When tracing the origins of any urban music, most avenues lead back in the direction of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.  The Super Bad Minister of New Heavy Funk always seemed to have something up his sleave other than the James Brown band (politics, education, radio stations).  One of his longest lasting (and funkiest) endeavors was the People record label.  Distributed by Polydor, People lasted from May 1971 to the Spring of 1976.  Mr. Brown would take members of his own soul revue and record them as solo artists (unusual for the man who would never put musician credits on his own records), some of the more famous being Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, and Lyn Collins.  Many of these tracks were pressed on 45”s only and have faded into obscurity.  There were a few hits (enough to sustain the label for 5 years) namely Lyn Collins’ Think, and the JBs Doing it to Death and Gimme Some More.  While a lot of these records are rare, most are instantly recognizable due to the immense amount of material that has been sampled from the People catalogue.  Nine full length LP’s were issued on People, which are incredibly hard to find original copies of (an original copy fetches between $50 - $100 US). Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it) reissues of all of the People LP’s are currently available for all those unable to find original copies.  Recently, Fred and Maceo have made somewhat of a comeback, playing for the likes of De La Soul, Dee -Lite and the Greyboy Allstars.  Maceo has a successful touring act and has released several new albums.  When asked about Fred and Maceo after his recent Vancouver concert James Brown typically replied: “I sincerely hope those guys make it one day.” Egotistical it may seem, but where would they be without the man?

People Records Discography:

LP’s:

5601 The JB’s - Food For Thought

5602 Lyn Collins - Think (About It)

5603 The JB’s - Doing it to Death

6601 Maceo - Us

6602 The JB’s - Damn Right I am Somebody

6603 Sweet Charles - For Sweet People

6604 The JB’s - Breakin’ Bread

6605 Lyn Collins - Check me out if you Don’t Know me by Now

6606 The JB’s - Hustle With Speed

45’s:

2500 James Brown - Escapism pts. 1+2

2501 James Brown - Hot Pants pts. 1+2

2502 JB’s - My Brother pts. 1+2

2505 Vicki Anderson - I’m too Tough for Mr. Big Stuff

600 The Flames - Stand up and be Counted / My Lonely Hour

601 Shirley Jean and the Relations - People Make the World go Round / If I Had a Man

602 JB’s - Gimme Some More / Rabbit got the Gun

604 Hank Ballard - Annie Had a Baby / Teardrops on Your Letter

606 Hank Ballard - Finger Poppin’ Time / With Your Sweet Lovin’ Self

607 JB’s - Hot Pants Road / Pass the Peas

608 Lyn Collins - Think / Ain’t No Sunshine

609 Leo Austin - Gimme Your Hand / Moonlight

610 JB’s - Givin’ up Food for Funk pts. 1+2

611 Martha High - Try Me / Georgy Girl

612 Leo Austin - Real Woman

614 JB’s - Backstabbers / JB Shout

615 Lyn Collins - Me and my Baby got our own Thing Going On / I’ll Never Let You

616 JB’s - Everybody Plays the Fool /  Use Me

617 JB’s - Watermelon Man / Alone Again Naturally

618 Lyn Collins - Mama Feelgood / Fly Me to the Moon

619 JB’s - Sportin’ Life / Dirty Harri

620 Leo Austin - Real Woman / Gimme Your Hand

621 JB’s - Doing it to Death / Everybody Got Soul

623 Lyn Collins - How Long can I keep it Up pts. 1+2

624 Maceo and the Macks - Parrrty pts. 1+2

625 Sly Slick & Wicked - Sho Nuff / Ready For You

626 Lyn Collins - Take Me / People Make the World Go Round

627 JB’s - If you Don’t Get it the First Time / You can Have Watergate

630 Lyn Collins - We Want to Party / You Can’t Beat Two People in Love

631 Maceo and the Macks - Soul Power ‘74 pts. 1+2

632 JB’s - Same Beat pts. 1+2

633 Lyn Collins - Don’t Make Me Over / Take me Just as I Am

634 Maceo and the Macks - I Can Play for You /

635 Leo Austin - I’m in Love / Moonlight

636 Lyn Collins - Give it up or Turn it Loose / What the World Needs now is Love

637 Devils - X-orcist / Hip Hug Her

638 JB’s - Damn Right I am Somebody Pts. 1+2

639 Sweet Charles - Soul Man / Why Can’t I Be Treated

640 Maceo - Drowning in the Sea of Love / Show and Tell

641 Lyn Collins - Rock Me Again / Wide Awake in a Dream

642 Progressors - Brothers Under Pressure / I’m so Lonely

643 JB’s -  Rockin’ Funky Watergate pts. 1+2

644 Insiders - In the Midnight Hour /  Lonely Teardrops

645 Sweet Charles - Dedicated to the One I Love

646 JB’s - Little Boy Black / Rockin’ Funky Watergate pt. 2

647 Maceo and the Macks - Cross the Track /  Soul of a Black Man

648 JB’s - Breakin’ Bread / Funky Music is My Style

649 Johnny Scotton - You Don’t Wanna Do / Win Your Love

650 Lyn Collins - You Can’t Love Me / Rock Me Again

651 JB’s - Makin’ Love / Rice’n Ribs

653 Sweet Charles - I Won’t Last a Day / I’ll Never Let You Break

654 JB’s - Thank You Falletinme Be pts. 1+2

655 JB’s - It’s the Monauail pts. 1+2

656 Sweet Charles - Hang Out and Hustle / Together

657 Lyn Collins - How Long Can I Keep It Up / Baby Don’t You Do It

658 Hustlers - Hustling / Soft Hustle

659 Lyn Collins - If You Don’t Know Me By Now pts. 1+2

660 JB’s - Thank You Falletinme Be pts. 1+2

661 Maceo - Future Shock pts. 1+2

662 Lyn Collins - Mr. Big Stuff / Rock Me Again

663 JB’s - All Aboard Funky Soul Train / Thank You

664 JB’s - Everybody Wanna Get Funky / One More Time