The Payback
1974 studio album by James Brown
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The Payback is the 37th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in January 1974 by Polydor Records. It was originally scheduled to become the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Hell Up in Harlem, but was rejected by the film's producers, who dismissed it as "the same old James Brown stuff."
- Rodel Studios (Washington, D.C.)
- United Studios (Los Angeles, California)
- International Studios (Augusta, Georgie)
- Advantage Studios (New York City, New York)
| The Payback | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1974 | |||
| Recorded | Early February 1973 – October 2, 1974[1][2] | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Funk[3] | |||
| Length | 72:52 | |||
| Label | Polydor 3007 | |||
| Producer | James Brown | |||
| James Brown chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Payback | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[4] |
| eMusic | [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
The Payback is considered a high point in Brown's recording career, and is now regarded by critics as a landmark funk album, as well as one of Brown's best albums. Its revenge-themed title track, a #1 R&B hit, is one of his most famous songs and an especially prolific source of samples for record producers.
Background
A widely repeated story—including by Brown himself—that director Larry Cohen rejected the music as "not funky enough" is denied by Cohen.[7] On the DVD commentary track for Black Caesar (to which Hell Up in Harlem is a sequel), Cohen states that executives at American International Pictures were already unhappy with Brown for delivering songs much longer than expected on Black Caesar and Slaughter's Big Rip-Off and opted for a deal with Motown Records instead. Cohen said the absence of Brown's music from Harlem still "breaks [his] heart."[8]
The Payback was a success, going to number one on the Billboard Soul Albums chart for two weeks and cracking the Billboard 200 albums chart in the Top 40. It was Brown's only studio album to be certified gold.[9]
Musically, The Payback largely features cyclic grooves and jamming, but it also features departures into a softer soul-based sound on tracks such as "Doing the Best I Can" and "Forever Suffering".
The album was reissued on single CD in 1992 with liner notes by Alan Leeds.
Track listing
All tracks are written by James Brown, Fred Wesley and Charles Bobbit; except where noted:
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Payback" | Brown, Wesley, John "Jabo" Starks | 7:39 |
| 2. | "Doing the Best I Can" | 7:42 | |
| Total length: | 15:23 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | "Take Some...Leave Some" | 8:33 | |
| 4. | "Shoot Your Shot" | Brown | 8:09 |
| Total length: | 16:45 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Forever Suffering" | 5:52 |
| 6. | "Time Is Running out Fast" | 12:47 |
| Total length: | 18:41 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Stone to the Bone" | Brown | 10:14 |
| 8. | "Mind Power" | 12:04 | |
| Total length: | 22:27 | ||
Personnel
- James Brown – lead vocals, electric piano, electric organ
- Martha High – backing vocals
- Isiah "Ike" Oakley – trumpet
- Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison – trumpet
- Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford – trumpet
- Maceo Parker – alto saxophone, flute
- St. Clair Pinckney – tenor saxophone, flute
- Fred Wesley – trombone
- Jimmy Nolen – electric guitar
- Hearlon "Cheese" Martin – electric guitar
- Fred Thomas – bass guitar
- "Sweet" Charles Sherrell – bass guitar
- John Morgan – cabasa, tambourine, rainstick
- Johnny Griggs – congas
- John "Jabo" Starks – drums
Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Billboard Pop Albums | 34 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
