Fire It Up (Rick James album)

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fire It Up
Studio album by
Rick James
ReleasedOctober 16, 1979
Recorded1979
StudioThe Record Plant, Sausalito, CA
GenreFunk, punk funk, funk rock
Length37:00
LabelGordy
ProducerRick James
Rick James chronology
Bustin' Out of L Seven
(1979) 		Fire It Up
(1979) 		Garden of Love
(1980)

Fire It Up is the third studio album by American musician Rick James.[1][2] It was released on October 16, 1979, on the Motown sub-label Gordy Records. The first single was "Love Gun".[3] The album has sold more than a million copies.[4]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul[7]

The Bay State Banner wrote that "James' vocal style remains functional, and the punk-funk horn section average... His strength is in his torrid compositions and captivating presentation."[8] The The San Bernardino County Sun noted that James relishes "loud, rowdy hand-clapping funk straight from the street."[9] Newsday determined that "when James sticks with unadulterated hard stuff ... he is among the most crackerjack practitioners of funk rock."[10]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide deemed the album "secondhand Bootsy Collins."[6]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks composed by Rick James.

Side A

  1. "Fire It Up" – 3:59
  2. "Love Gun" – 5:44
  3. "Lovin You Is a Pleasure" – 4:08
  4. "Love in the Night" – 6:22

Side B

  1. "Come into My Life" – 7:10
  2. "Stormy Love" – 2:05
  3. "When Love Is Gone" – 7:32

2010 Bonus Track / 2014 digital remaster bonus track / 2014 Complete Motown Albums bonus track

  2. "Love Gun" (Promotional 12-Inch version) – 10:46

Personnel[edit]

  • Rick James – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, organ, Harpsichord, timbales, timpani (tympani), electronic drums [syndrums], drums, percussion
The Stone City Band
  • Levi Ruffin – synthesizer, synthesizer (strings ensemble), percussion, backing vocals
  • Tom McDermott – electric guitar, twelve-string guitar, guitar (6-string), acoustic guitar
  • Greg Levias – keyboards, Fender Rhodes electric piano
  • Danny LeMelle – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, harpsichord
  • Lanise Hughes – drums
  • Lorenzo Shaw — drums
  • Oscar Alston – bass guitar
  • Shondu Akiem – percussion, electronic drums (syndrums)
  • Cliff Ervin – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • John Ervin – trombone
  • Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Pat Henderson, Jackie Ruffin, Lisa Sarna – backing vocals
  • California St. Clair, Cynthia Gable, Cynthia Nettles, Danny LeMelle, Jackie Ruffin, Julia Waters, Keith "Star" Ragin, Lisa Sarna, Maxine Waters, Pat Henderson, Tom McDermott, Winston L. Allen - choir on "Love in the Night"
  • John Cabalka - art direction
  • Ron Slenzak - photography

Charts[edit]

Year Album Chart positions[11]
US US
R&B
1979 Fire It Up 34 5

Singles[edit]

Year Single Chart positions[12]
US US
R&B 		US
Dance
1979 "Love Gun" — 13 —
1980 "Love Gun" — — 32

References[edit]

  1. ^ Palmer, Robert (26 Oct 1979). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C15.
  2. ^ du Lac, J. Freedom (19 Feb 1995). "Free Fall". The Sacramento Bee. p. EN16.
  3. ^ Hawthorne, Marc (10 Nov 1979). "James burns on his best disc". The Courier-News. p. B6.
  4. ^ Goldberg, Michael (Jun 24, 1982). "Rick James: Sex, street smarts and success". Rolling Stone. No. 372. p. 28.
  5. ^ "Fire It Up Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 358, 359.
  7. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 180.
  8. ^ Wynn, Ron (1 Nov 1979). "Shades of Blue". Bay State Banner. No. 2. p. 19.
  9. ^ Lundahl, Mark (28 Oct 1979). "On the Record". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. C4.
  10. ^ Robins, Wayne (8 Nov 1979). "Record Capsules". Part II. Newsday. p. 47.
  11. ^ "Rick James US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  12. ^ "Rick James US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-15.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_It_Up_(Rick_James_album)&oldid=1193049156"