Stone to the Bone

Recorded on October 2, 1973 at International Studios in Augusta, Georgia, with James Brown producing and leading the session for the single release later issued from The Payback. Released in 1973 by Polydor, the song appeared as a two-part single and became a sizable crossover hit, reaching No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 58 on the pop chart. It also became one of the signature tracks associated with The Payback era. The track has remained durable through extensive sampling, with later hip-hop and R&B artists drawing on it dozens of times. Its title is also one of the better-known deep cuts from Brown’s early-1970s funk catalog.