James Brown & The Famous Flames - Licking Stick - Licking Stick

Year Released: 1968
Genre: Funk

Description:

Issued on King Records in 1968, “Licking Stick – Licking Stick” represents the hardening edge of James Brown’s funk style — taut, percussive, and relentlessly rhythmic. Built on a two-chord vamp, the track features syncopated guitar chops, stuttering horns, and a relentless groove that keeps tension high throughout.

Brown’s vocal is part chant, part rhythm instrument, commanding the band with sharp cues and live-show intensity. The result is one of his purest early funk statements — a minimalist masterpiece that pointed directly toward the stripped grooves of Sex Machine and Mother Popcorn.