Cold Sweat

James Brown recorded the original in May 1967 at King Studios in Cincinnati with arranger and co-writer Pee Wee Ellis, drummer Clyde Stubblefield and his touring band. The Get on the Good Foot album contains a separate 1972 rerecording arranged by Dave Matthews. The original recording made rhythm the organising principle, using interlocking instrumental patterns, minimal chord changes and a prominent drum break. It reached number one on Billboard's R&B chart and number seven on the Hot 100. Its rhythmic arrangement and exposed drum break became influential models for subsequent musicians and sampling producers. The song remained a fixture of Brown's live repertoire and was covered by performers including Mongo Santamaría.