James Brown - Spinning Wheel

Year Released: 1970
Genre: Funk / Soul Jazz

Description:

Brown’s cover of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel,” released on King Records in 1970, turns the jazz-rock hit into a relentless funk jam. Horns punch through syncopated rhythm guitar, and Brown’s call-and-response vocals inject urgency into the song’s cyclical message. What began as a pop tune becomes a powerhouse of funk reinterpretation under Brown’s direction.

Sampling Legacy: While not as heavily mined as “Funky President,” “Spinning Wheel”’s horn break was used by DJ Muggs on Cypress Hill’s “Hand on the Pump” and by Pete Rock in remix interludes, adding a brassy swagger to classic-era hip-hop.