“Home at Last” (1968) – James Brown * Written by Rudy Toombs * Produced by James Brown * LP: Thinking About Little Willie John and Other Nice Things * Label: King
In his Godfather of Soul autobiography, James Brown writes of being in awe of Little Willie John and how his efforts to upstage the seasoned R&B hit maker at the Apollo Theater were crucial to his evolution as a performer. The rivalry forged a kinship that strengthened during their years as label mates at King. In the mid-sixties, John went to prison for manslaughter after an altercation at his own engagement party in Seattle. Brown worked to get him out on parole, only to see him put back after violating the terms (by leaving Washington state to visit Los Angeles). John’s 1968 death of illness while incarcerated hit Brown hard, prompting the release of Thinking About Little Willie John and Other Nice Things—one side of covers and one side of quickie instrumentals—the same year. A standout track is “Home at Last,” a 1956 R&B hit (#6) for John written by Rudy Toombs (who’d also penned the classics “Teardrops from My Eyes” and “One Mint Julep”). It’s a straightforward blues jumper about a “country girl” who fixes her man’s “breakfast, lunch, and dinner right on time,” but even in the act of paying tribute, James Brown works for the upstage, turning his version into the most memorable one. Listen to him scat at 4:00.