Marva Whitney – It's My Thing

Marva Whitney's "It's My Thing" was released in 1969 and has since become a touchstone of funk. Among the most revered voices in funk, Marva Whitney holds a special place thanks to her irrepressible energy and unmistakable style on tracks like the classic "Unwind Yourself," a longtime favorite for DJs and dance floors alike. She emerged from the dynamic world of the James Brown Revue in the late 1960s - alongside legendary names such as Lyn Collins and Vicki Anderson - and quickly made a name for herself.

in 1969, she began recording as a solo artist under James Brown's King label and landed a Top 20 R&B hit with "It's My Thing" Although she had few mainstream hits, her music resonated with funk lovers and crate diggers around the world. Songs like "You Got to Have a Job" and the endlessly sampled "Unwind Yourself" have only grown in relevance over the decades.

Their album "It's My Thing" was released that same year and has since become a touchstone of the genre. Backed by the legendary JB's and produced by James Brown himself, who also wrote the majority of the songs, the album offers a raw, outspoken funk sound with a distinctly female voice at the forefront. From the explosive opening of "It's My Thing" - a bold answer to 'It's Your Thing' by the Isley Brothers - Marva radiates pure intensity, backed by a band that never lets up. With 'If You Love Me', a soul-soaked ballad in the spirit of Otis Redding, the pace is briefly slowed before she dives back into the rhythmic sharpness of tracks like 'Unwind Yourself' Decades later, 'It's My Thing' is still inspiring, sampled by producers and treasured by collectors - a powerful snapshot of funk at its most uncompromising.