Bobby Byrd Got Soul - The Best of Bobby Byrd (1995)

Album is part of this series because of Bobby Byrd's great influence on the development of P. Funk

' Overlooked and underrated, Bobby Byrd was James Brown's right-hand man for many years. He features prominently on many of JB's most famous hits, singing and playing organ. This collection features tracks from the mid-sixties to the early seventies. The best of what's here features some of the most legendary musicians in James Brown's bands: Fred Wesley (trombone), Maceo Parker (sax), Fred Thomas (bass), St. Clair Pinckney (sax), Pee Wee Ellis (sax), Jabo Starks (drums), Cheese Martin (guitar), among many others. JAMES BROWN himself is featured prominently throughout, singing back-up and/or dueting with Byrd. Two STAND-OUT tracks come from a 1971 concert recorded in Paris with the original JB's group, which included BOOTSY COLLINS on bass.
Seven of these songs were R&B hits, the biggest being "I Need Help," "I know You Got Soul," and "We're in Love." Four tracks were even minor hits on the pop charts. This funky CD should be regarded as more than a footnote in the discography of James Brown. While not on the same level as the Godfather himself, Bobby Byrd was a very important part of the James Brown Sound. I was at the JBs/Maceo/James Brown show at the EMP opening in Seattle earlier this year. Byrd was there, and it was a thrill to see him lead the various re-united JBs through super-charged renditions of "I know You Got Soul" and "I Need Help." If you're a JB fan, I don't see how you couldn't get into this CD in a very big way. The grooves are tight, the singing is powerful– help give Bobby Byrd the recognition he deserves after all these years.' Richie.Unterberger@allmusic.com

Track Listing:
01 - I Know You Got Soul {Bobbit, Brown, Byrd} 4:40
02 - Keep on Doin' What You're Doin' {Brown, Byrd, Martin, Wesley} 2:46
03 - I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone), Pts. 1 & 2 {Brown} 5:33
04 - If You Got a Love You Better (Hold on to It) {Bobbit, Brown, Byrd, Wesley} 4:20
05 - I'm Not to Blame {Byrd} 2:52
06 - Hot Pants-I'm Coming, Coming, I'm Coming {Brown} 2:26
07 - Sayin' It and Doin' It Are Two Different Things {Brown, Byrd, Martin, Wesley} 3:10
08 - You've Got to Change Your Mind {Brown, Byrd} 3:49
09 - When Something Is Wrong With My Baby {Hayes, Porter} 5:32
10 - I'm Lonely {Byrd} 2:39
11 - We're in Love {Byrd} 2:40
12 - Funky Soul, Pts. 1-2 {Brown, Crawford, Hobgood} 3:51
13 - No One Like My Baby {Byrd} 2:10
14 - Baby Baby Baby {Byrd} 2:33
15 - I Love You So {Byrd} 2:32
16 - Hang Ups We Don't Need (The Hungry We Got to Feed) {Brown} 2:57
17 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours [live] {Garrett, Hardaway, Wonder, Wright} 2:12
18 - If You Don't Work You Can't Eat [alternate take] {Brown, Reed} 4:02
19 - Fight Against Drug Abuse {Brown} 0:29
20 - I'm Just a Nobody, Pts. 1 & 2 {Brown, Byrd} 6:08
21 - Never Get Enough {Brown, Byrd, Wesley} 3:15
22 - I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone) {Brown} 5:26

Personnel:
Bobby Byrd: Organ, Piano, Tambourine, Vocals, Producer, Photography, Creative Consultant
James Brown: Organ, Arranger, Piano (Electric), Vocals (bckgr), Performer
Fred Wesley: Trombone, Arranger, MC
Maceo Parker: Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Pee Wee Ellis: Sax (Alto)
Bootsy Collins: Bass, Photography
Phelps "Catfish" Collins: Guitar
Les Asch: Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Dud Bascomb: Trumpet
Beau Dollar Bowman: Drums
Teddy Brown: Handclapping
Les Buie: Guitar
Al "Brisco" Clark: Sax (Tenor)
Jimmy Cleveland: Trombone
Robert Coleman: Guitar
Russell Crimes: Trumpet
Tim Drummond: Bass
Joe Dupars: Trumpet
David "Panama" Francis: Drums
Alvin "Fats" Gonder: Organ
Richard "Kush" Griffith: Trumpet
Johnny Griggs: Conga, Tambourine
Johnny Grimes: Trumpet
Clayton "Chicken" Gunnells: Trumpet, Sax (Tenor)
Lewis Hamlin: Trumpet
Richard Harris: Trombone
Ernie Hayes: Organ, Piano
Timothy Hedding: Piano
Bud Hobgood: Producer
Bob Holloway: Sax (Alto)
Sam Hurt: Trombone
Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison: Trumpet
McKinley Johnson: Trumpet
Nat Jones: Sax (Alto)
Alphonso "Country" Kellum: Guitar
Nat Kendrick: Drums
Anna King: Performer
Al Lucas: Bass
Carl Lynch: Guitar
Clifford MacMillan: Sax (Tenor)
Hearlon "Cheese" Martin: Guitar
Robert McCollough: Sax (Tenor)
John Morgan: Drums
Jimmy Nolen: Guitar
Bernard Odum: Bass
Jimmy Parker: Sax (Alto)
Melvin Parker: Drums
Dave Parkinson: Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
St. Clair Pinckney: Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Kenny Poole: Guitar
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie: Drums
Levi Rasbury: Trumpet
Waymon Reed: Trumpet
Wallace Richardson: Guitar
Ron Scott: Handclapping, DJ
Troy Seals: Guitar
John Starks: Drums
Clyde Stubblefield: Drums
Fred Thomas: Bass
Sam Thomas: Bass
Ron Tooley: Trumpet
Teddy Washington: Trumpet
Eldee Williams: Sax (Tenor)
Catherine Ladis: Project Assistant
Bill Levenson: Executive Producer
Bob Long: Handclapping, DJ
Sammy Lowe: Arranger, Conductor
David Matthews: Arranger, Conductor
Chuck Stewart: Photography
Terri Tierney: Project Coordinator
Harry Weinger: Compilation Producer
Clifford White: Liner Notes