L.A. Style - James Brown Is Dead [1991] 2006

YouTube via mauriciokalil.

RIP James Brown. You will be missed. There was a certain something about the man. As a good friend of mine, who also passed, would always say, "You're so fucking suave." A bit of a David Lynch, Blue Velvet reference. Apologies for being late on this one. I heard the news on Christmas day as well, but held off as this site is only about synths. Then it occurred to me that James Brown is probably one of the most sampled sounds in "synth music." As for this track, it was one of the tracks that was played at nearly every rave I went to during that time, and it's a classic example of the Roland Alpha Juno Hoover sound. Oddly, I don't think I hear a James Brown sample in it. There's a bit of him dancing in the middle of the video but that's it. If you know of a JB sample in the track feel free to comment.

For those of you in New York, James Brown's body will be shown one last time at the Apollo theater [via]:

"James Brown's body is being flown to New York City, where the legendary showman will be put on public display at the Apollo Theater this Thursday.

'It would almost be unthinkable for a man who lived such a sensational life to go away quietly," the Rev. Al Sharpton said in an interview from Georgia, where he was making funeral arrangements with Brown's children.

Sharpton said the public Apollo viewing will be followed by a private ceremony Friday in Brown's hometown, Augusta, Ga., and another public ceremony, officiated by Sharpton, a day later at the James Brown Arena there.

'His greatest thrill was always the lines around the Apollo Theater," Sharpton said of the Harlem landmark. "I felt that James Brown in all the years we talked would have wanted one last opportunity to let the people say goodbye to him and he to the people.'

In other Brown news, director Spike Lee has signed on to direct a film about the Godfather of Soul."

And... Here we go. Thank you James Brown.