“Sweet” Charles Sherrell was not just the bass player for James Brown. He wrote songs, sung lyrics, played keyboards, and led bands for many years. Writer Matt Rowland extensively researched his discography with the help of Sherrell’s wife Martine. This discography couldn’t have been done without Martine Sherrell.

James Brown singles featuring Sweet Charles Sherrell

1968
“I Can’t Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)/ There Was a Time”(K 6144)
“I Got the Feelin’/ If I Ruled the World” (K 6155)
“Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (K 6187)

1969
“Give It Up or Turnit a Loose/ I’ll Lose My Mind (instr.)” (K 6213)
“You’ve Got to Have a Job” (duet w/Marva Whitney) (K 6218)
“Soul Pride Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (K 6222)
“I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door and I’ll Get It Myself) Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (K 6224)
“The Popcorn (instr.)/ The Chicken (instr.)” (K 6240)
“Mother Popcorn Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (K 6245)
“Lowdown Popcorn (instr.)/ Top of the Stack (instr.)” (K 6250)
“Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn Pt. 1/ Sometime” (K 6255)
“Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn Pt. 2/ Gittin’ a Little Hipper Pt. 2 (instr.)” (K 6275)
“Soul President/ Popcorn with a Feeling (instr.)” (F 12551)
“Ain’t It Funky Now Pt. 1/ Pt. 2 (instr.)” (K 6280)
“You Got to Have a Mother for Me” (Recorded Jan. 13, 1969 – Previously unreleased original mix)

1970
“Brother Rapp Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (K 6285 W)
Funky Drummer Pts. 1 & 2 (K 6290)
“It’s a New Day Pts. 1 & 2/ Georgia on My Mind” (K 6292)
“Brother Rapp Pts. 1 & 2/ Bewildered” (K 6310)
“If You Don’t Work You Can’t Eat/ You’ve Got to Change Your Mind (duet w/Bobby Byrd)” (K 6342)
“Talkin’ Loud and Saying Nothin’ (orig. rock version)” (sched. as K 6300, pressed as King P-6359, withdrawn quickly)

1971
“Spinning Wheel Pt. 1/ Pt. 2 (instr.)” (K 6366)
“Soul Power Pt. 1/ Soul Power Pts. 2 & 3″ (K 6368)
“Hot Pants Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (P 2501)
“Make It Funky Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14088)

1972
“Get on the Good Foot Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14139)
“I Got a Bag of My Own/ Public Enemy #1 Pt. 1” (PD 14153)

1973
“Stoned to the Bone Pt. 1/ Stoned to the Bone (Some More)” (PD 14210)

1974
“The Payback Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14223)
“My Thang/ Public Enemy #1 Pt. 1” (PD 14244)

1976
“Dooley’s Junkyard Dog (long version)/ (short version)” (PD 14303)
“(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons [bass and arrangements]/ Goodnight My Love” (PD 14304)
“Get Up Offa That Thing [co-writer (w/J.B.), bass, background vocals]/ Release the Pressure [co-writer (w/ J.B.), bass, background vocals]” (PD 14326)
“Bodyheat Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14360) [arrangements, bass, keys, background vocals]

1977
“Kiss in ‘77/ Woman” (PD 14388) [songwriter, bass]
“Take Me Higher and Groove Me/ Summertime (duet w/Martha High) [arrangements]” (PD 14433)
“People Who Criticize [arrangements, background vocals]/ If You Don’t Give a Doggone About It [keys]” (PD 14438)

1978
“Love Me Tender [arrangements]/ Have a Happy Day [songwriter, arrangements, vocals]” (PD 14460)
“The Spank [songwriter, arrangements, bass]/ Love Me Tender [arrangements]” (PD 14487)
“Nature Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14512) [songwriter, arrangements, keys]
“For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14522) [bass]

1980
“Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses) Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (TK 1039) [keys]
“Get Up Offa That Thing (Live) [co-writer (w/ J.B.), bass]/ It’s Too Funky in Here (Live)” (PD 2129)

James Brown-related singles featuring Sweet Charles Sherrell

1967
Past Present Future “Bones to Bones/ I Don’t Want to Go On Without You” (Mecca 101) [lead vocals]

1968
Marva Whitney “Unwind Yourself/ If You Love Me” (K 6146)
Marva Whitney “Your Love Was Good For Me/ What Kind of Man” (K 6158)
Marva Whitney “Things Got to Get Better (Get Together)/ What Kind of Man” (K 6168)
Hank Ballard along with the Dapps “How You Gonna Get Respect (When You Haven’t Cut Your Process Yet)/ Teardrops on Your Letter” (K 6196)
Marva Whitney “What Do I Have to Do to Prove My Love to You/ Your Love Was Good For Me” (K 6202)

1969
Marva Whitney “I’m Tired, I’m Tired, I’m Tired (Things Better Change Before It’s Too Late)/ You Got to Have a Job (If You Don’t Work – You Can’t Eat)” (K 6218)
Marva Whitney “Ball of Fire/ It’s My Thing (You Can’t Tell Me Who to Sock It to)” (K 6229)
Hank Ballard “Butter Your Popcorn/ Funky Soul Train” (K 6244)
Marva Whitney “Things Got to Get Better (Get Together)/ Get Out of My Life” (K 6249)
Marva Whitney “This Girl’s in Love with You/ He’s the One” (K 6283)

1970
Beau Dollar “I Wanna Go Where the Soul Trees Grow/ Who Knows” (K 6286)
The J.B.’s “These Are the J.B.’s Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (K 6333)

1972
The J.B.’s “Gimme Some More/ Rabbit Got the Gun” (PE 602)
The J.B.’s “Pass the Peas/ Hot Pants Road” (PE 607)
Lyn Collins “Think (About It)/ Ain’t No Sunshine” (PE 608)
The J.B.’s “Givin’ Up Food For Funk Pt. 1″ (PE 610)
Lyn Collins “Me and My Baby Got a Good Thing Going/ I’ll Never Let You Break My Heart Again” (PE 615)
Lyn Collins “Oh Uncle Sammy/ Ain’t No Sunshine” (PD 14119)
Hank Ballard & the Midnight Lighters “Finger Poppin’ Time/ From the Love Side” (PD 14128)

1973
Lyn Collins “Mama Feelgood/ Fly Me to the Moon” (PE 618)
Lyn Collins “Take Me Just as I Am/ People Make the World Go Round” (PE 626)
Maceo & the Macks “Soul Power ‘74 Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PE 631)
Fred Wesley & the J.B.’s “Same Beat Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PE 632)

1974
Lyn Collins “Don’t Make Me Over/ Take Me Just as I Am” (PE 633)
Lee Austin “(The Burner) Tutti Frutti”
Fred Wesley & the J.B.’s “Damn Right I Am Somebody Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PE 638) [percussion & bass]
Sweet Charles “Soul Man [lead vocals]/ Why Can’t I Be Treated Like a Man [lead vocals, songwriter]” (PE 639)
Lyn Collins “Rock Me Again & Again & Again [bass]/ Wide Awake in a Dream” (PE 641)
Sweet Charles “Dedicated to the One I Love [lead vocals]/ Give the Woman a Chance [lead vocals, songwriter]” (PE 645)
Maceo & the Macks “Cross the Track (We Better Go Back)/ The Soul of a Black Man” (PE 647) [keys]
Maceo & the Macks “Cross the Track (We Better Go Back)/ Boogie ‘N Twist” (PE 647) [keys]
The J.B.’s “Breakin’ Bread [clavinet]/ Funky Music is My Style” (PE 648)
Lyn Collins “You Can’t Love Me If You Don’t Respect Me/ Rock Me Again &Again & Again [bass]” (PE 650)
Sweet Charles “I Won’t Last a Day without You/ I Never Let You Break My Heart” (PE 653) [lead vocals]
The First Family “Control (People Go Where We Send You) Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PD 14250) [bass]

1975
Fred & the New J.B.’s “(It’s Not the Express) It’s the J.B.’s Monaurail Pt. 1/ Pt. 2″ (PE 655) [clavinet, bass]
Sweet Charles “Hang Out & Hustle [lead vocals, bass, songwriter]/ Together [lead vocals] (PE 656)
Lyn Collins “Mr. Big Stuff/ Rock Me Again & Again & Again” (PE 662) [bass]

1981
Charles Sherrell “If I Only Had a Minute/ If I Only Had a Minute” (Muscle 5007) [lead vocals]

19??
Charles Sherrell “If You See My Baby/ Two of a Kind” (Uptown 751)
Charles Sherrell & the Chimpanzees “Do the King Kong/ Funky Fantasia” (Crazy Mama’s) [lead vocals, songwriter]

James Brown-related albums featuring Sweet Charles Sherrell

1968
James Brown I Got the Feelin’ (K 1031)
Mary Queenie Lyons Soul Fever (King/DeLuxe DLP-12001)

1969
James Brown Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud (K 1047)
James Brown The Popcorn (K 1055)
Marva Whitney It’s My Thang (K 1062)
James Brown It’s a Mother (K 1063)
Marva Whitney Live and Lowdown at the Apollo (K 1079)

1970
James Brown Ain’t It Funky (K 1092)
James Brown It’s a New Day – Let a Man Come In (K 1095)
James Brown Sex Machine (K 1115)

1971
James Brown Hot Pants (PD 4054)
James Brown Revolution of the Mind – Live at the Apollo Vol. III (PD 3003)

1972
James Brown Get on the Good Foot (PD 3004)
The J.B.’s Food for Thought (PE 5601) [bass on some songs]
Lyn Collins Think (About It) (PE 5602)
Maceo & All the King’s Men Funky Music Machine (Excello EX-8022) [bass, vocals]

1973
James Brown Black Caesar (PD 6014) [on "Mama Feelgood"]
The J.B.’s Doin’ It to Death (PE 5603) [backing vocals]
Maceo Parker Us (PE 6601) [bass on "Soul Power '74" and "PARRTY"]

1974
James Brown The Payback (PD 3007)
James Brown Hell (PD 9001) [bass on half of the songs]
Fred Wesley & the J.B.’s Damn Right I Am Somebody (PE 6602)
Sweet Charles Sherrell For Sweet People from Sweet Charles (PE 6603)
Fred Wesley & the New JBs Breakin’ Bread (PE 6604) [clavinet]

1975
James Brown Sex Machine Today (PD 6042)
James Brown Everybody’s Doin’ the Hustle and Dead on the Double Bump (PD 6054)
Lyn Collins Check Me Out If You Don’t Know Me By Now (PE 6605) [bass only on "Rock Me Again & Again"]
The J.B.’s Hustle with Speed (PE 6606) [some songs clavinet, some bass]

1976
James Brown Sex Machine Live (PD 9004, reissue of K 1115)
James Brown Get Up Offa That Thing (PD 6071)
James Brown Bodyheat (PD 6093)

1977
James Brown Mutha’s Nature (PD 6111) [wrote "Nature," arranger]

1978
James Brown Jam 1980’s (PD 6140) [wrote "Jam," played bass and sang on the whole album]

1979
James Brown Take a Look at Those Cakes (PD 6181) [bass]

1980
James Brown Hot on the One (PD 6290) [arranger, keys, sang]

1981
James Brown Live in New York [bandleader, keys, bass]

1984
James Brown Ain’t That a Groove – The JB Story 1966-69
James Brown Doing It to Death – The JB Story 1970-73

1985
James Brown Dead on the Heavy Funk 74-76

1986
James Brown Live at the Apollo, Volume 2, Part 1 (Rhino RNLP-217, reissue of record one, K1022) [bass]
James Brown Live at the Apollo, Volume 2, Part 2 (Rhino RNLP-218, reissue of record two, K1022)
James Brown Live In Concert [bandleader, bass]
James Brown In The Jungle Groove
James Brown James Brown’s Funky People Vol. 1

1988
James Brown Motherlode [bass on "She's the One," "Say It Loud," "Can I Get Some Help," "You Got to Have a Mother for Me," "Baby Here I Come," "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul"]
James Brown James Brown’s Funky People, Vol. 2

1989
James Brown Soul Session Live (ZK 45164) [bandleader, vocals, keys]
James Brown Tribute (Scotti Brothers) [bandleader]

1991
James Brown Love-OverDue [bandleader, wrote "Dance to the Funk"]
James Brown Star Time

1992
James Brown Universal James [wrote "Georgia-Lina," bandleader, vocals]

1996
James Brown Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang
James Brown Foundations of Funk: A Brand New Bag 1964-1969
James Brown Spank [wrote "Spank," vocals]
James Brown Make It Funky – The Big Payback
James Brown Live At Chastain Park
James Brown Live At The Apollo 1995 [bandleader, vocals, keys]

1998
Maceo Parker Funkoverload [vocals on "Sing a Simple Song" and "Tell Me Something Good"]
James Brown Dead On The Heavy Funk
["Kiss of '77" - songwriter, vocals, clavinet
"Bodyheat" - bass, clavinet, vocals, arrangements
"Give Me Some Skin" - clavinet
"Bessie" - co-writer, lead vocals, bass, arrangements
"Jam 1980" - keys, vocals
"Spank" - songwriter, clavinet, vocals, arrangements
"Nature" - songwriter, clavinet, electric piano, vocals, arrangements
"Eyesight" - clavinet, electric piano
"I Never, Never, Never Will Forget" - bass]
James Brown Original Funky Divas [piano, arrangements on "Summertime"]

1999
James Brown Say It Live and Loud (Live in Dallas) [bass]

2000
Maceo Parker Dial Maceo [vocals on "I've Got Work to Do"]
James Brown Funky People Vol. 3

2002
Gotcha! 5.2595512200 [vocals on "The Way We Roll," "She Loves Me," "Gotcha!"]