 1965 is dedicated, of course, to the purists. “Fans can expect a high-energy funk show, and they better come ready to shake it.”
WHO: Supabad
WHAT: The super heavy, gritty funk sound of James Brown
WHERE: The FCC, Sisowath Quay
WHEN: 9pm August 10 and 11
WHY: Because you’re super bad too