Today's pick is the fabulous single James Brown by Big Audio Dynamite, both the song and the video inspired by the titular legend's misdemenours on 24th September 1988.
A random stumble across a recent reflective article in Far Out magazine skirts alarmingly close to hyperbole throughout, though in fairness this is one of those "you couldn't make it up" real life stories that allows for some dramatic licence because it's so crazy to begin with.
A bonkers mix of a misused toilet (allegedly), threats with a shotgun, PCP abuse and a nosediving career culminated into a car chase through the streets of Georgia and six years in clink (three served).
BAD's video captures key elements of the above, notably the police pursuit, a JB impersonator and Mick Jones throwing in a rap towards the end. The Godfather of Soul was unsurprisingly not impressed.
Sadly, neither were their label CBS, who seem to have got cold feet after the video and promo 7" and 12" singles were produced for Europe and the USA in 1989. The single only got an official release in Australia, in Jan 1990, which is where I found a copy of the 12" single in Perth a year later, and shipped it back home.
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