The Famous Flames
Encyclopedia
The Famous Flames was an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd
that recorded and performed with James Brown
during the early years of his career. On hit recordings such as "Please, Please, Please
", "Try Me
", "Think"," I Don't Mind
","Shout and Shimmy
", "Bewildered
", "Oh Baby, Don't You Weep
", and "I'll Go Crazy" the group's smooth backing harmonies contrasted strikingly with Brown's own rough, impassioned delivery, and their synchronized dance steps were a prominent visual feature of his live shows. The Famous Flames performed with Brown on many of his live and studio albums, including his breakthrough Live at the Apollo, and appeared with him in the films The T.A.M.I. Show
and Ski Party
. They also made appearances on television programs including American Bandstand
and Where the Action Is
(both hosted by Dick Clark) and two episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show
.
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
; he later claimed that "[t]hey were a good stage act, but they couldn't really sing all that good." Their last studio recording with Brown was "Maybe the Last Time", the B-side of his 1964 proto-funk single
"Out of Sight
". They continued to appear with him on stage until 1968. After briefly leaving him in the late 60s, Byrd continued with Brown in a supporting vocal role into the 70s and beyond.
During the earliest phase of the Flames' career, before they had a recording contract, each member of the group played an instrument
; Bobby Byrd played the piano
, while Brown himself played drums. However, in later years (aside from the brief exception of guitarist Nafloyd Scott) The Famous Flames consisted specifically of the singers who backed Brown, not the instrumentalists in his band. (During the 50s and 60s the band was billed separately, first as the James Brown Band and later on as the James Brown Orchestra.) Brown and the Flames' record label
King Records
contributed to the confusion on this point by crediting the vocal group on the printed labels of James Brown single
s such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World
" that did not actually feature them.
The longest-lasting Famous Flames lineup consisted of Byrd, Bobby Bennett, and "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth. This lineup lasted a full 10 years, from 1958 to 1968, with original member Johnny Terry coming in and out of the group during this period as a substitute and occasional 4th member. When James Brown became one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
's first inductees in 1986, The Famous Flames were not inducted. With the deaths of James Brown in 2006 and Bobby Byrd in 2007 (Stallworth died in 2001), Johnny Terry and Bobby Bennett are the last living members of the original Famous Flames.
Bobby Byrd
Bobby Byrd born Robert Howard Byrd was an American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, songwriter and record producer. He was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and is a 1998 winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award...
that recorded and performed with James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
during the early years of his career. On hit recordings such as "Please, Please, Please
Please, Please, Please
"Please, Please, Please" is an R&B song written by James Brown and Johnny Terry and recorded by Brown and The Flames. Released in 1956 as a single on the Cincinnati, Ohio-based label Federal Records, it was Brown's first professional recording and his first hit, eventually selling over a million...
", "Try Me
Try Me (song)
"Try Me" is a song written and performed by James Brown. He recorded it with his singing group The Famous Flames in 1958. A plaintive ballad, it was the group's second R&B hit , and early in 1959 it became their first song to reach #1 on the R&B chart and was also the first time the group hit the...
", "Think"," I Don't Mind
I Don't Mind (James Brown song)
"I Don't Mind" is a 1961 R&B song recorded by James Brown & The Famous Flames. Originally recorded in the studio and released as a single, it was a Top 5 national Billboard R&B hit, peaking at #4, and reached #47 on the Billboard Hot 100...
","Shout and Shimmy
Shout and Shimmy
"Shout and Shimmy" is an R&B song written by James Brown, and recorded by him and The Famous Flames. It rose to #16 on the R&B chart and #61 on the Billboard Hot 100....
", "Bewildered
Bewildered
"Bewildered" is a popular song written in 1936 by Teddy Powell and Leonard Whitcup. It was a 1938 hit for Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, and was also recorded by Mildred Bailey in the same year. The song was revived in the late forties when two different versions, by the Red Miller Trio and Amos...
", "Oh Baby, Don't You Weep
Oh Baby, Don't You Weep
"Oh Baby Don't You Weep" is a song recorded in 1964 by James Brown and The Famous Flames. Based upon the spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep", it was released as a two-part single on King Records K5842 and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States....
", and "I'll Go Crazy" the group's smooth backing harmonies contrasted strikingly with Brown's own rough, impassioned delivery, and their synchronized dance steps were a prominent visual feature of his live shows. The Famous Flames performed with Brown on many of his live and studio albums, including his breakthrough Live at the Apollo, and appeared with him in the films The T.A.M.I. Show
The T.A.M.I. Show
T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
and Ski Party
Ski Party
Ski Party is a B-movie, directed by Alan Rafkin, and released in 1965 by American International Pictures. Ski Party is part of the 1960s Beach Party film genre, with a change of setting from the beach to the slopes - although the final scene places everyone back at the beach...
. They also made appearances on television programs including American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
and Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is or ' was a music-based television variety show in the United States from 1965–67. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon...
(both hosted by Dick Clark) and two episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
.
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
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
; he later claimed that "[t]hey were a good stage act, but they couldn't really sing all that good." Their last studio recording with Brown was "Maybe the Last Time", the B-side of his 1964 proto-funk single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Out of Sight
Out of Sight (song)
"Out of Sight" is an Rhythm and blues song recorded by James Brown in 1964. A twelve-bar blues written by Brown under the pseudonym "Ted Wright", the stuttering, staccato dance rhythms and blasting horn section riffs of its instrumental arrangement were an important evolutionary step in the...
". They continued to appear with him on stage until 1968. After briefly leaving him in the late 60s, Byrd continued with Brown in a supporting vocal role into the 70s and beyond.
Billing
Prior to their first recording, "Please, Please, Please", The Famous Flames were billed simply as The Flames, and Brown himself was billed as a member of the group. 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.During the earliest phase of the Flames' career, before they had a recording contract, each member of the group played an instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
; Bobby Byrd played the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, while Brown himself played drums. However, in later years (aside from the brief exception of guitarist Nafloyd Scott) The Famous Flames consisted specifically of the singers who backed Brown, not the instrumentalists in his band. (During the 50s and 60s the band was billed separately, first as the James Brown Band and later on as the James Brown Orchestra.) Brown and the Flames' record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
King Records
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
contributed to the confusion on this point by crediting the vocal group on the printed labels of James Brown single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is a song written and recorded by James Brown. It was released as a two-part single in 1965, and is considered seminal in the musical genre of funk.-The hit single:...
" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World
It's a Man's Man's Man's World
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is a song by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966 in a New York studio and released it as a single later that year. It reached #1 on the Billboard Top R&B Singles charts and #8 in the Billboard Hot 100...
" that did not actually feature them.
Lineup
The personnel of The Famous Flames varied widely in the group's early years. For example, when "Please, Please, Please" was recorded on February 4, 1956, The Flames was made up of Brown, Byrd, Johnny Terry, Sylvester Keels, and Nash Knox with Nafloyd Scott on guitar, but Terry was the only member of the original lineup (aside from Brown himself) to perform on the group's next hit, "Try Me", in 1958. According to Brown's autobiography, group founder Bobby Byrd (who briefly left the Flames upon the group's initial break-up) returned to the group shortly thereafter. King Records never put the Flames' faces on any of the group's album covers, a practice that prevented the record-buying public from getting to know the members other than Brown himself.The longest-lasting Famous Flames lineup consisted of Byrd, Bobby Bennett, and "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth. This lineup lasted a full 10 years, from 1958 to 1968, with original member Johnny Terry coming in and out of the group during this period as a substitute and occasional 4th member. When James Brown became one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
's first inductees in 1986, The Famous Flames were not inducted. With the deaths of James Brown in 2006 and Bobby Byrd in 2007 (Stallworth died in 2001), Johnny Terry and Bobby Bennett are the last living members of the original Famous Flames.