It's A Man's Man's Man's World

The Zoo Crew, those groovy hippie DJs at THE ZOO radio station, are spinning a soulful track for their beloved Zoo Freaks: "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by Rival Sons, taken from their electrifying XFM Session (Video). This cover of the iconic James Brown classic, recorded live in 2021, showcases the band's raw energy and soulful swagger. According to a post on Rival Sons' Instagram, the session was a spontaneous, one-take performance, capturing the band’s reverence for Brown’s original while infusing it with their signature blues-rock grit. The track’s release was celebrated by fans on Facebook, with one commenter noting how frontman Jay Buchanan’s vocals “channeled the Godfather of Soul with a modern edge.” The band shared in a BraveWords interview that they chose the song to pay homage to its timeless message about human struggle and resilience, a theme that resonates deeply with their own lyrical storytelling.

Delving into the trivia, Metal Anarchy reported that the XFM session was initially planned as a low-key radio appearance, but the band’s chemistry turned it into a viral moment, with the video racking up thousands of views on YouTube. A fan on X praised the performance, tweeting, “Rival Sons took a classic and made it their own—pure soul with a rock ‘n’ roll heart.” The band’s guitarist, Scott Holiday, mentioned in a Rival Sons website blog post that the cover was a nod to their early days jamming Brown’s records in dive bars, a ritual that shaped their sound. The song’s arrangement, stripped down yet powerful, was designed to highlight Buchanan’s vocal range, which a Rival Sons Fan Group member described as “hauntingly soulful, like he’s lived every word.”

Rival Sons began their journey in Long Beach, California, in 2009, born from a shared love of classic rock, blues, and soul. According to their bio on their official website, the band—vocalist Jay Buchanan, guitarist Scott Holiday, bassist Dave Beste, drummer Michael Miley, and keyboardist Todd Ögren—formed after Buchanan, a soul singer with a gospel background, crossed paths with Holiday, a guitarist obsessed with vintage tones. Their first gig was a spontaneous bar performance, where they played covers of Otis Redding and Led Zeppelin, instantly clicking with the crowd. As shared on Instagram, their debut album, Before the Fire, was recorded in a makeshift studio with analog gear, setting the tone for their retro-inspired sound. The band’s big break came when they opened for AC/DC in 2010, a story recounted on Facebook, where their high-energy set caught the attention of major labels.

Their rise wasn’t without hurdles. A post on X from the band reflects on early days of playing to near-empty rooms, with Buchanan joking, “We’d sing to the bartender and hope he’d clap.” Their persistence paid off with albums like Great Western Valkyrie and Feral Roots, the latter earning a Grammy nomination. Fans on the Rival Sons Fan Club website often share stories of discovering the band through late-night radio spins, much like the Zoo Freaks might vibe to their XFM track. The band’s commitment to authenticity—using vintage amps and recording live—stems from their DIY ethos, as Holiday explained in a website interview: “We wanted to sound like we were in the room with you, no shortcuts.”

For Zoo Freaks wanting to dive deeper, connect with Rival Sons on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Join the community at the Rival Sons Fan Group on Facebook or check out the Rival Sons Fan Club for exclusive content and fan stories. The Zoo Crew’s spin of this track is a perfect gateway to Rival Sons’ soulful, rock-infused world.