Give It Up or Turnit a Loose

It was recorded on October 29, 1968 at Criteria Studios in Miami with James Brown and the James Brown Orchestra, including Pee Wee Ellis, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Jimmy Nolen, Alphonso "Country" Kellum, Charles Sherrell, and Nate Jones. Chuck Kirkpatrick handled engineering, and Brown produced the session. Released in January 1969, the single became a major James Brown funk statement and reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart. It also crossed over to the pop chart, helping define Brown's late-1960s funk era. The song became one of Brown's most important breakbeat records, especially through later reworkings on Sex Machine and In the Jungle Groove. It has been widely sampled and remains a foundational funk source in hip-hop and dance music.