Fire It Up (Rick James album)

Fire It Up
Studio album by Rick James
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
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 under a million copies, according to Rolling Stone. ^[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
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 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

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

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 (October 26, 1979). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C15.
2. du Lac, J. Freedom (February 19, 1995). "Free Fall". The Sacramento Bee. p. EN16.
3. Hawthorne, Marc (November 10, 1979). "James burns on his best disc". The Courier-News. p. B6.
4. Goldberg, Michael (June 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 January 1, 2024.
6. 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 (November 1, 1979). "Shades of Blue". Bay State Banner. No. 2. p. 19.
9. Lundahl, Mark (October 28, 1979). "On the Record". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. C4.
10. Robins, Wayne (November 8, 1979). "Record Capsules". Part II. Newsday. p. 47.
11. "Rick James US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
12. "Rick James US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 15, 2011.

External links

• Rick James-Fire It Up at Discogs