"Please, Please, Please" is a

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

song performed by

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

and

the Famous Flames The Famous Flames were an American rhythm and blues, soul vocal group founded in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1953 by Bobby Byrd. James Brown first began his career as a member of the Famous Flames, emerging as the lead singer by the time of their fir ...

. Written by Brown and Johnny Terry and released as a single on Federal Records in 1956, it reached No. 6 on the R&B charts. The group's debut recording and first chart hit, it has come to be recognized as their

signature song A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...

Background

In 1952, James Brown was released from a

youth detention center In criminal justice systems, a youth detention center, known as a juvenile detention center (JDC),Stahl, Dean, Karen Kerchelich, and Ralph De Sola. ''Abbreviations Dictionary''. CRC Press, 20011202. Retrieved 23 August 2010. , . juvenile det ...

in Toccoa, Georgia after Bobby Byrd and his family sponsored him. Brown's warden agreed to the release on the condition that Brown not return to Augusta. After his release, Brown briefly pursued a career in sports before starting his musical career as a gospel vocalist with the group the Ever-Ready Gospel Singers. When a member of Bobby Byrd's vocal group, the Avons, died in 1954, Byrd asked Brown to join his group. A year later, after performing as the Five Royals, they became the Flames, playing all over Georgia and South Carolina. According to

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

, Brown and his group came up with the idea for their first song, because Brown "used to carry around an old tattered napkin with him, because Little Richard had written the words, 'please, please, please' on it and James was determined to make a song out of it".Merlis, Bob; Seay, Davin; James, Etta (1997), p. foreword. ''Heart and Soul – A Celebration of Black Music Style in America 1930–1975.''

Reception

"Please, Please, Please" was released on February 26, 1956. Though it sold slowly at first, the record reached the top ten of the R&B charts by late summer, eventually peaking at No. 6, selling between one and three million copies. In 2001, the 1956 version by

and

on Federal Records was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

. The song was ranked number 272 among the greatest singles ever made in

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...

's 1989 book ''The Heart of Rock & Soul''. In 2011, "Please, Please, Please" was ranked No. 143 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine's list of the "

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...

Live performances

The initial performances of the song were subpar though the group itself was received well. It took a number of years until the Flames developed a routine for the performance. Starting in 1959, Brown would perform the song to the point of feigned exhaustion, when he would drop to his knees and collapse on the stage. Meanwhile, a fellow Flame (sometimes Bobby Byrd and at other times Bobby Bennett) would drop either a blanket or big towel around Brown's back and help him offstage. Before completely exiting, Brown would rip the towel off and return to his microphone, adding to the excitement of his audience. Influenced by

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

and professional wrestler

Gorgeous George George Raymond Wagner (March 24, 1915 – December 26, 1963) was an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Gorgeous George. In the United States, during the First Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in the 1940s–1950s, Gorgeou ...

, who both wore capes, Brown began wearing capes in his act.

Personnel

– lead vocal ''with the Flames:'' * Bobby Byrd – background vocals * Johnny Terry – background vocals * Sylvester Keels – background vocals * Nash Knox – background vocals * Nafloyd Scott – guitar ''plus:'' * Wilbert "Lee Diamond" Smith – tenor saxophone * Ray Felder – tenor saxophone * Lucas "Fats" Gonder – piano * Clarence Mack – bass * Edison Gore – drums

Filmed performances

* Brown and the Famous Flames performed "Please, Please, Please" as part of their set in '' The T.A.M.I. Show'' in 1964. * In the film '' Blues Brothers 2000'', Brown performs the song after the closing credits. * In

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...

's '' Liberty Heights'', an actor in the role of Brown performs the song in a theater along Baltimore's Pennsylvania Avenue. * A live version of the song appears in the film '' The Commitments''. * Brown and the Famous Flames also sang and performed "Please Please Please" on a 1964 telecast of Dick Clark's ''Where the Action Is'' on ABC.

Other versions and recordings

In 1964, during a contract dispute between Brown and King Records head Syd Nathan, the label reissued the original 1956 performance of "Please, Please, Please" with

overdub Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more a ...

bed crowd noise in an attempt to pass it off as a live recording. The reissue reached No. 95 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Brown also re-recorded the song several times later in his career. On his 1972 album '' Get on the Good Foot'', he did an upbeat long version, which lasted over twelve minutes. 1974's ''

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

'' included a salsa version of the song that featured Brown speaking in Spanish. For Brown's 1976 album ''Hot'', he recorded a more solemn,

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

rendition, which featured male background vocalists in the quiet storm style of

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

's music.

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...

released a live version of "Please, Please, Please" as single on Kent Records, which was included on their 1964 album '' Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live''. They also performed the song on ''The Big T.N.T Show'' in 1965. After their resurgence on the charts, Kent reissued the single in 1970. It reached No. 45 on ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

s R&B chart. The song (with altered lyrics) was covered by

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

on their 1965 debut album ''

My Generation "My Generation" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by ''Rolling Stone'' on its list of the " 500 Greatest S ...

''. In February 1967, Swedish band the Maniacs, featuring a young

Tommy Körberg Bert Gustav Tommy Körberg (; born 4 July 1948) is a Swedish singer, actor and musician. English-speaking audiences know him best for his role as Anatoly/"The Russian" in the musical ''Chess''. He played the role on the 1984 concept album, and ...

, recorded the song as a single. Released as a single in March of that year, backed by Paul Ferris "Visions",''Tom Mick & Maniacs'' (liner notes pg. 8). Brandels, Göran. Tom & Mick & Maniacs.

Riverside Records Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riversid ...

. 2013. it became the group's breakthrough hit, reaching No. 5 on '' Tio i Topp'' and No. 12 on sales chart Kvällstoppen that year. The song was covered by

The Residents The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music vid ...

on their 1984 tribute album George & James.

References

{{Authority control 1956 debut singles 1956 songs Federal Records singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients James Brown songs Songs written by James Brown The Famous Flames songs The Who songs Ike & Tina Turner songs 1964 singles Kent Records singles Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time