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Give It Up or Turnit a Loose

{{about|the song by James Brown|the song by En Vogue|Give It Up, Turn It Loose}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Give It Up or Turnit a Loose

| cover = GiveItUpOrTurnitALoose.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = James Brown

| album = Ain't It Funky

| B-side = I'll Lose My Mind

| released = {{Start date|1969|01}}

| recorded = October 29, 1968, Criteria Studios, Miami, FL

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Funk

| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=45}}

| label = King
6213

| writer = Charles Bobbit

| producer = James Brown

| chronology = James Brown charting

| prev_title = Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)

| prev_year = 1968

| next_title = Soul Pride (Part 1)

| next_year = 1969

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|HKIwkMeJ-_k|"Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose"}}|header=Audio video}}

}}

"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" is a funk song recorded by James Brown. Released as a single in 1969, the song was a #1 R&B hit and also made the top 20 pop singles chart.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=84}}White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records. "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" appeared as an instrumental on the Ain't It Funky (1970) album, removing Brown's vocals and adding guitar overdubs, while the vocal version was released on It's a New Day – Let a Man Come In (1970).

Recorded history

{{quote box|quote=The original "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" appeared as a single in early '69, arranged by the '60's bandleader "Pee Wee" Ellis. A year later, reinvigorated by his new band, Mr. Brown would readdress "Give It Up". Where the original version percolated with jazzy overtones, this revisit was kinetic, raw, uncut. This monster funk bomb exploded in the underground in '73, when a young Bronx DJ named Kool DJ Herc would load on the turntables two copies of the Sex Machine album and between them he would run an extended cut 'n' mix of the percussion breakdown. Hip-hop was born. The shockwaves have been felt ever since|source=—Stephen Ivory{{cite AV media notes|last=Ivory|first=Stephen|year=2000|title=The Funk Box|publisher=Hip-O Records|id=314 541 789-2|type=CD box set booklet|page=12}}|width=22%|align=left|style=padding:8px;|border=2px}}

Brown recorded "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" again with The J.B.'s for his 1970 live double album Sex Machine. Over five minutes long, this later recording used a substantially different instrumental arrangement, with an added organ riff and a florid bassline, as well as different lyrics. This version features Clyde Stubblefield on drum kit performing in tandem with congas.{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/05/best-drummers-list-alternative-music/130520-stubblefield-starks/|title=The 100 Greatest Drummers of Alternative Music|date=May 21, 2013|publisher=Spin magazine|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223165836/https://www.spin.com/2013/05/best-drummers-list-alternative-music/130520-stubblefield-starks/|archive-date=February 23, 2019|url-status=dead}} Note: The drums conga tandem is self-evident in minutes 4 and 5 of the recording. A remix of this recording by Tim Rogers appears on the 1986 compilation album In the Jungle Groove. The remixed version has been extensively sampled. A genuine live version of the song appears on the album Live at Chastain Park (rec. 1985, rel. 1988).

In 1974 Lyn Collins recorded the song, with Brown producing.

Dick Hyman recorded a synthesizer version of "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" on his 1969 album The Age of Electronicus.

{{clear left}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1969)

!Peak
position

U.S. Billboard Hot 100

|align="center"|15

U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles

|align="center"|1

Personnel

=1969 version=

  • James Brown - lead vocals

with the James Brown Orchestra:

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [{{Allmusic|class=song|id=t2641581|pure_url=yes}} Song Review] at Allmusic
  • [http://www.the-breaks.com/search.php?term=Give+It+Up+or+Turnit+a+Loose&type=4 List of songs that sample "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231244/http://www.the-breaks.com/search.php?term=Give+It+Up+or+Turnit+a+Loose&type=4 |date=2016-03-03 }}

{{James Brown singles}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1969 singles

Category:1969 songs

Category:James Brown songs

Category:King Records (United States) singles

{{1960s-R&B-song-stub}}