Rick James

In the waning years of the 1970s, as Motown Records struggled for direction, Rick James arrived to revitalize its sound with a series of funky singles that carried the label forward into the mid-1980s. Earlier attempts to establish himself at the company had yielded no results, yet James had already accumulated a wide range of experiences by that point. Having grown up in Buffalo, he enlisted in the Naval Reserves only to depart for Toronto, where he performed alongside future Buffalo Springfield members Neil Young and Bruce Palmer plus Goldy McJohn, who later joined Steppenwolf. The group, known as the Mynah Birds, secured a Motown contract and cut material, though nothing ever reached the public.

James spent subsequent years as a working bassist in assorted ensembles before returning to Motown in the combined roles of performer, composer, and producer. His debut single, “You and I,” released in May 1978, ascended to the top of the R&B listings while cracking the pop Top 40. Another track, “Mary Jane,” followed in September 1978 and also charted. Both appeared on his first album, Come Get It!, issued in June 1978, which earned gold status. Later releases proved less immediate in impact, although Bustin’ Out of L Seven, from January 1979, included the R&B success “Bustin’ Out” that spring. Stronger momentum returned with the chart-topping R&B single “Give It to Me Baby” in March 1981, drawn from the platinum-certified Street Songs, which arrived the following month and contained “Super Freak,” his strongest pop showing since “You and I.”

James next channeled his production skills toward reviving the Temptations, newly back at Motown, resulting in “Standing on the Top” in April 1982, credited to the Temptations featuring Rick James and reaching the R&B Top Ten. He likewise oversaw sessions for Teena Marie and the Mary Jane Girls. His own follow-up, the gold-selling Throwin’ Down from May 1982, yielded the hit “Dance Wit’ Me.” Cold Blooded, released in August 1983, delivered a third R&B number one via its title track and paired James with Smokey Robinson on the charting duet “Ebony Eyes.” Reflections, a greatest-hits collection issued in August 1984, introduced the new single “17” that June, which itself became a hit. Glow, from April 1985, offered two additional Top Ten R&B tracks in the title song and “Can’t Stop,” the latter appearing on the soundtrack of the summer blockbuster Beverly Hills Cop. His ninth solo effort, The Flag, arrived in June 1986 and featured “Sweet and Sexy Thing,” a hit across both R&B and dance formats that May.

Departing Motown, James moved to the Reprise division of Warner Bros. Records for Wonderful in July 1988, highlighted by the R&B chart-topper “Loosey’s Rap,” recorded with rapper Roxanne Shante. Even so, his distinctive “punk funk” approach sat uneasily alongside the ascendant rap and hip-hop movement. Brief chart activity came in 1989 with a medley of the Drifters’ “This Magic Moment” and “Dance With Me.” The following year, MC Hammer achieved enormous success with “U Can’t Touch This,” built around a rap layered atop the instrumental foundation of “Super Freak.” Although that sample might have sparked renewed visibility, ongoing drug-related and legal difficulties kept James out of the studio for an extended period. Emerging from most of those entanglements, he issued Urban Rapsody in 1997; the album received favorable critical notice without producing major hits. A stroke suffered onstage in 1998 prompted his gradual withdrawal from active performance. Rick James suffered a fatal heart attack at his Los Angeles residence on August 6, 2004.