''Throwin' Down'' is the 6th studio album by Rick James, released in 1982 via the Gordy imprint of

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

. It peaked at No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Although not as popular as '' Street Songs'', ''Throwin' Down'' is certified gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. It was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

Production

Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...

, and

Grace Slick Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing; October 30, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and painter. Slick was a key figure in San Francisco's early psychedelic music scene in the mid-1960s. With a music career spanning four decades, s ...

appear on the album.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

wrote: "Stealing his licks from G. Clinton & Co. (or maybe himself, who cares anymore?), he's the nearest thing to a pop musician in the rock and roll sense that today's black charts—not to mention today's white charts—can offer." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrote that "the musical settings are clumsy reworkings of Parliament's funk and the Temptations' psychedelic soul."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Rick James, except where noted. Side A #"

Dance Wit' Me "Dance wit' Me" is a song by American singer Rick James. It is the opening track on James' 1982 album '' Throwin' Down''. Background The song features Roy Ayers playing a vibes solo on the song. Chart performance Released as the second single ...

" 7:16 #"Money Talks" 4:50 #"Teardrops" 4:49 #"Throwdown" 3:17 Side B #" Standing on the Top" (with

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

) 3:51 #"Hard to Get" 4:07 #"Happy" (with Teena Marie) 5:29 #"She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" 4:11 #"My Love" (James, Le Roi Johnson) 2:53 2014 digital remaster bonus tracks / 2014 ''Complete Motown Albums'' bonus tracks #

"Standing on the Top" (Long Version) - 9:50 # "Hard to Get" (12" Instrumental) - 4:12 # "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" (12" Extended Mix) - 6:30 # "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" (12" Instrumental) - 7:28

Personnel

*Rick James - vocals, guitars, bass guitar, harmonica, keyboards, synthesizers, Linn Drum programming, percussion *Daniel LeMelle - flute, saxophone, trumpet, string synthesizers, backing vocals *Levi Ruffin, Jr. - electric and acoustic piano, synthesizers, backing vocals *John McFee, Tom McDermott - guitars *Erskine Williams - piano *Oscar Alston - bass guitar, backing vocals *Lanise Hughes,

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

, Paul Hines - drums, percussion *Nate Hughes - percussion, handclaps, backing vocals *

, Donny Keider -

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

* Teena Marie - Duet Lead vocals on Happy. *

, Jean Carn, Julia Tillman Waters, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Maxine Willard Waters, Patti Brooks, Tabby Johnson, Diane Nixon, Jeri Fields - backing vocals *Moses Johnson, JoAnne McDuffe, Lisa Sarna - handclaps, backing vocals *Aaron Dublin, "Bi"g John Main, "Jennifer", Ronald Byrd - handclaps *Karat Faye - Engineer @ Record Plant L.A.

Certifications

References

1982 albums Gordy Records albums Rick James albums Albums produced by Rick James {{1980s-R&B-album-stub