No Condition Is Permanent

Pictured: Bootsy Colllins.

Now [James Brown] coaches his bass player, an aging, willowy, enigmatically silent black man named Fred Thomas, on the bass line: “Ding-dong, ding-dong.” Again, he emphasizes: “Flat. Flat. Hard.” Fred Thomas does his best to comply, though I can’t hear any difference. James Brown turns to me, urgently, and introduces me to Thomas. “It’s all about ‘Sex Machine,’” he says. “This man’s on more hits than any other bass player in history.” I nod. Of course, it will later occur to me that one of the most celebrated partnerships in James Brown’s career was with the future Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins — and anybody who cares at all about such things can tell you that Bootsy was the bass player on “Sex Machine.” Fred Thomas was, in fact, Bootsy’s replacement, which is to say he’s been in the band since sometime in 1971. Good enough. But in this matter we’ve at least briefly entered what I will come to call the James Brown Zone of Confusion: James Brown now puts his arm around Fred Thomas. “We’re both cancer survivors,” he tells me gravely.

— Jonathan Lethem, “Being James Brown,” Rolling Stone (June 2006).

LISTEN TO EPISODE 318 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT:

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Here’s what Reeshard & Lee-Roy played in Ep. 318 of No Condition Is Permanent:

THE FIRST SET

O’Jays — “Give the People What They Want” — Sweet Soul Music: 24 Scorching Classics From 1975

Pasteur Lappé — “Na Man Pass Man (Na Iron De Cut Iron)” — African Funk Experimentals (1979 to 1981)

The Royal Coachmen — “Loophole” — Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar, Vol. 1: Big Noise From Waimea!

Sum Sum — “Lover’s Mountain” — Love Is A One-Way Traffic: Groovy East Asian Chicks 1960s-70s

Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers — “Too Many Fish In The Sea” — 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection

Junior Delgado — “Rub A Dub” — The Best of Sons of Slaves: Rebel Anthems from a Roots Legend

Matt T.I. Madison and Minit Men — “Don’t Make Me Cry” — Souvenirs of the Soul Clap – Vol. 5

Los Kintos — “El Fiel Enamorado” — Los Kintos

IT’S MADISON TIME…

The Cramps — “All Women Are Bad” — Stay Sick!

THE SECOND SET

Sinn Sisamouth — “Navy A Go Go” — Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll

The in Crowd — “Stop! Wait a Minute” — Mojo Presents: My Generation, 15 Tracks of ’60s Beat-Filled Teenage Mod Angst

Dur-Dur Band — “Caashaqa Maxaa Ii Baray” — Dur Dur Of Somalia: Volume 1, Volume 2 & Previously Unreleased Tracks

Bootsy Collins — “What So Never The Dance” — Mojo: James Brown’s Funky Summer

Los Golden Boys — “Cumbia De La Mariguana” — Cumbia De Juventud

The Human Expression — “Love at Psychedelic Velocity” — Garage Beat ’66 Vol. 7: That’s How It Will Be!

The Third Eye — “Children’s Song” — African Music Today

The Pirates — “Don’t München It” — Out of Their Skulls

THE THIRD SET

Black Sugar — “Fuego” — Black Sugar II

The Thundertones — “Hot Ice” — Instrumental Madness!

King Tubby — “Channel One Under Heavy Manners” — King Tubby’s Hometown Hi-Fi Dubplate Specials 1975-1979

Icky Renrut — “Jack Rabbit” —  Ike Turner: Jack Rabbit Blues

Moha Jamin — “Raks Raks Raks” — Raks Raks Raks: 27 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets From The Iranian 60s Scene

Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant — “Jammin’ With Jimmy” — Swingin’ on the Strings: The Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant Collection, Vol. 2

Ice — “Time Will Tell” — Africa Funk: Return to the Original Sound of 1970s Funky Africa

The El Tones — “Lovin’ With A Beat” — Dangerous Doo-Wop 1

THE FINAL SET

Chutima Duangporn — “Yord Muay Thai” — Thai Beat A Go-Go Vol. 4

Television — “1880 Or So” — Television

Pierre Cavalli — “Un Soir Chez Norris” — B-Music: Cross Continental Record Raid Road Trip

Little Jr. Jesse & the Tear Drops — “Give Your Love to Me” — Eccentric Soul: The Dynamic Label

Joe Gibbs & The Professionals — “Iron Gate” — African Dub All-Mighty Chapter 4

The Chanters — “She Wants to Mambo” — Speak Easy: The RPM Records Story Volume 2, 1954-1957

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou — “Minkou E So Non Moin” — Volume Two: Echos Hypnotiques (From The Vaults Of Albarika Store 1969-1979)

LORD BUCKLEY’S WEEKLY BENEDICTION…

The Rolling Stones — “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” — Singles Collection: The London Years