James Brown’s Favorite Uncle The Hal Neely Story Chapter Thirteen

Previously in the book: Nebraskan Hal Neely began playing the trumpet with Big Bands in the Midwest before moving on to California. After his time in the Army during World War II, he graduated from college and worked for Allied Record Manufacturing Company. He also worked part-time for Syd Nathan of King Records.
(Author’s note: Chapters written in italics denote Neely’s own words from his memoirs.)
Many people with “convenient memory” claim that Ralph Bass who worked for King discovered and put James Brown under contract, but it was I and not Ralph Bass. I was visiting King that day when a demo record arrived in the mail from Clint Brantley, a nightclub owner in Macon Georgia. The record featured a young man named James Brown.
James Brown was born in Georgia. His father James Joseph Brown joined the U.S. Navy when James was five years old. His mother abandoned him at the same time. Little James at the age of five went to live with his aunt Minnie who lived in the black ghetto of Macon, Georgia, where she ran a house of “ill repute.” He worked the streets shining shoes and “pimping” for Aunt Minnie to the soldiers from the Army camp near Macon. James grew up fast, learning the ways of survival.
At the age of 15 he was involved in a local gang street fight. A young boy was killed. Police conjectured that “this kid Brown hit him (the deceased) with a baseball bat” but young James was only charged with stealing car hubcaps and sentenced to three years in the Georgia prison system.
While James was in prison, his future friend and music associate Bobby Byrd brought his five-piece band from Toccoa, Georgia, Byrd’s hometown, to play a “freebie.” The prisoners shouted for the young James and his musical partner Johnny Terry whom he had met in prison. Byrd called them to the stage to play with his group.
James was soon transferred to the prison in Toccoa, Georgia, where he paroled for good behavior. Byrd’s mother signed papers with the prison to be legally responsible for him He worked as a janitor in her church and started playing drums, singing, and dancing with Byrd’s group, “The Five Royals”. (Author’s note: music historian John Broven says Bobby Byrd’s group was originally called The Gospel Starlighters and later used the names The Avons and The Flames.)1 They performed at local area dances and clubs. Johnny Terry got out of prison and came to Toccoa to join Byrd’s band.
Little Richard—who would later go on to national fame as a rock ‘n’ roll artist–played a club in Toccoa. The audience shouted for The Five Royals. They joined Richard on the stand and jammed with him. Richard was very impressed with the group. Little Richard was coming into fame and popularity, traveling most of the time. He was booked and managed by Mr. Clint Brantley who owned a black club in Macon, Georgia. Richard told Mr. Brantley about The Five Royals and it was arranged for them to come to Macon and audition for him. He liked the group which soon became the house band for his club. Simultaneously, Little Richard and his band went to Hollywood to record for Specialty Records. They stayed on the West Coast.
The Five Royals started earning popularity and a loyal fan following. It was soon evident that James Brown’s singing and dancing was the major star of the band. The band played several Little Richard “gigs” with James posing as Richard. The audience never caught on.
Mr. Brantley took The Five Royals to Macon’s black radio station where they cut a demo recording on “Please, Please, Please,” a song written by Johnny Terry. The local DJ sent the demo to Syd Nathan and King Records in Cincinnati.
“In my opinion,” Syd said, “that’s a horrible record, but that kid singing lead has something, and that song is a hit song.”
Also present at that meeting was Ralph Bass, an independent producer for King’s Federal label. Syd sent Bass to Macon to check out the group. Bass falsely claimed he signed the group to a Federal contract. However only Syd Nathan at that time could sign contracts for King and its subsidiary labels. Bass’s claim was invalid. (Author’s note: Broven points out Bass may have exaggerated his authority to sign contracts but his role in bringing Brown to Nathan’s attention is valid.)2
The Five Royals were planning a gig in Memphis in March. They drove, with no appointment, to Cincinnati to meet with Mr. Nathan. There was no studio time available. I was in Cincinnati recording Earl Bostic, an old friend from my Hollywood band days, that week. The Royals would have to come back.
On April 25, 1956, I was again in Cincinnati. As always I stayed in my room at Syd’s and Zella’s big house in the Jewish section of town. Syd and I met with The Five Royals. James claimed he was the leader and Bobby Byrd claimed he was. James rubbed Syd the wrong way, and Syd got mad.
“Hal, throw them out, unless you want to work something out and take them on.”
I believed in the group and took the boys to a room across from Syd’s office which I used when in Cincinnati. Utilizing my University of Southern California business law degree, I formed a limited partnership of the original five members with each member holding a 1% ownership, a group royalty rate of 5% on net paid sales paid directly to the each member of the group and on each record said member recorded with the group. The original contract was for three years with a King option to renew for an additional three years on the same terms and conditions.
I called Clint Brantley in Macon and asked him to be the group’s manager. King would pay him a royalty of 1%, same as each band member. The group would need a new name as there was another Five Royals. In the discussion someone mentioned the name The Famous Flames. That was it. I would be their producer at a 3% royalty. All royalties would be paid on a net paid sales basis. The Famous Flames would be released by King on its subsidiary Federal label.
On March 26, 1956, the group came back to Cincinnati, and we went into the King studio. I produced, and Eddie Smith was the engineer. We cut four sides. One song was “Please, Please, Please”. Syd liked it. The single record was released on the Federal label and was an instant hit in the R&B music charts, going to No. 3. (Author’s note: I have tried to respect the details of Neely’s memoirs; however, his recollection of the dates and the group’s name in this episode are obviously at odds. At one point he said he wrote the contract for Brown and the Flames—also identified as the Royals–on April 25, 1956 yet produced the record on March 26, 1956. Also he said he was in California for the birth of his son April 26, 1956. Historian Broven says the “Please, Please, Please” recording session was Feb. 4, 1956, and Ralph Bass was the producer.) 3


Footnotes
1 John Broven interview.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.

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