The Amazing Story of the Joe Tex/James Brown Feud

"Money won't change you, Joe - but I will take you out! Payback!"

"You better hold on, James - I don't play! I'll go upside your head!"

Joe Tex and James Brown were bitter rivals. The beef started over a controversy about stage moves. JT thought JB swiped his trademark microphone kicking tricks. JB claimed JT stole them from him. This led to an escalating series of thefts and public jabs that stands up to any modern day hip-hop feud. After all, Joe Tex was the original rapper.

Things started heating up when Jay-B covered a new Jay-T single, "Baby You're Right".

The singers released the cuts around the same time, but Brown had the bigger hit, reaching number two R&B and scoring on the pop chart. Joe was still wandering the wilderness in terms of record sales, so the drubbing on the charts had to sting.

It probably didn't help that James hands Joe his Tex ass, performance wise. How did Joe miss the opportunity to rap over that boring organ solo in the middle?

(not to mention the fact that Brown took half the songwriting credit for his version)

The battle began in earnest when JB stole JT's girlfriend, Bea Ford. Then, just to twist the knife, JB sent JT a letter telling him that he was through with the Bea and Joe could have her back.

This led to the magnificent diss record "You Keep Her", where Joe calls James out by name, saying he was better off without the Bea anyway.

So up yours, Godfather!

The situation came to a head at a double-billed gig in Macon, Georgia. JB hadn't played his home turf in a while. JT opened the highly anticipated homecoming. He came onstage wearing a ratty, torn blanket, fell down on his knees, grabbed his back like he was in terrible pain, tangled himself up, and hollered, "Please! Please! Please! Get me out of this cape!"

Joe Tex did that opening for James Brown.

In Macon, Georgia.

Wayne Cochran says so!

JB was furious, and trailed JT to an after-show at a local juke joint, Club 15. The band at the gig just happened to be the Otis Redding and the Pinetoppers. Brown grabbed a couple of shotguns, went inside, and started firing at Tex, Omar style! Someone in the bar returned fire, and Joe fled out the back, while Otis and Johnny Jenkins hid behind the piano. Apparently seven people were injured in the crossfire. JB ran back to his tour bus, got behind the wheel, and took off.

"Remember that time James Brown shot up the Club 15 tryin'

to kill Joe Tex and you had to hide behind the piano?"

Eventually the two patched things up enough for Joe to pen the immortal line: "If I was a dancefloor, James Brown could mash potatoes on me all night long!"

Check out page two of this great article about Brown by Scott Freeman, written for Atlanta's Creative Loafing in 2007, and this summary of the beef by James McAllister.

It's all true!

Wayne Cochran wouldn't lie!

Joe Tex - "Skinny Legs And All" on Upbeat! (Live!)

Joe Tex - I'm A Man

Baby, Be Good

Here's one of my favorites from Joe. Sounds good LOUD!
Joe Tex - Baby Be Good

JOE TEX month Day 6: The Anna/Chess singles: 1960-1963

It's a hit!

The turn of the decade saw Joe land on yet another roster, this time the proto-Motown label Anna.

The thought of Joe Tex on the label that eventually turns into Motown leads to all kinds of speculation of what Joe would have sounded like if he stayed in Detroit. Considering both Joe and Motown's fondness for two part titles, the parenthetical possibilities are endless.

"If Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (Was As Sweet As You)" . . .

"You've Really Got a Hold On (To What You've Got)" . . .

"Mickey's Monkey (Don't Stop No Show)!"

For Anna (and Chess, who licensed the early Anna material) Tex delivered his best series of singles yet. His songwriting was growing by leaps and bounds and his performances exude the miles of confidence, charm and shamelessness that makes his work for Dial so unique and special.

Eventually all of these wound up on the post-"Hold on the What You've Got" compilation album at the top of this post, which is to my ears the first must-own Joe Tex LP (unless you've got 'em all on 45 that is!)

The biggest innovation in his performance style are the raps. Both "I Will Never Break Your Heart" and the eventual Etta James hit "All I Could Do Was Cry" stretch out over both sides of the 45, and the second part is all storytelling. While they're not quite the full-on knowledge drops that he gets into in a few years, it's still the first appearance of the style that set him apart from all other soul singers.

"I'll Never Break Your Heart" is an uptempo answer record to the Impressions' classic "He Will Break Your Heart". It cooks delightfully for the first half, with the Texcitement building every minute, but it really takes off on the flip, where Joe preaches himself into a frenzy. He's so worked up at the end that he hollers "It's a hit!" Sadly, it wasn't. Joe still had four frustrating years to go.

His other singles for Anna are more straight ahead, but they still are a breed apart from typical R&B. Check out the hilarious "Don't Play" down at the first post of Joe Tex month, and dig "Ain't I a Mess", an autobiographical tale of destiny that includes his Grandma, a travelogue of soul-circuit theaters and that fantastic laugh.

Tune in tomorrow for the incredible story of the Joe Tex/James Brown war.

THE APOLLOS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PHYLLIS DILLER!

HERE'S A LINK AS THE EMBEDDING CODE HAS BEEN DISABLED...WORTH IT!!!

When Ichiban Months Collide: Arthur Alexander covers Joe Tex!

Take it easy - you haven't been suddenly transported back to 2011. We'll get back to the Tex-in' tomorrow, but for today I couldn't resist posting this unreleased-until-the-90s 1968 cover of "Taking Care of a Woman (Is a Full Time Job)" by Ichiban's Mr. December, Arthur Alexander. Arthur was one of the few soul artists of the 60s who displayed his country influence as much as Joe. The OG is on the I've Got to Do a Little Bit Better LP, which, believe me, we will get to in good time.

I'm too hung over from DJ'ing last night to do anything better.

R.I.P. LUX INTERIOR...3 YEARS...

MY LUX TRIBUTE SHOW FROM 3 YEARS AGO...ENJOY.

PART 1


PART 2

If Sugar Was As Sweet As You - Joe Tex

JOE TEX month Day 4: Jalynne and the Pickwick Perplex

After Joe left the Ace label, he made a pit stop at the New York based Jalynne Records. As far as I can tell he only released one 45 for this label, featuring the countrified "Wicked Woman" (more domestic drama in the work-a-day world) on the A side and the bluesy "Goodbye My Love" on the flip.

At least it's also available in mono

Once Joe achieved some fame, a number of comps of his early material became available through budget labels. This Pickwick one, unfortunately, is deceptive. Beyond the released Jalynne material there are some songs that sound a lot like Joe Tex, but an awful lot of the material doesn't. Roctober's very useful Joe Tex album guide confirms my long time suspicion that a lot of these cuts aren't really Joe Tex. At least Crown Records or Guest Star had the decency to hip a collecta to the fact that they were only getting a few cuts by the artist Fazzio'd on the front!

One of the songs that I'm pretty sure is Tex, due to the voice and the ridiculousness of the subject matter, is the rockin' "Talkin' Dog", which, beyond the Jalynne single, is the main reason to spring for this should you ever see it in a dolla bin at the flea market.

Joe Tex Show

Thanks to Todd from Our Facebook Page

JOE TEX - Rock and Roll Cowboy: The Ace Years

After Joe moved on from King records he released a half a dozen singles on the New Orleans label ACE. All of them are comped on this early 70s (Post-"I Gotcha") Pride budget label comp "History of Joe Tex".

caveat emptor - rechanneled stereo!!

The Ace recordings continue to see a Tex in development - heavily under the thrall of Little Richard and not penning a whole lot of his own tunes. Nickname king Joe was this time billed as "The Rock 'n' Roll Cowboy" and the persona didn't always suit him. But, like the King recordings, there are hints here of things to come, and some pretty great music in its own right.

On his first single for Ace - the Chuck Willis penned "Cut It Out" - we hear what as far as I can tell is the first appearance of one of his most crucial performance techniques - the mid-song laugh.

On the self-penned Mother's Advice, the B-side of the hot "You Little Baby Face Thing", Joe seeks counsel from his mom, launching a long series of songs about moms, grandmas, dads and granddads and really sticking in the autobiographical details (the bit at the end about his dad dying early shows up in later songs). The song's narrative style of balladry is of course, with a few tweaks, what eventually made him a star.

sorry for the crappy photo above and for no photo for Mother's Advice

I tragically don't actually own these records!

But what's probably the hottest performance Joe released on ACE didn't even come out under his own name! The smokin' hot and DJ-scaringly short "Open the Door" was released by Little Booker as the flip of the instrumental "Teenage Rock". Little Booker was in reality NOLA piano and organ MEGAGENIUS James Booker, but the vocal on the flip was actually sung by an uncredited Tex.

JOE TEX on KING: 1955 - 1957

It took Joe about 10 years and half a dozen labels before he truly found his voice. He doesn't really start preaching (on record, anyway) until a couple of magnificent 45s he cut for Anna in the early 60s. And although his good humor is always present, he doesn't really start incorporating the folksy wisdom that makes him so unique until he gets to Dial and Nashville knob-twiddler Buddy Killen starts producing him.

But even on his earliest hits for his first label, King, you can hear some of his later writing and performing tics loud and clear.

On "Pneumonia" for instance, we get to hear his love for the one-upping "answer record" (in this case to "Fever", obviously), his fondness for writing songs about funny diseases, and his strange and slightly uncomfortable tendency to use comedic domestic violence as a, uhm, punchline.

On "Davey, You Upset My Home" we can hear his skill with funny social commentary, a little bit of his country influence, and . . . his strange and slightly uncomfortable tendency to use comedic domestic violence as a, uhm, punchline.

Do you like the Chipmunks?

If you do (and what right-thinking American doesn't?), then I strongly recommend you go have a look at this swell blog stuffed full of photos of rare Chipmunks items. It looks like she may have given up on it, but perhaps a flood of comments might wake things up again.

Battle Of The Blues

Joe Williams and T-Bone Walker duke it out, with Della Reese serving as ref. It's another incredible photo from the JET archives.

Joe Tex - Chicken Crazy!

Now playing on SOUNDSBOX

Joe Tex On Soul Train

February is JOE TEX month!

The New Boss. The Dapper Rapper. The Soul Preacher. The Clown Prince of Soul. There's lots of stuff to know about Joe Tex - whose career spanned the entirety of the classic soul era and peaked with some of the most consistent, hilarious and wise soul LPs of the 1960s. But the first thing you need to know is that Joe didn't play.

I'm serious! Dude quit school in the very first grade because they had recess every day!

JOE!

He's got a bulldog jaw...

50 years ago Dick Tracy was everywhere - especially thanks to his short lived but memorable 1961 cartoon adventures.

He almost got back on the tube in 1967 but the live action pilot didn't get picked up as a series...

 

despite the KICKASS theme music by the Ventures!

Everyone's fave arm of the law was even immortalized on 45 earlier in 1961 by NY group The Chants during the height of Dick Tracy-mania.

Have a listen and remember group, crime doesn't ever pay.
 

Dick Tracy

Tassel Twirler Tuesday!

El_Monkey!

Comic Book Crazy

Little Sammy Yates - Comic Book Crazy
What? No Archie!?

Wynonie Harris, 1954

No matter where he goes, no matter what he does, the law enforcement ladies want to bust up Wynonie's party! Ten hours later: "Good morning, judge!" Photo courtesy the JET archives.

Wynonie Harris, 1958

From the JET archives.

"Mini-skirts, Kids, Stores and Long Hair" ("Magasins Des Jeunes Mini Jupes et Cheveux Longs")

Documentary footage from France. Featuring an Ultra-Cool French Pop-Psych/Freakbeat band called "Les Something", who I don't think made any records. I couldn't find any info on them, anyway. Lots of great shots of cool 60's French dancing teens. It was labeled "Magasins Des Jeunes Mini Jupes et Cheveux Longs" which Google Translate tells me means "Mini-skirts, Kids, Stores and Long Hair". Not sure if that's an actual title or just something somebody made up. No idea when this was broadcast or on what show. via Bedazzled.tv

The Impressions

With Binky Griptite and the Dee-Kays!!!

The Impressions - We're A Winner (2:18)

Desperate Man Blues

Tune in to Joe Bussard's Country Classics every Friday from 5-6 PM on WREK.  Underwritten by Dust-to-Digital records.

Podcasts via itunes

1966

These photos were shot in 1966 at an NCO club in Amberg, Germany. Via mcbooney.

Ted Barron Live On The Ichiban Webstream

Tune in to the WFMU Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban webstream every Wednesday night from 8-10 PM to hear Ted Barron spin some of his favorite rock 'n' soul hits!!  Ted is the proprietor over at the Boogie Woogie Flu blog and a damn fine photographer to boot.  Expect to hear plenty of 78 RPM discs, the way rock 'n' soul was meant to be heard.

Playlists and archives will be available for your convenience.  Welcome Ted!!

Tassel Twirler Tuesday!

Alba's_Shake!

That Fly Belongs To Me

Lanz Miles - That Fly Belongs To Me
There sure is a lot going on in this song. R&B vocals, Country/Jazz instrumentation, Outer Space, Singing Flies... What more could you want? And just dig that label art!

(Your Last Kiss) TAKE IT AND GIT! - Pete Cooke and the Baby Dolls

Pressed on wacky Easter-egg blue vinyl in the early 60s. The Baby Dolls just want Pete to git, despite his hollering protestations that him not gitting will git them all the pleasures of the world. At least they give him one last kiss as they kick him out the door.

Git! Git! Git git git git!

I Dig You Baby

Marvin Rainwater

Behind the scenes at FAME Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, AL (1969)

Featuring Brook Benton & Booker T & The MGs recording sessions (could this really be them recording "Time Is Tight?"), The Muscle Shoals horns working out an arrangement (that's gotta be Isaac Hayes playing sax, right?) and more. (A L'affiche Du Monde 3.22.69) via Bedazzled.tv

MARVIN & LINK CRY TOGETHER

Grab yo'sef some of that tasty Link Wray backing!

1961 Boo Hoo

Tassel Twirler Tuesday

Louie_and_the_Fat_Men_-_Fat_Man!

"Cajun" Radio Promos

Here are some old cajun themed radio spots for a New Orleans car dealership.
Trosclair Radio Spots

MLK Mover: Shirley Wahls

KIP ANDERSON: I Wanna Be the Only One

Kip Anderson's first record. Blazing guitar by (I believe - let's see how long it takes the internet to tell me I'm wrong) Drink Small, singer of the immortal "Tittie Man" (on Ichiban Records). Things get pretty ridiculous at a minute thirty.

I Wanna Be the Only One

Ichiban New Bin

Norma Jean - Heaven Help The Working Girl

Happy Sunday from Bunker Hill!!!

The Mighty Clouds Of Joy featuring David "BUNKER HILL" Walker on scorching lead vocals.
HALLELUJAH!!!

The Mighty Clouds Of Joy - You'll Never Know (1963)

Marijuana Grave (MP3)

Sam & Annie Taylor - Marijuana Grave

Here's some first-rate anti-drug propaganda warning of the perils of marijuana use.

Marvin Rainwater Month

Texas Bill Strength - Hillbilly Hades

Marvin Rainwater - A Gambler AND A Lover

Two goodies from Marvin Rainwater - both with ass whuppin' guitar!

First we have Marvin's version of Gamblin' Man (Roving Gambler)

And here's the loving "Rustic Rhythm" of  (There's Always) A Need For Love

Ichiban Live, Take Two!!

Last week, as you recall, we debuted a live show on the Ichiban webstream.  Tune in every Friday from 3-5 PM for Debbie Does WFMU!!  Or catch the archives at your convenience.  For requests/dedications email me at Debbie@wfmu.org. Live accuplaylist at HQ.

Coming soon: Todd-o-Phonic Todd, Matt Fiveash and Ted Barron LIVE on the Ichiban webstream!!

Tonkobushi!

Tonkobushi Rock & Roll