Godfather of Harlem, or Black Caesar, was theatrically released in 1973 with a soundtrack by the Godfather of Soul himself. The original script was commissioned by Sammy Davis Jr. as an attempt to strike out on his own in a lead role, out of the shadow of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
The project represented James Brown’s first experience writing music for a film. Several titans of soul were involved in the soundtrack: Fred Wesley, musical director of Brown’s band The J.B.’s and P-Funk regular, as well as Lyn Collins whose No 9 Billboard hit ‘Think (About It)’ is one of the most widely sampled songs of all time.
The Boss is arguably one of the most recognisable songs on the record, with an infectious confidence in its rhythm – a laidback gospel address on gangster life. He may be a ‘bad mother’, but in the end he had ‘paid the cost to be the boss’.
This song is perfect for a slightly lower intensity dance - the tempo is a lot slower than the majority of Northern Soul tracks, so it’s a great opportunity to catch your breath in between more up-tempo songs and to put some real personal style in your moves.
Our video tutorials are available online and to order as a DVD, so click below to get dancing with Sharon and discover your own personal Northern Soul Dance style - and don't forget to ‘Put Some Stank On It!’