I remember in the early spring of 1982,watching an episode of "Entertainment Tonight" (how many of you Old Schoolers remember that show?).They aired a segment on Rick James in the studio.He was preparing the follow-up to his massively successful 'Street Songs' album,and he let us hear one of the new songs.It was titled "69 Times" and even though we only heard a few seconds of it,I knew that the song was incredible.So when the 'Throwin' Down' album was finally released a few months later,I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.This album is filled with solid jams,but "69 Times" is the best track,imo.Compared to most of the other songs,it's a more subdued funk number with no horns,and lyrically,Rick shows a vulnerability that you didn't always hear on his records.I really think it's one of his strongest compositions,but unfortunately,it never really gets the attention it deseves.Folks are too busy raving about "Super Freak" and "Mary Jane" lol.Am I the only one who thinks "69 Times" is a classic Rick James track?





69 Times

written by Rick James

Just like a fool I went and stayed too long
I never listened to your tender songs
My only wish was just to satisfy
and keep you happy til the day I died
You got hung up the night that we made love
and when you cried what were you thinking of
I kissed the tears and fears off your face
that's when you let another take my place

(chorus)
You turned my head around
turned me upside down
You turned my head around
Blew my mind 69 times
hey,hey,hey...

Just like a child you had to have your cake
playing with me that was your first mistake
there are too many cakes and pies to taste
you are the one I did not want to waste
just like a baby acting insecure
when all the time I thought that you were sure
you are the twinkle turned into a star
this time little girl,you've gone too far

(chorus)
You turned my head around
turned me upside down
You turned my head around
Blew my mind 69 times
hey,hey,hey...

Why you wanna go and break and my heart?
You blew my mind 69 times
Boys and girls out on the floor
just sing until you can't no more

You turned my head around,you turned me upside down
69 times
You turned my head around,you turned me upside down
69 Times
Sing! La la la la la la....69 Times

She didn't know,she broke my heart,she broke my heart,she broke my heart
"Did I hear you say she broke your heart?"
You heard me right,Grace Slick,you heard me right,Grace Slick
"Oh yeah"

You got me crying
You got me crying
You got me crying
You got me crying

DavidEye said:

I first heard that song on his 1994 anthology, Bustin' Out. It's brilliant and funky.

btw,I think it's a goddamn shame that most of Rick's albums are out of print! The only albums that are easy to find are 'Street Songs',his 1978 debut 'Come and Get It' and about a MILLION different hits compilations,all featuring the same songs. I've complained about this numerous times,on the Motown message boards.I've even tried to start an on-line petition at Rick's official site.But guess what? Now that he's gone,I bet the Motown folks are gonna RUSH to remaster his catalog,to cash in on his death.I guess he needed to die in order for them to finally realize how important his music was? Sorry for the bitterness,but that just makes my blood boil.

Agreed. I'd love to find Fire it Up on cd.

found1 said:

I just saw this video the other day on VH1 Classic. I love the song, but had never seen the video.

RipHer2Shreds said:

A video for "69 Times"???

DavidEye said:

Uh yeah. That'd be the one.

You know I remember it. It was one bad ass jam. "Throwin' Down" is my favorite Rick James album. I absolutely loved it from start to finish. My favorite track is "Hard To Get".

I also know what you mean about all the out of print CDs. When I first bought my CD burner, I was a CD burning motherfucker and first ones I started with was Rick James.

Dammitt.....now I know they need to get VH1 Classic down here! All I ever keep hearing on this site is how all the old videos are on VH1 Classic. I don't know what the hell is wrong with my dead ass city but it needs to get with it.

Nobody even mentioned Rick James' 1985 underrated album, Glow. That's my personal favorite by him. I just wished the folks at Universal/Motown could remaster that one. It's a classic and I would rank it as #2 of my favorite Rick James albums. Street Songs will always be my #1 favorite (The Greatest Album He Ever Recorded).

Alright somebody school me. I had seen this video for the first time on Classic Soul and when I unless they made an error on the song title. The song sounds just like "Hard to Get" that's on the How to be a Player soundtrack minus Richie Rich's rap of course. Is this the same song or a different one.

I didn't even know there was a video for this song! Back in the day,Rick was never shown on MTV,and there weren't alot of video channels for R&B music in the early 80s.So I apparently missed many of his videos.The only Rick James videos I've ever seen are...

Super Freak
Give It To Me Baby
Standing On The Top (with the Temptations)
Glow
Bustin' Out (saw this one in 1979)
Ebony Eyes (with Smokey Robinson)
Hard To Get


And most of these,I've only seen maybe once or twice.But of course,now that he's dead,watch Motown/Universal suddenly spring into action,and release a DVD of all his videos :eyeroll:

TurnItUp said:

Not sure if this helps you,but "Hard To Get" and "69 Times" are two different songs.They're from Rick's 1982 album 'Throwin' Down' and were both released as singles.


On a side note....apparently,Motown now thinks that the title "69 Times' is too controversial....lol...on a few recent Rick James compilations,this song is now referred to as "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)".It's as if they're trying to downplay the "69" reference by placing it in parenthesis,lol.

silverchild said:

I'm still trying to figure out how 'Glow' stacks up in comparison to his other albums.It's not a bad album and there are some solid tracks on that album (my favorite is "Can't Stop").But I had a slight problem with much of Rick's music after 'Cold Blooded'.I guess he was just trying to adapt to changing trends,but his music after 1983 became colder,using more synthesizers and less horns.Many R&B/funk artists and bands also changed their sound in the mid-80s,so I'm not singling Rick out.I guess I just prefer his earlier albums.His 1986 double-album 'The Flag' is his worst album,imo.

I totally agree with you DavidEye. "Glow" is a only a decent album and the track "Can't Stop" is my favorite on the album. "Cold Blooded was the first departure from Rick's original sound that I picked up on but it still sounded good. "Glow" was just too far gone.

I hate to dispute you on "The Flag", but it was not a double album. I liked "The Flag" better than "Glow" though. In my opinion, Rick's Warner Brother's album "Wonderful" was the worst album. It had too many midtempo tracks. Now his release in the mid-1990s was, by far, the worst but I don't even count it because.....hey, it was the 1990s, music as a whole had changed (for the worse), and Rick, like countless others was "selling out" to fit in with a hip hop generation.

vainandy said:

Wow,i always thought 'The Flag' was a double album.Guess i was wrong.i managed to find it on CD last year,and it was only about $3.99 so i bought it.I was really disappointed.But I like his 1997 album 'Urban Rapsody' which i see that you don't really care for.Some cool tracks on that one,but I understand what you mean about "selling out to fit in with the hip hop generation"...lol...some songs were a little too hip-hop for my tastes.But it DOES contain one of his best ballads ever---"Never Say You Love Me"---a wonderful duet with JoJo of the Mary Jane Girls.Did you know that Teena Marie was supposed to sing this song with Rick? Lawd,that would have been fierce,even better than "Fire and Desire"! LOL.

It has been reported that Rick recently completed a new double-CD that he was planning to release by the end of the year.I really hope it gets released,although it's gonna kinda sad/bittersweet to hear it now that he's gone.

[/quote]

You are so right about "Never Say You Love Me". That is my favorite song on the album and I would have loved to have heard Teena sing it with him. I also like "Mother's Eyes" and "Good Ol Days". It does have some good slow stuff on it. My biggest disappointment is that it didn't have any funk on it. What's a Rick James album without the funk!

I haven't listened to this album in years. I have it on cassette and I hate having to do all that damn fast forwarding and rewinding. LOL I have burned all my other Rick James vinyl albums on CD but I still haven't gotten around to burning "Urban Rapsody" on CD. I pulled it this morning and laid it out so I can do it this weekend.

I can't wait for the new album to come out. I'm expecting some good ballads but I doubt I will hear any funk on it. I hope I'm wrong.

DavidEye said:

ok then it was a mistake then. The video is like live-like just like the one he did with the tempations and he starts licking his tongue out in a nasty way like Prince did. That's what the video said 69 times, but I said to myself this sounds like hard to get. Vh1 Classic Soul probably just made an error.

TurnItUp said:

I'm gonna have to start tuning in to "VH1 Classic Soul".They're showing videos that i didn't even know existed!