Get on Up Page #11

RALPH BASS:

You sure put a lot into that cut.

The main vocal. You got some soulright there.

BOBBY:

Uh.. That’s not me. That’s uh.

That’s James.

RALPH BASS:

That you singing?

James looks BACK TO US.

JAMES:

Yeah. That’s me.

81 EXT. FEDERAL/KING RECORDS, CINCINNATI. DAY. 1956 81

James stands alone looking up at the towering building.

CUT TO:

82 INT. RECORDING STUDIO. DAY. JAMES 23 82

JAMES BROWN:

Please, Please, Please....!

They put everything they’ve got into “Please, Please,

Please”.

James leans into a chrome studio mic and sings: Please...

please...please... He leans out and the Flames lean in to thesame mic. “Please please don’t go”..

IN THE BOOTH --

Gene Redd mans the desk. Ralph stands nervously while SYDNATHAN, the impressively fat 60-year-old owner of King sitsin jamjar spectacles and Bakelite Headphones, listening.

62

JAMES:

Wait...wait a second here-

Raggedly they all come to a halt. Nafloyd seems annoyed.

NAFLOYD:

What we stop for? That was cookin'.

Everyone looks pissed at James who seems agitated. Byrd'snervous they're wasting time.

BOBBY:

It's OK sir we OK. We can just

start right at the top.

JAMES:

It ain't right. It’s too slow. We

gotta pick up the pace fellas.

James begins to pace. Bobby grows concerned.

BOBBY:

What are you doing, James? These

men been doing this for a longtime. We need to listen to them.

JAMES:

I need to come in early..push it.

Drive it. Early. Before the beat.

Then speed it up, man.

Ralph Bass speaks to James from the booth.

RALPH:

James, this is a ballad. The pacewe’ve set is perfect.

JAMES:

I know it’s a ballad, Mr. Bass.

But a ballad is supposed to get herin the mood, not put her to sleep.

The Flames all look at Bobby who looks at the impatient faceswaiting on the other side of the glass.

BOBBY:

Let's just get it done OK?

JAMES:

But it ain’t right.

THEY LAUNCH INTO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. JAMES NAILS HIS LEAD

but the pace remains the same.

63

IN THE RECORDING BOOTH

Syd Nathan, takes of his headphones, and turns to Ralph,

pissed as hell.

SYD NATHAN:

(Takes off cans. Yells)

What the hell is this Ralph?!

Where’s the rest of the song?

RALPH BASS:

Syd-

SYD NATHAN:

He just keeps hollering that oneword over and over. “Please”.

“Please” what, Ralph?! Please jerkmy dick? What the hell does hewant? If he doesn’t tell me, you’refired.

IN THE STUDIO:

Bobby and Nafloyd can see something is wrong. James obliviousstill singing, lost in the moment.

IN THE BOOTH:

RALPH:

Listen, Mr. Nathan. This song-

SYD NATHAN:

I don’t hear a song Ralph. A songhas verses. A snappy chorus. It’snot just some unfortunate niggerpleading. Who needs that? Give methe f***ing song Ralph. The song.

RALPH:

It’s not about the song.

Nathan stops. This is sacrilege.

SYD NATHAN:

What?

RALPH:

It’s not the song.

Nathan turns to and looks again. His eyes narrow UPON JamesBrown, his heart and soul pouring out onto the tape.

CUT TO:

64

82A INT. BIG BILLS RENDEZVOUS. 1954. NIGHT. 82A

THE FAMOUS FLAMES are back on stage at Big Bills only nowTHEY OWN THE ROOM. A packed standing room only house isgoing wild for James and the flames.

Side doors to the club have been opened. People pour outsideand dance.

James sings PLEASE! at a much faster pace than at King. AuntHoney and her girls bump and grind to the music.

JAMES:

Please! Please! Please.

James lowers to the floor and belts his heart out as the songconcludes.

James walks off stage and just outside Big Bills. A bath

towel is put over James’ back and head to absorb his sweat.

James is breathing hard, completely exhausted. The crowd is

not wanting the show to end. The band is vamps amid cheers.

CROWD:

James Brown, James Brown, James

Brown.

James slowly rises his head from under his towel and looksright at us. He begins to smile.

He then looks over to Bobby and nods. The band resumes

Please, Please, Please.

Suddenly James throws the towel off of himself and runs tothe stage. The cape act is born.

JAMES:

Please! Please! Please!

James jumps onto the floor singing as if for his life. He

soon disappears into a sea of women pulling at his clothes.

83 INT. KING RECORD. MEETING ROOM. DAY JAMES 23 83

James Brown sits on a couch next to Ralph Bass.

RALPH:

James. I want you to meet somebody.

Ralph Bass gets up and opens the door. On the chairs outsidethe meeting room a friendly looking man looks up from amagazine.

65

RALPH (CONT’D)

James, this is Ben Bart. Ben isPresident of Universal Attractions.

New York’s biggest booking agency.

BART:

That was a great show last weekover in Jersey.

JAMES:

Well thank you Sir, we worked realhard to-

BART:

Not we James. Not the Famous

Flames. You. James Brown.

James looks from one to the other.

RALPH:

What Bart is saying James is-

JAMES:

I know what Mr. Bart is saying. Iheard him. Loud and clear.

He looks at them both.

JAMES (CONT’D)

I see where we goin’. Saw it thismorning when your secretary calledask me to come here an hour early.

Alone. I knew it six months ago.

Hell, I knew it the day I was born.

James looks back. He doesn’t blink. He looks to us.

JAMES (CONT’D)

There’s some things I’m gonna want.

83A INT. KING RECORDS. CONFERENCE ROOM. LATER THAT MORNING. 83A

A receptionist shows the rest of the band in. The Flames joinRalph, Syd Nathan, Ben Bart, and James.

BEN BART:

Come in Boys. Come in.

There’s no chairs. They stand.

66

BEN BART (CONT’D)

Boys, I have something to show you.

He hands them each a record sleeve. They look down.

BOBBY:

I don’t understand. Is this some

sort of mistake?

NAFLOYD:

(Reads)

His Famous Flames?

The sleeve has clearly printed on it “James Brown and his

Famous Flames.”

BABY ROY:

Sir, this ain’t right.

BEN BART:

We agree. See I believe it should

say simply James Brown. The fact isGentlemen, James Brown doesn’t needthe Famous Flames. King records andUniversal don’t need the Famous

Flames. But James has requestedthat the name remain in some form.

Now if you want to stay, stay, butfrom now on you work for JamesBrown, on James Brown’s records.

Should you find this disagreeablein part or whole, you can go home.

NAFLOYD:

(Stunned)

James?

James stares straight ahead. Nafloyd throws the record at thewall. Bobby stands there, stunned.

Slowly, James looks at Bobby and then crosses to him.

JAMES:

Bobby. It’s just a name. Ain’tnothing different between us. Thisfor all us not just me. It’s gonebe good.

Bobby stares back. Nafloyd steps up to James.

NAFLOYD:

James Brown. I never liked you.

Come on. Let’s get outta here..

67

He turns and walks away with the band. Bobby rises andfollows out the door.

PUSH IN:

On James. Bart sits down opposite him.

BART:

So. Do you know what you wantJames?

84 EXT. WOODS. DILAPIDATED CABIN. 1941. 84

FLASHBACK -JAMES, aged eight, outside the shack in Barnwell,

beating his stick against the shack.

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