James Brown released “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” in 1965. Issued as a two-part single on King Records, it became Brown’s first song to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and helped establish the rhythmic vocabulary of funk.
The recording features a tight, horn-heavy groove, a prominent electric-guitar riff and a strong emphasis on the first beat of each measure—the approach musicians often describe as playing “on the one.” The song’s “brand new bag” refers to an older man discovering a new style, interest or way of dancing, turning a small story into a celebration of reinvention.
The single was edited and sped up for release, making it faster and slightly higher-pitched than the original tape. Brown wrote and produced the song, and it also earned him his first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Recording. The track was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.