July 08, 2024

1981 - November: Rick James “Street Songs”

36 minutes

Let's get this out of the way up front: when you think of rock albums, Rick James is not the artist that immediately comes to mind. But when former founding podcaster Brian Dickhute comes back and wants to do the album, we find it difficult to deny him.

James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. was born in Buffalo where he was in a number of groups and bands as a teenager. He joined the US Navy Reserves to avoid being drafted, then moved to Toronto in 1964 where he formed the rock band “The Minah Byrds.” Unfortunately he failed to let Uncle Sam know of his change of address, and would spend a few months in jail on charges of desertion. Shortly after his release he moved to California where he honed his craft in a number of rock and funk bands. He became a bigger hit and better known after signing with Gordy Records in 1977.

Street Songs is Rick James' fifth solo studio album, and his most successful. It was an immediate success and went to number 3 on the US pop charts, while also spending 20 weeks at the number 1 spot on the US R&B chart.

James would go on to be a successful producer and songwriter. His personal life would be unstable, and a hard life including drug abuse contributed to his early death in 2004.

WTR Host Lynch is out this week, so former founding host Brian Dickhute comes back with his funk on for this podcast.

Give It To Me Baby

The lead single and lead-off track to the album went to number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the US R&B chart. It is a big dance song with a strong horn section, and the lyrics are pretty straightforward. Surprisingly, this is the best selling single from the album, even better than “Super Freak,” though that song would have more longevity.

Ghetto Life

This deeper cut was released as the third single from the album, though it barely missed cracking the Billboard charts when it reached number 102. The lyrics in this funk song depict life in a depressed Buffalo inner city, where hustles were needed to make ends meet.

Super Freak

Here is the single that would become Rick James' signature song. This ode to “a very kinky girl” reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and features background vocals from the Temptations. James would get further benefit when the song was used by MC Hammer as the foundation for his hit single “U Can't Touch This.”

Below the Funk (Pass the J)

Another deeper cut, this funky track is somewhat autobiographical, describing how James grew up on the street as the child of a single mother “on the corners hangin' out with all the hoodlums.” Rick James would struggle with drug addiction throughout his life.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Maybellene by Chuck Berry (from the motion picture “Porky's”)

This is the movie that started the teen sex genre, with practical jokes and run-ins with corrupt authority figures.

STAFF PICKS:

Blood Stains by Agent Orange

Wayne opens the staff picks with a heavy metal power punk trio. The group takes its name from both the defoliant used by the military in Vietnam and the county in metro Los Angeles from which the group hails. The song is considered “skate punk,” and was used in Tony Hawk's pro skater video game.

Alien by the Atlanta Rhythm Section

Bruce brings us the sole single from ARS's tenth studio album Quinella. The lyrics are about feeling out of place and away from home. This keyboard-heavy song peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the last top 40 hit by the group.

Winning by Santana

Rob features a song originally written and performed by Russ Ballard, and covered by Santana with Alex Ligertwood singing lead. It went to number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, one of Santana's biggest hits. It is a positive song about overcoming difficulties.

Say Goodbye to Hollywood by Billy Joel

Brian closes out the staff picks with this song paying homage to Ronnie Spector. While this track premiered several years prior on the Turnstyles album, the live version from the Songs In the Attic album came out in 1981. It was recorded in the Milwaukee arena, and was more successful as a live song than as a studio song.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Hooked on Classics by the Royal Philhormonic Orchestra and Louis Clark

This instrumental mosaic of well known classics from the symphony was a hit on the charts in 1981.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

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By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch

4.9

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