THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

561-Bobby Byrd-Hot Pants (I’m Coming)

1971-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 0.30. If you are too young to know what Hot Pants are, then my advice is download some images.

Bobby Howard Byrd was born on August 15th, 1934, in Toccoa, Georgia, United States, he died of cancer on September 12th, 2007, at the age of 73. Bobby Byrd began his music career in 1952 as member of the gospel group, the ‘Gospel Starlighters,’ who later changed their name to the ‘Avons’ in 1953, and the ‘Five Royals’ in 1954, before changing to the the ‘Flames’ in 1955, it was the music agent Clint Brantley who suggested the further name change to ‘The Famous Flames.’

Bobby Byrd first met James Brown (1933-2006) (see also best songs 880-349-270 and 88) in 1952. Brown was a pitcher on the baseball team in Georgia youth prison, where he was an inmate, having been convicted of car burglary. Bobby Byrd was playing for a local team, who had come to the prison for a game. The two of them hit it off, and after Brown’s release, Byrd invited him to join his musical group, who at that time were called the ‘Avons.’ Bobby Byrd and James Brown would have an on and off relationship through until 1973, with their sound evolving from ‘Do Wop,’ to ‘R&B,’ to ‘Soul,’ and then becoming leading exponents in the new musical genre that was to become known as ‘Funk.’

It has been hotly disputed how much input Bobby Byrd had on many of James Brown’s recordings, but the chances are his influence is far greater than the songwriting credits would have you believe. In 1971, Brown and Byrd formed the record label ‘People Records,’ issuing several records for themselves, and others, (including Byrd’s future wife Vicki Anderson 1939-2023) after the pair parted ways in 1973, Brown began struggling with production of the music on ‘People Records,’ and soon began experiencing financial troubles as well. In 2003, Bobby Byrd, and other ex members of The Famous Flames,’ sued James Brown, and ‘Universal Music’ for non-payment of royalties, stating that monies that rightfully belong to them for numerous ‘Famous Flames’ hits, were sent by ‘Universal’ to James Brown instead, who allegedly kept them. The suit was dismissed due to the statute of limitations having run out.

‘Hot Pants (I’m Coming’) should not be confused with another song also called ‘Hot Pants,’ ((She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants’) performed by ‘James Brown with the J.B.’s,’ (James Brown’s backing band from 1970, through to the early 1980’s) and co-written by James Brown, and Fred Wesley, (see also best songs 850-612 and 88) on which Bobby Byrd played the organ, and which was also released in 1971. When Bobby Byrd, and James Brown, and the members of the ‘J.B.’s’ were touring Europe, they had seen girls wearing the garment known as ‘Hot Pants,’ and that was where the inspiration for the song came from.

Many songs written by Bobby Byrd have been sampled over the years, especially by the ‘Hip-Hop’ community, including his co-writes with James Brown, on songs such as ‘I Know You Got Soul.’ (1971) and ‘Think (About It’) (1972.) ‘Hot Pants (I’m Coming’) includes a much used drumbeat, which was played by John ‘Jabo’ Starks, (1937-2018) who was a member of the ‘J.B.’s’ at that time. The most famous sampling of the drumbeat, which had first been used by James Brown on his 1970 song ‘Funky Drummer,’ was by the English Rock group ‘The Stone Roses,’ on their 1989 track ‘Fools Gold’ (see also best songs 253.) The most successful and famous collaboration between Bobby Byrd and James Brown is their 1970 recording ‘Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine,’ (see also best songs 88) which is a call and response song, where Brown sings ‘Get up,’ and Byrd responds ‘Get on up.’

‘I’m coming, I’m coming, baby, I’m coming, help me. Make your baby understand, don’t try love, why don’t you take your man. Love can be a two-sided thing, you never get more than you can bring, hey.’