Song of the Week: The Missing Link Between James Brown and P-Funk

If you know your musical history, the names of Bootsy and Catfish Collins should ring a bell. In the early 1970s, they were part of James Brown’s backing band The J.B.’s — and if you haven’t heard Love, Power, Peace: Live at the Olympia, Paris, 1971, you really should.

After the Collinses broke out of Brown’s orbit, but before they joined the equally legendary Parliament-Funkadelic, they returned to their hometown of Cincinnati and formed The House Guests, whose recorded output included a pair of acclaimed singles.

This August, Shake It Records will release My Mind Set Me Free, an LP collecting the best of the band’s music — and shining a spotlight on an underrated period of the careers of two musical greats.

The title track is unrelenting from the outset, featuring an ebullient bassline and energetic horn playing. It’s six and a half minutes of unabashed joy, perfect for your next summer dance party.

Meet your guide

Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…