Street Songs (1981)

Street Songs is the fifth studio album by American musician Rick James, released in April 1981 on Gordy Records. It contained three of James' biggest hits: the singles "Give It to Me Baby", "Super Freak", and "Fire and Desire".

Release

"Give It to Me Baby", the lead single from the album, became James' second number one single on the R&B chart, spending five weeks at the top spot. The next single, "Super Freak", was an even bigger hit, reaching number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A Deluxe Edition was released in 2001 containing an additional 17 mixes and live versions of the album tracks. Although the song "Fire and Desire" (a duet he performed with singer Teena Marie) was not originally released as a single, the song itself received much airplay on R&B radio stations and has since become a classic hit. James and Marie would reunite to perform the song at the 2004 BET Awards five weeks before James' death.

Critical reception

The album became an immediate success upon its release, eventually reaching number three on the US Pop chart—James's highest-charting album during his career—and spending twenty weeks at number one on the US R&B chart. The album was certified platinum in the US in July 1981. By 1983, the album had sold nearly four million copies worldwide. At the 24th Annual Grammy Awards (1982), James was nominated for Best Male Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance for the album while being the first African American artist to be nominated in the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance category for the song "Super Freak".

Personnel

• Performers
• Rick James – lead vocals
• Ja'net Dubois – background vocals

Melvin Franklin – background vocals ("Give It to Me Baby")

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs – background vocals

Teena Marie – lead vocals ("Fire and Desire"), background vocals ("Give It to Me Baby", "Mr. Policeman")

Mary Jane Girls – background vocals

The Temptations (Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, Otis Williams) – background vocals ("Ghetto Life", "Super Freak")

Musicians

Gerald Albright – tenor flute ("Make Love to Me", "Fire and Desire")

• Oscar Alston – bass, handclaps, percussion
• Reggie Andrews – string arranger
• Rollice Dale – string contractor
• Clifford J. Ervin – flugelhorn, piccolo, trumpet
• John Ervin – flute, trombone
• Fernando Harkless, Roy Poper – trumpet
• Nathan Hughes, Armando Peraza, Raul Rekow, Bugsy Wilcox – percussion

Rick James – arranger, bass guitar, composer, drums, guitar, horns, percussion, producer, timbales, timpani

• Daniel LeMelle – flute, handclaps, horn arrangements, alto and tenor saxophone, string arrangements
• Tom McDermott – guitar, percussion
• Alonzo Miller – producer, composer
• Narada Michael Walden – drums

Stevie Wonder – harmonica soloist ("Mr. Policeman")

Levi Ruffin – synthesizers