The Payback

A widely repeated story—including by Brown himself—that director Larry Cohen rejected the music as "not funky enough" is denied by Cohen. On the DVD commentary track for Black Caesar (to which Hell Up in Harlem is a sequel), Cohen states that executives at American International Pictures were already unhappy with Brown for delivering songs much longer than expected on Black Caesar and ''Slaughter's Big Rip-Off'' and opted for a deal with Motown Records instead. Cohen said the absence of Brown's music from Harlem still "breaks [his] heart." The Payback was a success, going to number one on the Billboard Soul Albums chart for two weeks and cracking the Billboard 200 albums chart in the Top 40. It was Brown's only studio album to be certified gold. Musically, The Payback largely features cyclic grooves and jamming, but it also features departures into a softer soul-based sound on tracks such as "Doing the Best I Can" and "Forever Suffering". The album was reissued on single CD in 1992 with liner notes by Alan Leeds. ==Track listing==

• James Brown – lead vocals, electric piano, electric organ • Martha High – backing vocals • Isiah "Ike" Oakley – trumpet • Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison – trumpet • Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford – trumpet • Maceo Parker – alto saxophone, flute • St. Clair Pinckney – tenor saxophone, flute • Fred Wesley – trombone • Jimmy Nolen – electric guitar • Hearlon "Cheese" Martin – electric guitar • Fred Thomas – bass guitar • "Sweet" Charles Sherrell – bass guitar • John Morgan – cabasa, tambourine, rainstick • Johnny Griggs – congas • John "Jabo" Starks – drums ==Charts==

Album – Billboard (North America) ==Certifications==