"Givin' Up Food For Funk" - Fred Wesley

"Givin' Up Food For Funk (Parts 1 & 2)" (PDF) from The J.B.'s compilation, Funky Good Time: The Anthology.

(2022 revision):
Upon his return to the James Brown organization in 1971, trombonist Fred Wesley led his first recording session as its musical director hours after the band played a show in Washington, D.C., where Mr. Brown was so inspired by the crowd chants of the phrase “soul power” that he took the band into a nearby recording studio. The 12-minute impromptu performance of what became the “Soul Power” single was the product of Fred Wesley’s translation of Mr. Brown’s half-formed ideas into musical arrangements that could be directed on-the-spot, as dictated by the singer. It was the modus operandi for fulfillment of Mr. Brown’s recording deal for Polydor Records, where the hit recordings were released as singles while others were compiled into albums like Hot Pants, There It Is, and Get On The Good Foot.

Similarly in 1972, Fred Wesley became more involved with the output for Polydor by producing the string of instrumental hits for The J.B.’s, including “Gimme Some More,” “Pass The Peas,” and “Givin’ Up Food For Funk,” as well as arrangements for other featured artists on Mr. Brown’s People record label. But it was at the “Soul Power” recording session, according to Fred Wesley’s autobiography, where Mr. Brown offered the trombonist a choice in the song’s publishing split: $125 for the arrangement or 25% of the songwriter credit - perhaps as a test of character for his returned sideman. Having humbly settled for the cash offer, Fred was ultimately compensated on both ends of the deal by Mr. Brown through the remainder of their working relationship. For as prolific as they were during this era, Fred Wesley’s ability to create dancefloor funk from backstage grunts required a sacrificial effort in musical apprenticeship.

Recommended Reading: Hit Me Fred: Recollections of a Sideman by Fred Wesley Jr.  Published by Duke University Press.