78 RPM JAMES BROWN 1ST RECORDING FAMOUS FLAMES FEDERAL 12258 PLEASE PLEASE 1956

$

32

Up for auction is a 1956 rhythm & blues (r&b) / soul / rock & roll 78 rpm recorded by James Brown with The Famous Flames on Federal 12258.

This was Brown's first professional recording. 

The sides are: Please, Please, Please / Why Do You Do Me.

From Wikipedia…

The Famous Flames was an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd in 1953 , that recorded and performed with James Brown during the early years of his career. James Brown actually began his career as a member of The Famous Flames, not as a solo artist. On hit recordings such as "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me", "Think"," I Don't Mind ","Shout and Shimmy", "Bewildered", "Oh Baby, Don't You Weep", and "I'll Go Crazy" the group's smooth backing harmonies contrasted strikingly with Brown's own rough, impassioned delivery, and their synchronized dance steps were a prominent visual feature of his live shows. The Famous Flames performed with Brown on many of his live and studio albums, including his breakthrough Live at the Apollo, and appeared with him in the films The T.A.M.I. Show and Ski Party. They also made appearances on television programs including American Bandstand and Where the Action Is (both hosted by Dick Clark) and two episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show.

According to The Famous Flames' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bio:

"The Famous Flames served as James Brown’s backup singers from their formation in 1953 until they disbanded in 1968. One of the Famous Flames, Bobby Byrd, remained with Brown through 1973, essentially serving as Brown’s right-hand man for 20 years. Brown’s years with the Famous Flames represent his greatest period of impact as a driving force in soul music and as a live performer. The Famous Flames not only sang but also were part of the stage choreography that made Brown’s shows so spectacular. Although James Brown was the undisputed leader, the Famous Flames ... played a significant role in his success. In fact, Brown himself was initially just one of the Flames before he busted out to become the Godfather of Soul."

The Famous Flames appeared less and less often on record as Brown's music moved beyond his original R&B style and into the realm of funk; he later claimed that "[t]hey were a good stage act, but they couldn't really sing all that good." Their last studio recording with Brown was "Maybe the Last Time", the B-side of his 1964 proto-funk single "Out of Sight". They continued to appear with him on stage until 1968. After briefly leaving him in the late 60s, Byrd continued with Brown in a supporting vocal role into the 70s and beyond.

After being ignored for over 2 decades, The Famous Flames will finally be retroactively inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside lead singer James Brown in 2012.

"Please, Please, Please" is an R&B song written by James Brown and Johnny Terry and recorded by Brown and The Flames. Released in 1956 as a single on the Cincinnati, Ohio-based label Federal Records (a division of King Records), it was Brown's first professional recording and his first hit, eventually selling over a million copies. It became Brown's signature song and a staple of his live act, usually performed as part of his cape routine.

Heavily rooted in a southern gospel music sensibility, "Please, Please, Please" features the 22-year-old Brown as a heartbroken man begging his woman not to leave him. The Famous Flames back up Brown's impassioned lament with smooth vocal harmonies.

"Please, Please, Please" reached number six on the R&B singles chart, but did not sell well to pop audiences, and peaked at #105 on the pop singles chart. An album named for the song was released in late 1958 after Brown scored a second R&B hit with "Try Me".

A 1964 reissue of "Please, Please, Please" on King Records featuring overdubbed audience noise meant to mimic a live recording (and capitalize on the success of Brown's hit Live at the Apollo album) reached #95 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2004, "Please, Please, Please" was ranked number 142 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Below are the tracks recorded with NO filtering or noise reduction.

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Grading System:

• NM = near new condition
• E = barely played, extremely close to near new condition
• VG = played, but not abused condition, should play very well, may have light scratches, scuffs
• G = well played, but should play pretty well, will have deeper scratches, scuff; may have some background noise, scratches, scuffs, wear
• P = well used, pretty bad condition, lots of background noise

Grades G+ with about a 50% shine left & ok sound (a wider stylus might produce better results). Has many light marks & scratches (Please use the Full Screen & Zoom features on the pictures to get a more accurate depiction of the playing surfaces) from what looks to be years in storage without a sleeve. The letter "A" is written in ink inside the "F" on 'Please' side.        

This record will be very securely packaged for shipment. Please let me know if you would like your records insured.

I try my best to describe and grade these as accurately as possible...I will gladly accept returns if you are not satisfied.

Good luck!