Download or Listen to James Brown – Hot (I Need To Be Loved Loved Loved Loved) from the Polydor 45

Good midweek to you all out there. Today’s post is going to be a bit on the short side, but it’s for a great reason. I have some great news that I’ll be breaking in the next couple of weeks. Until then, here’s a side I have been sitting on for quite a while. I almost included it on the last mix I did, but I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve just spoken with Dunny from Bumpy Pitch and The Original Winger and there is going to be a collaboration between the two and Flea Market Funk, so I’m thinking of including it on that. Some East Coast Funk and Soul for the left coast if you will, an exclusive mix to be put out in the near future. You can expect all the Funk and Soul plus a great helping of football culture throughout the mix itself. Stay tuned for that. Which now brings me to the side at hand: James Brown and “Hot (I Need To Be Loved Loved Loved Loved)” from 1975 on Polydor Records. This is the first appearance from the Godfather himself here at Flea Market Funk. It’s not because I don’t love him, it’s just that I wanted to try to focus on a lot of other stuff that you can get your hands on. Respect due to JB.

This particular record, has always caused a bit of a stir. Who stole it from who? At first listen it sounds a lot like David Bowie’s “Fame” which was released in 1975. JB’s discography lists “Hot” as being released earlier in 1975. It seems that guitarist Carlos Alomar clears things up a bit. He briefly played with James Brown first at the Apollo Theater around 1968. On tour one night he drifted and missed his cue when JB said “Hit It”. Next week when his paycheck came in, there was $50 missing. The way JB handled the situation without telling him his mistake wasn’t for him and he moved on to greener pastures. Imagine just moving on from James Brown! The veteran guitar player eventually landed with Bowie, and can be heard playing the riff from “Fame” on the Dick Cavet Show in 1974 in the video below. This was way before JB put out “Hot”. The Thin White Duke must have been flattered for the hardest working man in show biz to have sampled (or stole) from him. Either way, the riff is tough and if the Godfather thinks so, it’s ok with me (but the stealing isn’t). See you Friday. FMF will be off week after next, so if any of you Toronto people want to point a guy in the direction of some record stores in the T Dot O, I will be in that vicinity from the 2nd to the 6th. Keep Diggin’!