Fire It Up (Rick James album) explained

Fire It Up
Type:	Album
Artist:	Rick James
Cover:	Rick James - Fire It Up album cover.jpg
Released:	October 16, 1979
Recorded:	1979
Studio:	The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA
Genre:	Funk, punk funk, funk rock
Length:	37:00
Label:	Gordy
Producer:	Rick James
Prev Title:	Bustin' Out of L Seven
Prev Year:	1979
Next Title:	Garden of Love
Next Year:	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

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."^[5] The San Bernardino County Sun noted that James relishes "loud, rowdy hand-clapping funk straight from the street."^[6] Newsday determined that "when James sticks with unadulterated hard stuff ... he is among the most crackerjack practitioners of funk rock."^[7]

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

Track listing

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

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

Personnel

• 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 – six- and twelve-string acoustic and electric guitars
• Greg Levias – keyboards, Fender Rhodes electric piano
• Danny LeMelle – alto and tenor saxophone, flute, harpsichord
• Lanise Hughes – drums
• Lorenzo Shaw — drums
• Oscar Alston – bass guitar
• Shondu Akiem – electronic drums (syndrums), percussion
• 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

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions^[9]
		US	US R&B	US Dance
1979	"Love Gun"	—	13	—
1980	"Love Gun"	—	—	32

External links

• Rick James-Fire It Up at Discogs

Notes and References

1. News: Palmer . Robert . The Pop Life . The New York Times . 26 Oct 1979 . C15.
2. News: du Lac . J. Freedom . Free Fall . The Sacramento Bee . 19 Feb 1995 . EN16.
3. News: Hawthorne . Marc . James burns on his best disc . The Courier-News . 10 Nov 1979 . B6.
4. Goldberg . Michael . Rick James: Sex, street smarts and success . Rolling Stone . Jun 24, 1982 . 372 . 28.
5. News: Wynn . Ron . Shades of Blue . Bay State Banner . 2 . 1 Nov 1979 . 19.
6. News: Lundahl . Mark . On the Record . The San Bernardino County Sun . 28 Oct 1979 . C4.
7. News: Robins . Wayne . Record Capsules . Newsday . 8 Nov 1979 . Part II . 47.
8. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4589/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}} Rick James US albums chart history]. allmusic.com. 2011-06-15.
9. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4589/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} Rick James US singles chart history]. allmusic.com. 2011-06-15.