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

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

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

  1. "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 – 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

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

Singles

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

References

  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. 1 2 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.
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