Of all the artists on the Motown label there can be no other like Rick James. He originally came to light during the latter part of the seventies although it was during the early part of the following decade that he made his mark on the R & B charts as well as becoming one of the hottest acts on the club circuit where his songs graced many a dancefloor for years. Outrageous to say the least, with his long plaited hair style and slick dress style Rick was the epitome of the eighties funk and dance scene and together with his Stone City Band will be remembered by the fans of the 70’s & 80’s sound in the same way that the likes of Marvin, Stevie, and the Temptations were in the sixties. This new double CD contains just about everything you could ever wish for including all of his single releases as well as those duets, which gave his profile added momentum.

The most outstanding feature of Rick James’ music is that it is all self- written, and whilst fellow Motown artists Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson were also prolific singer/songwriters in their own right this was a period when James ruled as king. One only has to see him perform in concert to see what I mean. Everyone reading this review will have their own favourite song from this set but I have to say that the duets come out on top for me.  His stunning performance with Smokey Robinson on ‘Ebony Eyes’ is one of the highlights of this set and this stunning ballad displays James’ extended vocal dexterity to the maximum to the point where he actually takes total control of the song. An excellent promotional video was produced to aid sales featuring both singers on a remote desert island being rescued having crashed their light aircraft.

In 1982 two very important single releases were taken from a new LP ‘Street Sound’s with ‘Give It To Me Baby’ and the pacy ‘Super Freak’ which was to become Rick’s most famous song, and backing track was even used by rapper MC Hammer on his ‘Can’t Touch This’ single during the early nineties. The success of these two singles and their accompanying video’s meant that Rick James was one very hot artist, and so much so that the Temptations used him on their reunion tour a year later which spawned the in-demand 12” single ‘Standing On The Top’ of which the full length version can be found on this CD. Watch out for a streaming video clip of '69 Times' on this web site.

‘Fire & Desire’, a ballad sung with Canadian singer and fellow Motown artist Teena Marie is seen also as a highlight of this double set and is usually the song most associated with the pair. Other tracks include ’69 Times’ ‘Love Gun’ ‘17’ 'Big Time' and 'Loosey's Rap' of late with Roxanne Shante but to nme a few.

Whilst Universal Music have already issued a £6.99 CD via their Spectrum label a while ago which contains tracks that are all featured on this anthology, (as well as a special deluxe edition of ‘Street Songs’ earlier this year), this latest offering is the ultimate ‘must have’ and is a perfect introduction to one of Motown’s most outrageous, yet talented artists and songwriters of the last twenty years. It is a fact that James was instrumental in lifting Motown’s profile during the period in question after it had slipped into decline at the end of the disco era and there is no doubt that he became their hottest, and biggest selling artist at that time.

So, hit the dancefloor with confidence and next time your out partying ask the DJ for some tricky Rick James.

Rating 10/10

See Rick James in action by clicking here