Cold Sweat

James Brown · 1967 · Arrangement by Pee Wee Ellis, who was trained in jazz; one of the birth certificates of funk

Context

Written by James Brown and Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis, "Cold Sweat" was recorded in May 1967 at King Studios in Cincinnati, in one take according to Ellis, and released in June as a two-part single. A single real chord change, instruments treated as percussion, emphasis on the downbeat: it is often described as the first funk track, with the first drum break called for by Brown. No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1967, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

In the genealogy of jazz

This track belongs to Soul jazz, boogaloo. Among the origins and influences of Soul jazz, boogaloo: Hard bop, Jump blues, R&B, Gospel.

Sources

• EN: Cold Sweat

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