Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing
| "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing - Part I" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by James Brown | ||||
| from the album There It Is | ||||
| B-side | "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing - Part II" | |||
| Released | February 1972 | |||
| Recorded | October 1, 1970, Bobby Smith Studios, Macon, Georgia | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length |
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| Label | Polydor 14109 | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | James Brown | |||
| James Brown charting singles chronology | ||||
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"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" is a funk song written by James Brown and Bobby Byrd. Recorded in 1970 by Brown and the original J.B.'s with Byrd on backing vocals and updated with a new melody, it was twice released as a two-part single in 1972. It also appeared on the album There It Is.
Background
Critic Robert Christgau called it "the loosest and most infectious of Brown's many socially conscious jams."[1] It is in this song we learn that Brown originally envisioned rapping as call and response. The original version was more rock-oriented and featured on The Singles Vol Six, 1969-1970.
According to Brown, "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" was "aimed at the politicians who were running their mouths but had no knowledge of what life was like for a lot of people in [the United States]" as well as "some of the cats on their soapboxes... who were telling the people one thing while manipulating their emotions for personal gain."[2] Biographer RJ Smith described it as "an open criticism of self-styled arbiters of racial justice" who attacked Brown for his often-heterodox political stances.[3]
In the middle of the song Brown orders all the band members to temporarily stop playing while he and Byrd maintain the rhythm using their voices alone - an early example of a dance music breakdown.
Personnel
- James Brown - lead vocal
with The J.B.'s:
- Clayton "Chicken" Gunnells - trumpet
- Darryl "Hassan" Jamison - trumpet
- Robert McCollough - tenor saxophone
- St. Clair Pinckney - baritone saxophone
- Bobby Byrd - organ, vocal
- Phelps "Catfish" Collins - guitar
- William "Bootsy" Collins - bass
- John "Jabo" Starks - drums
- Johnny Griggs - congas[4]
Chart positions
"Talkin' Loud and Saying Nothing"reached number one on the U.S. Hot Soul Singles chart and number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 during the spring of that year.[5][6]
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B | 1 |
Other versions
A remixed version of "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" was included on the 1986 James Brown compilation album In the Jungle Groove.
A longer version of the song (9:28) is included in the Star Time box set.
The complete version of the song (14:42) was released in 1996 on the compilation CD Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang.
Living Colour recorded a cover version in 1991 for their Biscuits EP.
See also
References
- ^ "The Genius: James Brown". Robert Christgau. 2007-01-25. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
- ^ Brown, James, and Bruce Tucker (1986). James Brown: The Godfather of Soul, 241. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
- ^ Smith, R.J. (2012). The One: The Life and Music of James Brown, 264. New York: Gotham Books.
- ^ Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 85.
- ^ White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.