PowerPoint #3: King Musicians were Traveling Performers
According to historian Frederick Douglass Opie, “The chitlin circuit was crucial to black artists like James Brown... because it offered the only way for them to perform for their fans during a period when the white media did not cover and mainstream venues did not book black artists.”
To supplement their income and to promote their records, musicians on King were often on the road for weeks at a time. They drove hours every day, before cars had air conditioners, and performed at a different venue every night.
James Brown, “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud), 1968 Uh! With your bad self! Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud! Some people say we've got a lot of malice Some say it's a lot of nerve But I say we won't quit moving until we get what we deserve We have been buked and we have been scorned We have been treated bad, talked about as sure as your’re born But just as it takes two eyes to make a pair, ha Brother we can't quit until we get our share Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud! One more time! Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud! I worked on jobs with my feet and my hand But all the work I did was for the other man Now we demand a chance to do things for ourselves We're tired of beatin' our head against the wall And workin' for someone else Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud We're people, we're just like the birds and the bees We'd rather die on our feet Than be livin' on our knees Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud
Discussion Questions on “Say It Loud” The term “Black” rather than “colored” or “Negro” was relatively new in Why do you think James Brown used it in this song? Some people have argued that this song is anti-white. James Brown argued it was about pride rather than prejudice. What do you think? How does this song reflect the American ideals of independence? Why did Brown use the voices of children for the refrain of this song? Why did James Brown include (“sample”) a line from the gospel song, “I’ve Been ‘Buked and I Been Scorned”?