| Future Shock | |
|---|---|
 The Future Shock logo | |
| Also known as | James Brown's Future Shock |
| Genre | Musical variety |
| Created by | James Brown |
| Directed by | Mike Allen |
| Presented by | James Brown |
| Theme music composer | James Brown |
| Opening theme | "Future Shock (Dance Your Pants Off)" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | James Brown |
| Producers |
|
| Production locations | WTCG Studios, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Cinematography | Craig Marlowe |
| Camera setup |
|
| Running time | 44-48 minutes |
| Production company | Third World Enterprises |
| Original release | |
| Network | WTCG |
| Release | September 1, 1976 (1976-09-01) – September 1, 1979 (1979-09-01) |
Future Shock is a television variety show produced and hosted by James Brown from 1976 to 1979. Shot in Augusta and Atlanta, Georgia and broadcast late on Friday nights on the Ted Turner-owned UHF station WTCG, it featured local amateurs performing a variety of popular and emerging dance styles, including disco, locking and popping, and early breakdancing, to prerecorded music. Brown and his musical guests also performed briefly. Other regular features included dance contests, interviews, and segments on African-American history. "Future Shock (Dance Your Pants Off)", a song written by Brown and recorded by Maceo Parker with The J.B.'s, served as the show's nominal theme music, though it was not consistently used.
Following the example of Soul Train, Future Shock was syndicated nationwide in the United States, but it failed to attract sponsors and ceased production within three years. It has not been officially released on recorded media, and with the exception of a handful of episodes recordings of the show have long been presumed lost.
References
- Leeds, Alan. (2008). "Timeline". The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul, xv. New York: Plume.
- Brown, James, and Bruce Tucker (1986). James Brown: The Godfather of Soul, 245. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.
- "Future Shock". IMDb.
- Smith, R.J. (2012). The One: The Life and Music of James Brown, 358-360. New York: Gotham Books.
- Leeds, Alan. (1995). Funky Good Time: The Anthology . New York: Polygram Records.
- Simins, R. (1996). "Future Shock Cannot Be Stopped: A closer look at James Brown's super rare, super funky TV show". Grand Royal #3, 14.
External links
- A collection of Future Shock footage curated by WFMU
- Future Shock Episode 13
- Future Shock Episode 14
- Unknown Future Shock episode
- Unknown Future Shock episode