Doing It to Death

"Doing It to Death"
Song
B-side	"Everybody Got Soul"

"Doing It to Death" (sometimes mis-titled as "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time") is a funk song recorded by The J.B.'s featuring James Brown. It was released as a single in 1973 and was a #1 R&B hit. Although the song has a lead vocal by Brown (who also wrote the tune and the lyrics), the recording is credited to "Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s". It was the first J.B.'s recording to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker, who had returned to work with Brown again after attempting a career as a bandleader.

Unusually for a James Brown song, the actual words "doing it to death" appear nowhere in the song's lyrics, which feature the hook "we're gonna have a funky good time." The title came from a figure of speech used by Fred Wesley.

A 10-minute, two-part version of "Doing It to Death" was included on a J.B.'s album of the same name. The complete, unedited 13-minute original recording of the song was first issued on the 1995 J.B.'s compilation Funky Good Time: The Anthology.

Personnel

• James Brown - lead vocal

with Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s:

• Fred Wesley - trombone
• Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison - trumpet
• Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford - trumpet
• Ike Oakley - trumpet
• Maceo Parker - alto saxophone and flute
• St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone
• Eldee Williams - tenor saxophone
• Jimmy Nolen - guitar
• Hearlon "Cheese" Martin - guitar
• Fred Thomas - bass
• John "Jabo" Starks - drums

References

• Leeds, Alan M., and Harry Weinger (1991). Star Time: Song by Song. In Star Time (pp. 46-53) [CD liner notes]. London: Polydor Records.
• Leeds, Alan (1995). Discography. In Funky Good Time: The Anthology [CD liner notes]. London: Polydor Records.