Slaughter's Big Rip-Off

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off starring ex football star Jim Brown and Ed McMahon, made two soundtracks in a row for James Brown. Released in July 1973 - just six months after Black Caesar - Slaughter is even more heavily orchestrated than the previous album. "James gave me free rein and we were runnin' between the road and studios on both coasts. I was more of a diplomat than a musician," recalls J.B's band leader Fred Wesley. Also conducting sessions was arranger-songwriter Dave Matthews, then on his way out of Brown's inner circle to become a staff arranger at jazz label CTI Records. Some of the songs are based on older JB hits and, like other 70's recordings, feature session players rather than Brown's regular band : Harvey Mason, Chuck Rainey David T. Walker and Ndugu Chancler. The JB's - including Wesley, St Clair Pickney, Maceo parker, Johnny Griggs and Jimmy Nolen - appear on "people Get Up And Drive Your Funky Soul." "Sexy, sexy, Sexy" was a respectable hit from the album in the summer of 1973 (R&B #6, Pop #50) On the horizon "The Payback"