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James Brown's all-new song has arrived.
On Friday, February 16, UMe/Republic Records unearthed the late singer's song "We Got To Change" for a fresh three-track EP. The classic track was created at Criteria Studios in Miami on August 16, 1970. At the time, Brown was going through an intense time in his career after longtime members of his James Brown Orchestra had walked out a few months earlier. He called on close friends guitarist Phelps “Catfish” Collins, bassist William “Bootsy” Collins, Clyde Stubblefield a.k.a “The Funky Drummer" and his right-hand man on the mic Bobby Byrd to help make the song.
"We Got To Change" comes a few days before the premiere of A&E's forthcoming documentary James Brown: Say It Loud. The two-part series will examine the life and music of the late “Godfather of Soul." Mick Jagger, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Shawn Gee, Zarah Zohlman, Warner Music Group's Charlie Cohen and others serve as executive producers of the program.
"James Brown basically revolutionized music because he's one of the few band leaders who made his entire band into percussion, you know?" Questlove told Entertainment Tonight. "It wasn't a sprawling arrangement, i.e., Duke Ellington, or, you know, melody wasn't the at the forefront. Rhyme was at the forefront," Thompson told ET. "And, you know, he basically invented the soul, and he also invented what we now call the viral moment."
James Brown: Say It Loud is set to premiere on February 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. on A&E. Listen to "We Got To Change" below.