DON’T BE A DROPOUT
“Don’t Be a Drop-Out” is a song written by Burt Jones and recorded by James Brown. It was Brown’s first attempt at a socially conscious song, encouraging teenagers to stay in school. Released as a single in 1966, it charted #4 R&B and #50 Pop. It also appeared on the album Sings Raw Soul. Bobby Byrd, Vicki Anderson, and The Jewels contribute backing vocals. The song led to Brown meeting with Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who had been working on a stay-in-school program of his own. (More from Wikipedia)
Many of James Brown’s songs were taken from catchphrases of the day – some that he picked up on, others that he popularized – such as “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World”, “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”, “Say it Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “Don’t Be a Dropout”, “Night Train”, etc.
(October 2013)
