Universal James

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Universal James

| type = Studio album

| artist = James Brown

| cover = James Brown Universal James.jpg

| alt =

| released = March 9, 1993

| recorded = 1992

| studio = {{hlist|Soul II Soul (London)|Studio South (Augusta, Georgia)}}

| genre = Funk

| length = {{Duration|m=49|s=16}}

| label = Scotti Bros. Records

| producer = {{hlist|Clivillés and Cole|James Brown|Jazzie B|Sweet Charles Sherrell}}

| prev_title = Love Over-Due

| prev_year = 1991

| next_title = I'm Back

| next_year = 1998

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Universal James

| type = studio

| single1 = Can't Get Any Harder

| single1date = January 1993

| single2 = How Long

| single2date = July 12, 1993

| single3 = Georgia-Lina

| single3date = October 11, 1993

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Ankeny |first=Jason |title=James Brown - Universal James Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/universal-james-mw0000727915 |access-date=February 17, 2023 |publisher=AllMusic |language=en}}

| rev2 = Robert Christgau

| rev2score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}{{Cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |title=Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 631 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist2.php?id=631 |access-date=February 17, 2023 |website=www.robertchristgau.com}}

| rev3 = Music Week

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Jones|title=Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums|magazine=Music Week|date=March 13, 1993|page=20|accessdate=January 29, 2023|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-03-13.pdf}}

| rev4 = NME

| rev4score = 5/10{{cite magazine|first=Paul|last=Moody|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/52851853900/|title=Long Play|work=NME|date=April 10, 1993|page=33|access-date=May 4, 2023}}

| rev5 = Philadelphia Inquirer

| rev5score = {{Rating|1.5|4}}Wood, Sam (April 6, 1993). "Bowie Goes Solo to Win Back Those He Alienated". Philadelphia Inquirer.

| rev6 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev6score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{Cite book |last1=Brackett |first1=Nathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&dq=rolling+stone+brand+nubian&pg=PA109 |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |last2=Hoard |first2=Christian David |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8 |page=109 |language=en |author-link=Nathan Brackett |author-link2=Christian Hoard}}

| rev7 = Select

| rev7score = {{rating|1|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}{{cite journal |url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/03/albums22.jpg |title=James Brown: Universal James |date=April 1993 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731222431/http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/03/albums22.jpg |archive-date=31 July 2023|access-date=7 September 2024 |journal= Select |page=74 |last=Higginbotham|first=Adam}}

}}

Universal James is the fifty-sixth studio album by American musician James Brown. It was released on March 9, 1993, via Scotti Brothers Records. Recording sessions took place at Soul II Soul Studios in London and at Studio South in Augusta, Georgia. Production was handled by Jazzie B, David Cole, Robert Clivillés, "Sweet" Charles Sherrell, and James Brown himself. It features guest appearances from C+C Music Factory and Leaders of the New School on the album's lead single "Can't Get Any Harder", which peaked at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart. The album itself found a mild success on the Swiss Hitparade, reaching number 34 spot.