Rick James

Rick James: The Punk Funk Of Rick James

Profile and Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, September 1978

Rick's style has been dubbed Punk Funk in some quarters. He himself agrees the term might be apt as it signifies the rebellious aspect of ...

Rick James

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, November 1979

"TO ME, a punk is someone who says what's on his mind and who doesn't take no shit!" So says Rick James, one of our ...

Rick James: Stone City Burns

Interview by Dave DiMartino, Creem, December 1981

While Rick James & all his Women laugh ...

Rick James: Blowing Out Tinsel Town

Interview by Lloyd Bradley, NME, April 1982

Not So Long Ago:THERE WAS a time when nearly everybody in the world owned a Motown record. Motown was like a baby's security blanket, warm, ...

Rick James: Throwin' Down (Gordy)

Review by Mitchell Cohen, Creem, September 1982

HE HAS A VOICE that's like a Looney Tunes imitation of Edward G. Robinson. His priorities (or those of the character he's created) are getting ...

Rick James: Cold Blooded (Motown)

Review by Barney Hoskyns, NME, August 1983

IN THE freak funk stakes, high-livin’ devil-may-care Rick James rates as a bit of a clown. As you’ll know if you caught his Rockpalast ...

Rick James' Perfection

Interview by Michael Goldberg, Musician, November 1983

THE FOUR women stood in the semi-dark recording studio. "Okay, let's go," said the producer. ...

Rick James: A Rant

Interview by Barney Hoskyns, NME, April 1984

BARNEY HOSKYNS dials a late night dateline to RICK JAMES at Motown's LA offices. ...

Rick James: Glow (Motown)

Review by Simon Witter, NME, June 1985

POOR RICK has never been taken very seriously - a self-obsessed prima-donna of sophistifunk, as lascivious as Richard Pryor’s ear-screwing monkey. But the slick Dick ...

Rick James: Glow (Motown)/Mary Jane Girls: Only Four You (Gordy)

Review by Roy Trakin, Creem, August 1985

TO CROSSOVER or not to crossover, that is the question. Just a few short years ago, it looked like Buffalo-born Rick James would parlay his ...

Rick James: Anthology

Review and Interview by Andria Lisle, MOJO, September 2002

CATEGORISING RICK James isn't as easy as one might think. Sure, he's the bad boy of black pop, a groove-minded funkster with a nasty attitude, ...