"Super Freak" Rick James RIP

Rest in Peace "Super Freak", Rick James(56) found today dead in his appartment in Los Angeles. Farewell Rick James, we hardly knew you...

"Cocaine is one hell of a drug" - Rick James
"I'm Rick James, bitch" - Rick James

[ Edited by: Bamboo Bob on 2004-08-06 13:57 ]

[ Edited by: Bamboo Bob on 2004-08-06 13:58 ]

[ Edited by: Bamboo Bob on 2004-08-06 13:59 ]

R.I.P. indeed.
The news said he died of natural causes. Is it really considered "natural causes" if you do heavy drugs all your life? He did so much blow I fully expect him to rise from the dead any minute. "I'm Rick James' corpse, bitch!"

Aw shucks! Rick James was the man!!!

Bustin out of L7......check out the brecker brother's horn work on that album!!

Bummer.

Super Freak and Give It To Me, Baby were part of the soundtrack of my life.

Thanks for the post.

I just saw this news on CNN.com and I'm truly shocked. It's ironic...I was planning on going to my 20 year high school reunion this weekend but opted out because I had work commitments that I couldn't pass up. Rick James was such a great part of the soundtrack back then. It's amazing how some musicians can write a song that becomes so much a part of your life that even if you don't consider yourself a big fan of theirs, you actually are and don't even know it. 'Super Freak' ("room 714, I'll be waiting" that was so hot!), and 'Give it to Me Baby" were such huge hits in the early 80s and Rick James was arguably one of the last of the pre-MTV era performers that had a larger than life persona. Oh yeah his earlier hit 'You and I" was also amazing.

The 'Behind the Music' VH1 did on him a few years back was also amazing. I was surprised to find out about his work with Neil Young and the guys from Steppenwolf during his AWOL days from the Navy back in the 60s. Pretty cool. After he did his jail time he appeared humbled by prison and the mistakes he made getting there. Hopefully the remainder of his lif was pleasant.

I'm gonna go put on my vinyl copy of 'Street Songs'. Haven't played that thing in ages. Rest in peace Super Freak.

How ironic. I was listening to an interveiw with Dave Chappel on the radio while driving to work this morning. He talked about the Rick James bit he did on his Comedy Central show that came out of a brainstorming session with Eddie Murphy's brother and said "now I can't walk down the street without somebody comin' up to me and yellin' "I'm Rick James bitch!"" When I met Rick in 1985 he was working with Eddie Murphy on music he (Murphy) was doing to break into the biz (I think he even released a song or two). Rick had just got back from Jamaica and had long dreads, was smoking spliff and listening to reggae. Last thing I remember that first night we were drinking 151 and listening to the Last Poets LP. Woke up the next morning and Rick, his lady, and my fam all went to Sea World together. The only people who recognized him there were two Japanese tourist girls. Rick was just chillin' out and being a regular guy and enjoying the same things as everybody else. I will always remember him that way.

Shipwreckjoey-

You, Rick, and some 151. Not a bad memory...

Yeah, We only met once. My previous wife Leanna lived and worked in Hollywood for a coupla years before we met and got to know a lot of people there mainly from the Starwood where she worked & the Rainbow where she hung out. A few months after we moved to San Diego a friend of hers from L.A. called and said she'd like to come down for a visit and could we put her and her friend up for the weekend. She said sure no problem and the friend turned out to be Rick James. At the time I had just got into a band and I was using some crappy loaner amp and was shopping around and I asked Rick what his preferances were - "buy a Marshall, you can't go wrong" ya know he was right!

I've posted this little story before, but seeing how's RJ is dead, maybe it's a fitting tribute.

So here goes, in around 1980 or so, me and my buds went over to Oakie (sp) Dogs after a Damned gig in Hollywood.

As we're waiting in line, who should pull up in a black limo? None other than Rick James himself.

Now I still don't know why he thought a group of about 30 punkers would take kindly to his arrival, but we all started spitting and jumping on his limo, and after a few seconds his driver sped off, spilling punkers all over the pavement.

I love Rick James!

Oddly enough, he used to be in a band with Neil Young in the 60's, before either became famous.

Trader Woody