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The Soul Of James Brown

James Brown performs at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1981.
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
James Brown performs at Montreux Jazz Festival in 1981.

It should come as no surprise that James Brown has inspired countless tributes and covers, both good and bad. On the heels of an excellent compilation of tributes to the funk kingpin, called Jump Back! Imitations, Interpolations and the Inspiration of James Brown, I felt justified to dig into my collection and turn up some companion pieces for a study into the icon's soul. Here are five of the most unusual and exceptional examples, from inspired tributes to psychedelic reinventions.

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Egon