The 1972 Apollo Theater performances were recorded, however the plans for an album were shelved likely due to Mr. Brown’s endorsements during that year’s presidential election, stinting the album sales of his re-packaged material.
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The final track on The Payback, the last James Brown album to feature Fred Wesley as an active member of the organization, was a fitting send off for the musical director.
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By the time that The Payback was recorded, perhaps the writing was already on the wall as Fred Wesley relentlessly played his trombone on “Time Is Running Out Fast” as if trombone solos were going out of style, especially with the popularity of disco music on the horizon.
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Maceo Parker had re-formed The J.B.’s horn section in 1992 to record in the studio and tour throughout Europe where the musicians, according to Fred Wesley’s autobiography, had made more money than they ever had in their careers.
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On the 1974 album The Payback, the recording of “Shoot Your Shot” features the interplay between Mr. Brown, Fred Wesley, and Maceo Parker that pushed their live shows to legendary heights.
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Fred Wesley's trombone solo is the sound of a man who only wants to do one thing - to play his horn.
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