"Doing It to Death", also known as "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time", is a funk song recorded by The J.B.'s featuring James Brown. A 10-minute, two-part version of "Doing It to Death" was included on a J.B.'s album of the same name. The complete, unedited and nearly 13-minute-long original recording of the song was first issued on the 1995 J.B.'s compilation Funky Good Time: The Anthology. Performances of the song also appear on the albums Live at Chastain Park and Live at the Apollo 1995.
Background Although the song was written by Brown and featured him on lead vocals, the recording is credited to "Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s". It was the first J.B.'s recording to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker, who had returned to work with Brown again after attempting a career as a bandleader.
"Doing It to Death" contains an uncommon key change in which Brown tells the band to modulate downward from F to D ("In order for me to get down, I have to get down in D"). Composers who place key changes in tunes typically have them modulate upwards. Unusually for a James Brown song, the actual words "doing it to death" appear nowhere in the song's lyrics, which feature the hook "we're gonna have a funky good time." The title came from a figure of speech Brown heard Wesley use.
Personnel James Brown - lead vocal
with Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s: Fred Wesley - trombone Darryl "Hasaan" Jamison - trumpet Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford - trumpet Ike Oakley - trumpet Maceo Parker - alto saxophone and flute St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone Eldee Williams - tenor saxophone Jimmy Nolen - guitar Hearlon "Cheese" Martin - guitar Fred Thomas - bass John "Jabo" Starks - drumsLeeds, Alan (1995). Discography. In Funky Good Time: The Anthology [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
Chart performance "Doing It to Death" was released as a single in 1973 and peaked at number 1 on the soul singles chart and number 22 on the Hot 100.
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