The Famous Flames was an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd that performed with James Brown during the early years of his career. On recordings such as "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me" and "I'll Go Crazy" the group's smooth backing harmonies contrasted strikingly with Brown's own rough, impassioned delivery. The Famous Flames also appeared prominently in the breakthrough album Live at the Apollo. Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Bobby Byrd (born Bobby Day on August 15, 1934) is an African American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, best known as James Browns longtime sideman and co-vocalist. ... James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006), commonly referred to as The Godfather of Soul and The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, was an American entertainer recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music. ... Please, Please, Please is a 1956 single by James Brown & the Famous Flames. ... Live At The Apollo is a 1963 album by James Brown. ...

The Famous Flames appeared less and less often on record as Brown's music moved beyond his original R&B style and into the realm of funk. They continued to appear with him on stage until 1967. After briefly leaving him in the late 60s, Byrd continued with Brown in a supporting vocal role into the 70s and beyond. Funk is an African American musical style. ... See also: 1966 in music, other events of 1967, 1968 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music 1967 was an important year for psychedelic music, with releases from The Doors (The Doors, Strange Days), Jefferson Airplane (Surrealistic Pillow), the Beatles Sgt. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...

Billing

On their first recording, "Please, Please, Please", The Famous Flames were billed simply as The Flames. In later concerts and recordings Brown and the group were billed as James Brown and The Famous Flames, or sometimes as James Brown and His Famous Flames. Aside from the early exception of guitarist Nafloyd Scott, The Famous Flames consisted only of the singers who backed Brown, not the instrumentalists in his band. During the 50s and 60s his band was billed separately as the James Brown Band, the James Brown Orchestra, or the Poets depending on the circumstances. // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

Lineup

At the time "Please, Please, Please" was recorded on February 4, 1956, The Famous Flames consisted of Byrd, Johnny Terry, Sylvester Keels, and Nash Knox with Nafloyd Scott on guitar. The personnel of The Famous Flames fluctuated, and Terry was the only member of the original lineup to perform on their next hit, "Try Me", in 1958. The longest-serving members of The Famous Flames were Byrd, Bobby Bennett, and "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth. See also: 1955 in music, other events of 1956, 1957 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events Cameo-Parkway Records formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Kal Mann & Bernie Lowe. ... See also: 1957 in music, other events of 1958, 1959 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 28 - Little Richard begins attending classes at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama February 14 - The Iranian government bans rock & roll because they claim that the form...

References

• White, Cliff and Weinger, Harry (1991). Are You Ready for Star Time?. In Star Time [CD liner notes]. New York: Polydor Records.

External link

• MusicWeb Encyclopedia entry on The Famous Flames