Tag Archives: Rick James

Rick James & The Stone City Band: Come And Get It!

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On April 20, 1978, “Gordy” label released “Come Get It!”, album by Rick James and the Stone City Band (the debut Rick James album overall). It was recorded 1977 – 1978, at “Cross Eyed Bear Studios” in New York, “record Plant” in New York City, and was produced by Art Stewart and Rick James.

Personnel:

  • Rick James – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, arrangements
  • Freddy Rapillo – guitar
  • Levi Ruffin, Jr. – Keyboards
  • Billy Nunn – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Bobby Nunn – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Andy Rapillo – bass
  • Richard Shaw – bass
  • Mike Caputy – drums
  • Lorenzo Shaw – drums
  • Randy Brecker, Mike Brecker – horns
  • Flick, Berry, Steve Williams – horns
  • Levi Ruffin – backing vocals
  • Jackie Ruffin – backing vocals
  • Sascha Meeks – backing vocals
  • Richard Shaw – backing vocals
  • Vanessa Brooks Nunn – backing vocals
  • Joey Diggs – backing vocals
  • Anthony Caesar – backing vocals
  • Roger Brown – backing vocals
  • Calvin Moore – backing vocals
  • Bennie McCullough – backing vocals
  • Chuck Madden, Shelly – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Rick James.

  1. Stone City Band, Hi!
  2. You and I
  3. Sexy Lady
  4. Dream Maker
  5. Be My Lady
  6. Mary Jane
  7. Hollywood
  8. Stone City Band, Bye!

Rick James: Bustin’ Out of L Seven

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On January 26, 1979, “Gordy” label released “Bustin’ Out of L Seven”, the second Rick James album. It was recorded in 1978, at “Sigma Sound Recording Studio” in New York City, “Magic Wand Recording Studio” in Hollywood, and was produced by Rick James and Art Stewart.

Personnel:

  • Rick James – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion
  • Al Szymanski – guitar
  • Freddie Rappilo – guitar
  • Wally Ali – guitar
  • Levi Ruffin – synthesizer, percussion
  • Clarence Sims – keyboards, percussion
  • Bobby Nunn – keyboards
  • Oscar Alston – bass
  • Richard Shaw – bass
  • Lanise Hughes – drums, percussion
  • Lorenzo Shaw – drums, percussion
  • Jackie Ruffin – percussion
  • Shondra Akiem – percussion
  • Fred Jackson, Jr. – alto saxophone, alto flute
  • Ernie Fields, Jr. – saxophone
  • Michael Brecker – saxophone
  • Fernando Harkness – tenor saxophone
  • Garnett Brown – trombone
  • Oscar Brashear – trombone
  • George Bohanon – trombone
  • Wayne Jackson – trumpet
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Dorothy Ashby – harp
  • Teena Marie – backing vocals
  • Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals
  • Bobby Nunn, Billy Nunn, Sascha Meeks, Richard Shaw, Jackie Ruffin – backing vocals
  • Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals
  • Clydene Jackson – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Rick James.

  1. Bustin’ Out (On Funk)
  2. High on Your Love Suite/One Mo Hit (Of Your Love)
  3. Love Interlude
  4. Spacey Love
  5. Cop N Blow
  6. Jefferson Ball
  7. Fool on the Street

Rick James

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On August 6, 2004, James Ambrose Johnson Jr. aka Rick James died aged 56. He was a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, known as “The King of Punk-Funk”. He was a member of few bands, before starting a successful recording career after signing with Motown’s “Gordy Records”. James released twelve studio albums, plus one released posthumously in 2007. As a songwriter and producer, he worked with Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, and Eddie Murphy.

The Lemonheads: Come On Feel The Lemonheads

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On October 12, 1983, “Atlantic” label released “Come on Feel the Lemonheads”, the sixth Lemonheads studio album. It was recorded in 1983, and was produced by The Robb Brothers.

Personnel:

  • Evan Dando- lead vocals, guitar, piano
  • Nic Dalton- bass guitar, backing vocals
  • David Ryan – drums
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow- steel guitar
  • Julianna Hatfield, Belinda Carlisle, Rick James- backing vocals
  • Tom Morgan- guidance counselor

Track listing:

All tracks by Evan Dando and Tom Morgan, except where noted.

  1. The Great Big No
  2. Into Your Arms – Robyn St. Clare
  3. It’s About Time
  4. Down About It
  5. Paid to Smile – Evan Dando
  6. Big Gay Heart
  7. Style
  8. Rest Assured
  9. Dawn Can’t Decide – Nic Dalton, Evan Dando
  10. I’ll Do It Anyway – Evan Dando
  11. Belinda CarlisleRick James Style
  12. Being Around
  13. Favorite T – Evan Dando
  14. You Can Take It With You – Evan Dando
  15. The Jello Fund – Evan Dando
  16. hidden tracks- Lenny, Noise Parts 1-3, The Amp Went Out, High-Speed Idiot Mode

Cake: Comfort Eagle

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On July 24, 2001, “Columbia” label released “Comfort Eagle”, the fourth Cake studio album. It was recorded in 2001, at “Paradise Studios” in Sacramento, “Hyde Street Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by John McCrea, Vince DiFiore, Xan McCurdy, Gabriel Nelson, Todd Roper and Tyler Pope.

Personnel:

  • John McCrea– vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, drum programming, percussion
  • Vince DiFiore– trumpet, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Xan McCurdy– electric guitar, percussion, backing vocals
  • Gabriel Nelson – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Todd Roper – drums, percussion, Moog synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Tyler Pope – keyboard, electric guitar
  • Kirt Shearer – mixing
  • David Cole – mixing
  • Craig Long – mixing
  • Gabriel Shepard – mixing
  • Don C. Taylor – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by John McCrea, unless where noted.

  1. Opera Singer – John McCrea, Mark Kornweibel
  2. Meanwhile, Rick James…
  3. Shadow Stabbing – John McCrea, George Kane
  4. Short Skirt/Long Jacket
  5. Commissioning a Symphony in C
  6. Arco Arena
  7. Comfort Eagle
  8. Long Line of Cars
  9. Love You Madly
  10. Pretty Pink Ribbon
  11. World of Two

Rick James: Street Songs

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Rick_James_-_Street_Songs

On April 7, 1981, “Gordy Records” label released “Street Songs”, the fifth Rick James album. It was recorded December 1980 – January 1981, at  the “Record Plant” in Sausalito, California and “Motown / Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Rick James. In July 1981, the album was certified Platinum in US by “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Rick James – lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, timbales, percussion, string and horn arrangements, design concept
  • Tom McDermott – guitar, percussion
  • Erskine Williams – keyboards, clavinet, organ
  • Levi Ruffin Jr – synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Oscar Alston – bass, percussion
  • Lanise Hughes – drums
  • Steve Price – drums
  • Armando Peraza, Bugsy Wilcox, Nate Hughes, Raul Rekow – percussion
  • Donny Keider – vibraphone
  • Daniel LeMelle – alto and tenor saxophone, horns, flute
  • Fernando Harkless, Roy Roper – trumpet
  • John Ervin – horns, trombone, flute
  • Cliff Ervin – horns, trumpet, piccolo flute, flugelhorn
  • The Mary Jane Band (JoAnne McDuffy, Lisa Sarna) – singers
  • Jane’t DuBois, Jackie Ruffin, Julia Waters Tillman, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Levi Ruffin, Jr., Marci Thomas, Maxine Waters Willard, Pattie Brooks, The Mary Jane Band – singers
  • Aaron Dublin, California St. Clair, Daniel LeMelle, Levi Ruffin, Jr., Lisa Sarna, Oscar Alston, Teena Marie, Victor Reed – handclaps
  • Stone City Band – backing band
  • Charles Veal Jr – concertmaster
  • Daniel LeMelle – string and horn arrangements
  • Reggie Andrews – string arrangements
  • Bobby Brooks, Tom Flye – recording, mixing
  • Rick Sanches – recording
  • Michael Johnson, Tony Autore – engineer assistant
  • Johnny Lee – art direction
  • Ginny Livingston – design
  • Norman Moore – logo design
  • Ron Slenzak – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Rick James, except where noted.

  1. Give It to Me Baby
  2. Ghetto Life
  3. Make Love to Me
  4. Policeman
  5. Super Freak – Rick James, Alonzo Miller
  6. Fire and Desire
  7. Call Me Up
  8. Below the Funk