by Richie Unterberger\r As a long-running right-hand man, Bobby Byrd performed an invaluable function in the James Brown show, warming up the crowds as a solo singer, then retreating to the sidelines as a member of the Famous Flames, Browns backup vocal group. Indeed, without Byrd, James Brown may have never made it out of Georgia: in the early 50s, Byrd and his family sponsored Browns parole from prison, and Byrd gave Brown a spot in his vocal group, the Flames (which, of course, Brown eventually took over and relegated to the background). Like many of Browns close associates and support musicians, Byrd got a chance to record his own work under Browns direction, releasing numerous Brown-produced singles between the early 60s and early 70s. Some of these were even modest R&B hits — Were in Love (1965) and I Need Help (I Cant Do It Alone) (1970) were the biggest, making the R&B Top 20. Browns backing musicians (and sometimes Brown hims...