Rick James - Reflections (1984)

“Reflections” is a compilation of Rick James songs released in 1984. It was released on the Gordy Records imprint of Motown Records.
In 1984, six years after Rick James made his relatively audacious recording debut for the relatively cautious Motown, the label compiled Reflections, the punk-funk legend's first of several greatest-hits collections. Reflections includes many of James' best-known hits to date, namely "You and I," "Mary Jane," "Bustin' Out (On Funk)," "Give It to Me Baby," "Super Freak," and "Dance Wit' Me." More notably, however, it includes a trio of previously unreleased songs: "17," "Oh What a Night (4 Luv)," and "You Turn Me On," the first of which became a sizable hit. Reflections thus served its purpose as a stopgap release for 1984, the first year yet that James hadn't released a full-length: it served as a concise jumping-on point for any new fans drawn in by the previous year's chart-topping "Cold Blooded" and the pop crossover Smokey Robinson duet "Ebony Eyes," and it also served as an unnecessary but tempting teaser for diehards curious to hear a few new songs. Even so, “Reflections” became an obsolete collection years later, once it was supplanted by such better-compiled ones as Bustin' Out: The Very Best of Rick James (1994), Ultimate Collection (1997), and Anthology (2002). And that's perfectly fine because “Reflections” is an uneven sampler, picking just the cream of the crop and leaving out a lot of great songs, and it's also a skimpy one, displacing potential picks like "Love Gun" and "Big Time" with the so-so new songs and clocking in overall at a brisk ten-song running length.
This album is dedicated to Marvin Gaye & family, Jan, Nona & Frankie, May U 3 Live & Love On

Track listing

01.  "17"   (Rick James)  - 6:40 
02.  "Oh What A Night (4 Luv)"   (Rick James)  - 5:07 
03.  "You Turn Me On" Lead Vocals [Female] – Bruni Pagan   (Rick James)  - 4:44 
04.  "Fire And Desire" Vocals [Uncredited] – Teena Marie   (Rick James)  - 5:30 
05.  "Bustin' Out"    (Rick James)  - 3:55 
06.  "You And I"   (Rick James, Art Stewart)  - 3:38 
07.  "Mary Jane"   (Rick James)  - 3:58 
08.  "Dance Wit' Me"   (Rick James)  - 4:04 
09.  "Give It To Me Baby   (Rick James)  - 4:09 
10.  "Super Freak"   (Rick James, Alonzo Miller)  - 3:24 

Credits
Backing Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Lead Vocals, Synthesizer – Rick James
Saxophone [Saxophones], Written-By – Daniel LeMelle
Backing Vocals – Process And The Doo Rags, William "Bunty" Hawkins
Backing Vocals, Strings, Synthesizer – Levi Ruffin
Bass Guitar – Jerry Livingston 
Drums, Percussion – Jerry Rainey
Guitar [Guitars] – Kenny Hawkins
Percussion – Nate "Guido" Hughes
Saxophone [Saxophones] – Bobby Militello
Synthesizer, Grand Piano – Greg Levias
Timbales – Jerry Gonzales
Trumpet, Backing Vocals – LaMorris Payne

Production
Engineer – Tom Flye
Engineer [Assistant] – Bill Waldman
Producer, Arranged By, Arranged By [Horns], Written-By – Rick James
Producer, Arranged By, Arranged By [Horns] – Daniel LeMelle
Co-producer – Art Stewart
Arranged By – Peter Cardinali
Design – Andy Engel
Art Direction – Johnny Lee
Photography By – Ron Slenzak

Companies etc
Distributed By – MCA Distributing, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Motown Record Corporation
Published By – Stone City Music
Published By – Jobete Music Co., Inc.
Published By – Stone Diamond Music Corp.
Recorded At – Joint Recording Studio
Mixed At – Joint Recording Studio
Mastered At – Bernie Grundman Mastering
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Mastered By – Jose Rodriques

Notes
Compilation ℗ 1984 Motown Record Corporation.
Recorded and mixed at The Joint Studio "A", Buffalo, New York
Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California
'17' mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City 
Management: Mary Jane Productions, 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1700, Hollywood, California 90028.; Mary Jane Productions, 2600 Main Place Tower, Buffalo, New York 14202.
Genre:  Funk, Soul
Length:  56:58
Label:  Gordy Records

© 1984

Rick james - The Anthology (2002)

Of the many Rick James hits compilations available, ANTHOLOGY is one of the best. James was the flagship artist at Motown throughout the late 1970s and '80s, keeping the sound of the label vital and contemporary long after the heyday of the Temptations and Smokey Robinson. Over the course of two discs and 28 tracks, ANTHOLOGY surveys the length of James's Motown tenure, extending all the way up to 1988's "Loosey's Rap" (featuring Roxanne Shante), and representing the performer's mix of classic R&B, disco-inflected dance-floor anthems, '80s electro-groove, and hard party funk. Like the best Motown artists, James had an outstanding ear as an arranger and producer. His songs feature roiling beds of rhythm, burbling synthesizers, sharp horn charts, swirling strings, and unfolding choruses of male and female backup singers. The biggest hits--"You and I" (James's first single), the exuberant "Give It to Me Baby," and the irrepressible "Super Freak (Part 1)," his signature song--are here. However, the set is also packed with other gems, including collaborations with Smokey Robinson ("Ebony Eyes"), the Temptations ("Standing on the Top [Part 1]"), and Teena Marie ("Fire and Desire"). ANTHOLOGY works perfectly as a retrospective, and as a top-notch sampler of this funk icon's work. (Note: The 22-track GOLD collection features many of the selections found here.)

Track listing

Disc 1
01. "You And I" - 8:02
02. "Mary Jane" - 4:55
03. "Hollywood" - 7:20
04. "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" - 5:18
05. "Fire It Up" - 4:00
06. "Love Gun" - 5:44
07. "Come Into My Life" - 7:12
08. "When Love Has Gone" - 7:35
09. "Big Time" - 6:26
10. "Island Lady" - 4:08
11. "Give It To Me Baby" - 4:09
12. "Super Freak" - 3:24
13. "Fire And Desire" (with Teena Marie) - 7:16

Disc 2
01. "Dance Wit' Me" - 7:18
02. "Standing On The Top" (with The Temptations) - 9:55
03. "Hard To Get" - 4:06
04. "Happy" (with Teena Marie) - 5:29
05. "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" - 4:11
06. "My Love" - 2:52
07. "U Bring The Freak Out" - 4:01
08. "Cold Blooded" - 5:56
09. "Ebony Eyes" (with Smokey Robinson) - 5:02
10. "P.I.M.P The S.I.M.P" - 4:30
11. "17" - 4:09
12. "Glow 5:40
13. "Moonchild" - 4:17
14. "Sweet And Sexy Thing" - 4:23
15. "Loosey's Rap" (with Roxanne Shante) - 3:53

Credits
Rick James (vocals, arranger, various instruments)
John McFee (guitar)
Daniel LeMelle (saxophone)
Roy Poper (trumpet)
John Ervin (trombone)
Roy Ayers (vibraphone)
Randy Dunlap, Cheryl Dunlap (background vocals)

Notes
Release Date: (June 18, 2002)
Recorded: between 1978 and 1988
Label: Motown
Genre: Funk, Soul
Producer: Rick James
Compilation producer: Harry Weinger

© 2002