Latest news with #GetUpOffaThatThing
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
The singer who had 'greatest vocal range of the 1960s', according to science
The unrivalled singer eclipsed big names like Elvis and Mick Jagger, according to a recent study. The world has been blessed with top vocalists over the years, but a new study has given one famous singer in particular a prestigious title. The crooner took the crown of the 1960s artist with the most impressive vocal range - and he beat several other big names. James Brown, affectionately known as the Godfather of Soul, is the singer in question, according to Concert Hotels' research. They say the late icon exhibited a remarkable vocal stretch from E2 to F6 octaves with ease. Analysing classic pop culture artists through a monitoring system, the study concluded that Brown's vocal prowess eclipsed that of his contemporaries, including Elvis Presley and Mick Jagger. The same study also noted that Mariah Carey holds the record for the highest note reached by a vocalist, while Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses hits the lowest – both artists having started their careers well after the '60s period. Brown, famed for his vigorous stage presence, had a knack for delivering piercing screeches and deep, soulful tones in chart-toppers like Super Bad and Get Up Offa That Thing. He famously flaunted his range during a performance on The T.A.M.I. Show on October 28, 1964, reports the Mirror US. As Jagger lingered backstage ready to perform with The Rolling Stones, he was reassured by Marvin Gaye who suggested that despite Brown's electric set, "just go out there and do your best." Known for his acute musical ear, Brown could detect any slip-ups his band made during shows. He was notorious for issuing fines to band members who faltered musically during performances. James spent his formative years in the care of his great-aunt in Georgia, following his parents' divorce. Growing up in the Deep South during the Great Depression of the 1930s exposed him to some of America's most trying times. On one occasion, his poverty was so dire that he was sent home from school for wearing "insufficient clothes." His musical talents began to flourish at a tender age, thanks to his neighbours teaching him to play various instruments such as drums, piano, and guitar. His passion for gospel music, ignited in church, would ultimately propel him to stardom. While attending Alto Reform School, James founded a gospel group called the Flames, later known as the Famous Flames. The group caught the attention of Little Richard, a renowned rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll artist, who helped them gain recognition. In 1956, they released their debut single, 'Please. Please. Please', which sold three million copies and launched James into the spotlight. Throughout the 1960s, James earned the nickname Soul Brother Number One, and by the 1970s, he was revered as the Godfather of Soul. His remarkable career comprised 100 singles, nearly 50 chart-topping albums, and unforgettable live performances, including Live at the Apollo, which remained on the charts for 22 weeks. Despite leaving behind a lasting musical legacy, James passed away on Christmas morning in 2006 at the age of 73, due to complications from fluid in his lungs and a heart attack. His widow, Tomi Rae, revealed that the star had battled his condition for days before his passing. Following his passing, she laid bare the reality of their life together versus his public image. She said: "There was this public image he'd spent years creating and there was the real James Brown I lived with for nine years. I was the only person to see the real him. By the end, he was suffering terribly from arthritis in his legs. I had to massage him." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Scoop
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
U.S. GIRLS Shares 'Like James Said'
Toronto-based producer, film composer, and author Meg Remy anticipates her intuitive and adventurous U.S. Girls album Scratch It (out June 20 Via 4AD) with a new single entitled 'Like James Said,' an ELO-styled nugget of AM gold and nod to James Brown about the healing power of dancing alone. Remy's own lyrical response to Brown's 'Get Up Offa That Thing', the track showcases her great - and characteristically tragicomic - phrasing, notably on the exaggerated pause in the line, "I'm the queen of exercising [...] pain.' It was written alongside Rich Morel, adding to his and Remy's long string of hits together ('Rosebud,' '4 American Dollars'). 'Like James Said' also arrives alongside a single-shot dance performance, directed by and starring comedian Tom Henry. Earlier this month, Remy introduced Scratch It with the release of an epic 12-minute lead single, 'Bookends' - a sprawling ballad that pays tribute to Remy's late friend and former Power Trip frontman Riley Gale, through the lens of Remy's reading of John Carey's Eye witness To History, a historical collection of 300+ eye witness accounts of great world events spanning twenty-four centuries. The single arrived alongside a cinematic short directed by Caity Arthur. ABOUT U.S. GIRLS Originally from Illinois, Meg Remy is established as one of the most acclaimed songwriters to emerge from Toronto's eclectic underground music scene where she currently lives. As the creative force behind the musical entity U.S. Girls, her celebrated decades-long discography includes three Polaris Prize shortlisted and Juno-nominated albums on 4AD: Half Free (2015), In A Poem Unlimited (2018), Heavy Light (2020), as well as Bless This Mess (2023) and live compilation Lives (2023). Remy has exhibited collage work and directed several music videos and other video art works including her short film Woman's Advocate (2014). She published her first book, a memoir called Begin By Telling (2021), and is working on a follow-up. Recently, Remy has turned film composer, scoring Grace Glowicki's horror comedy Dead Lover, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Her producer credits include Bria Salmena's Big Dog (2025, Sub Pop). As a platform and persona, U.S. Girls operates on a uniquely out-of-time wavelength, alternately wronged and rueful, classic but contemporary, bruised vignettes of poetic Americana through a feminist lens.
