Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s. He had several hit recordings, including "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby".

In the late 1940s a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues shouters got the attention, but also greatly influential was what writer Charles Keil dubbs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" led by stylists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.

As a child Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.

Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording on that label of the bestseller "Driftin' Blues" with a small combo was a typical club blues song. The single was on the R&B charts for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance. His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.

"Driftin'" was the first of several hits Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Alladin. He was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound, though he maintained a small and devoted audience.

Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His Please Come Home for Christmas, a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, he occasionally recorded and tried to regain some prominence. This continued until the 1980s, when Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.

He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Several records received Grammy Award nominations.

He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship and the W. C. Handy Award.

Brown died in 1999 in Oakland, California.

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Bringing in a Brand New Year
Charles Brown Lyrics

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At the stroke of midnight
On that great big holiday
We're going to have a ball, and that ain't all
I'm gonna chase my blues away

I'll be bringin' in a brand new year
Bringin' in a brand new year
So listen, dear, won't you meet me here

While I'm bringin' in a brand new year

Gonna be a great big parade
I got my resolution made
Gonna ride above the stars
We might even take a trip to mars

I'll be bringin' in a brand new year
Bringin' in a brand new year
So listen, dear, won't you meet me here
While I'm bringin' in a brand new year

Oh, sailin' down on a rainbow
I'll flirt with lady moon
If she sighs or winks her eye
I won't be back 'til June

I'll be bringin' in a brand new year
Bringin' in a brand new year

So listen, dear, won't you meet me here
While I'm bringin' in a brand new year

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Charles Brown's song "Bringing in a Brand New Year" reflect the excitement and optimism that comes with the start of a new year. The singer is looking forward to a night of celebration and fun at the stroke of midnight on a big holiday. They are determined to chase away any lingering blues from the previous year and start fresh. The repetition of "bringin' in a brand new year" emphasizes the idea of a new beginning and the promise of a better future.

The singer's plans for the evening are grand, envisioning a great big parade and even possibly taking a trip to Mars. These images suggest a desire to escape the limitations of the past and explore new possibilities. The mention of flirting with Lady Moon and sailing on a rainbow adds to the whimsical, dreamlike quality of the lyrics. It's clear that the singer is eagerly anticipating the start of a new year and all the potential it holds.

Overall, the lyrics to "Bringing in a Brand New Year" convey a sense of hope and excitement for the future. The singer is ready to leave the past behind and embrace whatever adventures the new year may bring.

Line by Line Meaning

At the stroke of midnight
When the clock strikes 12

On that great big holiday
On New Year's Eve

We're going to have a ball, and that ain't all
We're going to have a great time and there's more to come

I'm gonna chase my blues away
I'm going to forget about my problems

I'll be bringin' in a brand new year
I'll be celebrating the start of a new year

Bringin' in a brand new year
Celebrating the new year

So listen, dear, won't you meet me here
Please come join me

Gonna be a great big parade
There will be a huge celebration

I got my resolution made
I've made my New Year's resolution

Gonna ride above the stars
I'm going to have a great time

We might even take a trip to Mars
We might do something extraordinary