Vicki Anderson: Mother Popcorn - The Anthology (2004)

James Brown said in his autobiography that Vicki Anderson was the best singer he ever had in his revue, which should give you a hint as to her ability when you consider that JB's revue also employed the likes of Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney, who were amazing singers. This collection is the only release of Vicki Anderson's material that is currently available. The majority of the material contained here is from her work with the James Brown band, from the mid ‘60s to the early ‘70s, starting with a live version of ‘Message from the Soul Sisters', with its extremely catchy piano riff and a vampin' groove by the JB's. Several "answer" songs are included, such as ‘Super Good’ (her answer to JB's ‘Super Bad’), her answer to JB's ‘Mother Popcorn’ (subtitled ‘I Got a Mother for You’), and her answer to Jean Knight's ‘Mr. Big Stuff’ entitled ‘I'm Too Tough for Mr. Big Stuff’. Not only are these songs entertaining with her sassy answers to the originals and her irresistable attitude, but they are also horn driven jams that are funky as hell. Also enjoyable are some of the soul ballads included, such as ‘Wide Awake in a Dream’, which was later covered by Lyn Collins. It goes without saying that if you are a fan of James Brown this collection will not disappoint you. In fact, JB can be heard in the background of many of the tracks and is featured on his two duets with Vicki Anderson on ‘Think’ and ‘You've Got the Power’. (It’s interesting to hear the differences between Lyn Collins' version of ‘Think’ and the version on this disc.) Also included is a duet between Vicki Anderson and her husband, JB sideman Bobby Byrd, on the mellow ‘You're Welcome, Stop on By’. Her 1994 recording of the Gil Scott Heron classic ‘Home Is Where The Hatred Is’ with Bossa Nostra shows that she hadn't lost any of her vocal power or ability in the years since her recordings from the ‘70s. Overall this disc is solid, and if you are looking for some rare vintage funk, you should definitely give it a try. http://www.amazon.com/

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Vicki Anderson sings live 'Call Me', in 1969:

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Vicki does the chicken to funky drummer:

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