"Let Yourself Go" is a 1967 song by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

Release history

Brown recorded "Let Yourself Go" after hours in the

Latin Casino The Latin Casino was a Philadelphia-area nightclub that first opened in 1944 at 1309 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many top entertainers performed at the Latin including Harry Belafonte, Jimmy Durante, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, ...

nightclub during a ten-day performing engagement there. An edited version of this recording was released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

, which charted #5 R&B and #46 Pop, and appeared on the album ''Sings Raw Soul''. A 3:47-long unedited version of the recording with overdubbed applause was included on Brown's album ''

Live at the Garden ''Live at the Garden'' is the fourth DVD release by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, recorded on July 8, 2003 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was released on November 11, 2003. Overview The DVD documents Pearl Jam on ...

'', which was itself recorded during the same Latin Casino engagement. The song first appeared in unedited form without overdubs on the 1991

box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

'' Star Time''. The 2009 Expanded Edition of ''Live at the Garden'' included versions of the song both with and without overdubs, along with an instrumental jam and a false start from the recording session.

"There Was a Time"

Brown and his musicians continued to experiment with the

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

of "Let Yourself Go" during rehearsals on the road. Eventually a new song, " There Was a Time", developed from the accumulated changes. It was recorded live on stage at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...

, where it was the longest part of an extended

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with "Let Yourself Go" and "I Feel All Right". Released in edited form as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of " I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)", "There Was a Time" charted #3 R&B and #36 Pop. When a version of the full Apollo medley appeared on Brown's 1968 album ''

Live at the Apollo, Volume II ''Live at the Apollo, Volume II'' is a 1968 live double album by James Brown and The Famous Flames, recorded in 1967 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. It is a follow-up to Brown's 1963 recording, '' Live at the Apollo''. It is best known for the lo ...

'', "There Was a Time" was the only song advertised on the album's cover, and it overshadowed its predecessor to the extent that its title became the colloquial name for the entire medley.Smith, R.J. (2012). ''The One: The Life and Music of James Brown'', 175. New York: Gotham Books.

References

{{authority control James Brown songs Songs written by James Brown 1967 singles King Records (United States) singles 1967 songs