It's a classic scene that is no doubt etched into the collective memory of my generation. Although, I'll admit that I didn't pay much attention to the song itself until many years later when I got a copy of the compilation 20 All-Time Greatest Hits--a pretty good intro to James Brown's long and groundbreaking career, even though it is missing some key tracks like "Funky Drummer" and "Soul Power."
Anyway, "I Got the Feelin'" is some rhythmically complex stuff.
It's in 4/4 time, but drummer Clyde Stubblefield doesn't just play in straight 4. Instead, he's using his hands and feet to play these funky, syncopated 16th note patterns on the bass drum and snares, and he's changing up the pattern every couple of measures, so you're never exactly sure just when the snare is going to hit. But as with every other James Brown song from about 1967 to the 1990s, the groove is always on "The One."
What's that mean exactly?
That means when you're counting out the song, "1" is always going to be the most emphasized, most deeply felt beat. It's the anchor, if you will. In fact, "The One" was a concept that Brown's bassist Bootsy Collins (who joined Brown's band in 1970) would ultimately take with him to Parliament-Funkadelic and George Clinton would exploit to its fullest extent, even building some of the band's space alien mythology around the concept of "The Almighty ONE."
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