roanmairin said:

see, it's easy if you try....

vainandy said:

Although Rick did dabble with rock elements. The intro and breakdown to my all-time fave Rick song; "Mary Jane". He got down with some rock on "Fire It Up" and "Hard To Get".

blackguitaristz said:

Also, "Love Gun" too.

PrettyMan72 said:

Yep.

GaryMF said:[quote]

Thumparello said:

I was referring more to the "signature" synth-horns that are typically thought of as the Minneapolis sound.... but Rick used something similar earlier..... it's like analog synth horns iwth lots of mod wheel on them (like on Mary Jane Girls "In My House" or the lead line used on "Give It To me" etc.)

And combining drum machines iwth real drums... not just using a drum machine.

But this is very interesting about the synth bass.

Can you explain what that means a little more above? I'm always wondering what the purpose or point of using synth bass is....and it seems like osme songs are almost all synth bass (17 Days etc.)



Bernie Worrell(P-Funk fame) started all that. Even Stevie Wonder copied him. He goes uncredited. http://www.strangermovie.com/ Go through the links. In My House all Bernie stuff.


http://www.pbs.org/indepe...index.html

Great film for funk history and general overall knowledge


I think most white folks experience with the funk in general started with Rick James and Prince cause they were able to cross it over in the 80's. So learning about Sly, JB and Clinton came later to some or not at all.

I might be older than most hear. To me it just sounds like they were copying others before them. Not saying either one didn't have their own style. But it's nothing I hadn't seen or heard in the past. It didn't start with those two.


As far as Rick being Prince wasn't going to happen. Rick had too many demons...jealousy being one of them. He had feuds with too many artist and he didn't "use" drugs he "abused" drugs. He ran out of ideas early Throwin' Down was his last good effort. I never considered him a great artist only a good one. Prince took the funk up a notch to another level. He developed an original concept and style based on sex.

Yeah he bashed women, took megadrugs and stole off P funk, but who didnt, You and I got to #16 on the American chart in April 1978, that was his first hit, Street songs hit #3 on album, no Prince album did that until Purople Rain, after 83 though Rick sounds dated, I agree with you all about that Losseys rap and Beautiful shit.
But Prince has had a number of girlfriends and unsuccessful marriages too, he may have not hit them but he sure controlled them. Its suspected hes taken ecstasy once or more times, and black pop with bass! hello hes not original. Rick James was a genius too, a clean Rick James would have been much more successful but what he left us with was pretty amazing.

Like Prince, Rick too dreamed of true crossing over with his music and blurrring the race biundary. The only difference was Rik did have Princes discipline.

Rest in Peace Rick

JonnyApplesauce said:

it didn't help that Rick couldn't get his videos played on MTV because they deemed him too black...That was the real source of his problem with Prince...

tane1976 said:

And his skin...

TonyVanDam said:

Actually the ruffles look is an idea Prince took from Jimi Hendrix.

And Adam Ant in the early 80's new wave era.

[Edited 2/25/06 13:54pm]

Rick James couldn't have been Prince. He was the best (mainstream) musician in Prince's early years and set the standard to which Prince had to reach before he could become the star we all know and love. Rick and Cameo were pretty much the only ones bringing the funk from what I remember in the early 80's.

Looking back on things Prince was more poised to reach that genre-blending success both he and Rick envisioned. Work ethic and the capacity to absorb different influences were Prince's major assets and are the things that made 1999 and Purple Rain possible. Ultimately, Rick fell short in these departments. As the frustration kicked in the destructive behavior escalated I suppose.

Been listening to a lot of RJ lately (especially Street Songs which is a wonderful album) now, in my mind a lot of production ideas were to be found a year later on 'Thriller', not meaning to bring MJ into this but let's face it RJ, had ten years on both P and MJ, i personally think he was unfortunate in that respect. Rick was in his mid thirties and Prince and Michael were both young and blew up worldwide around that time.

Rick James wasn't a success worldwide, and i honestly think his age might have counted against him, and the fact he was on Motown, which was ailing at the time probably didn't help.

but Rick James was certainly a very important artist. very influential.

tane1976 said:

-----
Rick did not have Prince's talent either. Check out the 1982 Germany concert and you will see what I am talking about.

When Rick was rehabbing in the hospital , he got a phonecall in his room from .... intimate friends who were over there in that room saw Rick's face lite up in joy ..... that's what it's all about in the end .

100MPH said:

THAT'S AWESOME!

rudeboynpg said:

yes, it is....

Rick had a slight rock edge in his music but I really think he could have cared less about crossing over. He had his crossover smash with "Super Freak" but he didn't keep trying to reach the pop audience after it. His next album "Throwin' Down" was full of hardcore funk. "Hard To Get" was very "Super Freak" sounding but much more funky than "Super Freak".

I think Rick was fine with his songs crossing over but he wasn't going to intentionally go after the pop audience. If they liked it...fine....if they didn't....fine.

He couldn't stand Prince long before that. Their falling out began on the tour they were on together in 1980.

It's been rumored among many Rick James fans that the only reason that MTV played Prince's videos in the beginning was to piss Rick off. Rick was fighting with them and they had learned of Rick's dislike for Prince. It's definately something to think about because look how hard Michael Jackson had to fight with MTV to get them to play his videos and Prince's videos got played with no fight whatsoever.
.
.
[Edited 2/25/06 17:22pm]

laurarichardson said:

in ricks defense (and no i've never seen him live) how can u judge his abilities based on one performance? he might've been having a bad night

he's beautiful!

TonyVanDam said:

speakin of that what ever happened to the alice in ghettoland project?

CalhounSq said:

Moonwalkbjrain said:

Exactly, by 82 he was into coke and it may have been the coke talking in that concert. When I said crossover I didnt mean lily white, I meant Rick wanted pop fans to discover his brand of funk. As to age, Rick convinced everyone he was younger than he really was by 4 years (A lot of early bios done when he was still alive said he was born in 1952). I dont think having all your hits in the 30s makes u old. I am nearly 30 now and feel a lot better and more energetic than I did when I was turning 20.
Still drugs cut short what would have ben a career of George Clintonesque success at least.

langebleu said:

Sorry I meant a jumpsuit, my keyboard skills are apalling, makes me look semi literate when I am not.

7salles said:

Actually,yes he could have.Rick has flirted with the idea of doing a rock album.Remember,he used to play in a band with Neil Young.He was fully capable of playing rock,but he chose to remain loyal to the funk.In a 1982 interview,he said something like "I could easily sellout and do a rock album,but why should I?".

vainandy said:

Rick had a crossover hit, "Super Freak", but he wasn't studying crossing over. He came back hard and funky on his next album "Throwin' Down" with no attempts at crossing over. Rick was about the funk.[/quote]

Exactly.I don't think Rick was ever overly concerned with "crossing over".When "Super Freak" became a huge crossover hit,he could have easily soldout and made a pop/rock album,but he didn't.He stayed loyal to R&B/funk.

One area in which Rick James, 10 years Prince's senior, outshone Prince was in his choice of proteges.

Teena Marie ALONE could outsing any woman in Prince's camp; Bonnie Boyer, Sheena Easton, and Rosie Gaines, not withstanding.

Vanity, Appolonia, Carmen Electra, even Mayte. Great looking women. But, ummm, not really singers.

What's great about Prince in 2006 is that he's actually foregoing most of the theatrics for some good-old fashioned music.

Ta'mar and the twins can all sing!

His performances are less flashy and he's dazzling us with his musicianship and not his flash.

Leave that to those who can't sing or play their own instruments...

rudeboynpg said:

Holy Shitness, Adam Ant could have been Prince!!!!

vainandy said:

.....BTW, it was Rick James (not Michael or Prince) that call MTV out on ABC News Nightline (???) for refusing to show videos of black artist!

And even today, ALL black artists owe a lot of thanks and respect to Rick for looking out for HIS people back in those early 80's.

BlaqueKnight said:

Exactly
[Edited 2/27/06 13:05pm]

DavidEye said:

I completely agree...Lots of people don't really know about Rick James and are going off comedy skits, excerpts from other things and god knows what else...