RICK JAMES: 1972 BEFORE THEY WERE ROCK STARS - WHITE CANE

[konked]

This piece - I mean in the light of Superfreak & al - makes it understandable that Crosby, Stills & Nash asked him to join them. He introduced the bassist Greg Reeves who played on Deja Vu album. I guess I should try and search more the early stuff.

[RoShamBohhh]

somehow I don't think these guys were talking about an actual "white cane",

like the one that is pictures on the record art. LOL

[kixxumass]

@RoShamBohhh hahaha you're right. Rick came up with the name and it means exactly what you probably think it means Lol

[progrocketeer]

this song is You make the magic from their self titled and only album from 1972

[oatstao]

there is a similar album on Lion called "Canadian rock theatre' with many of the same artists on it. I Don't recall James being on it though

[kixxumass]

@FireitupBedford (con't fr comment below) He set out to play Rock n' Roll, even before Hendrix! But in Ricks exact words, "Back then, people just weren't ready for a Black Rock Star"

[npgfunk]

@kixxumass THe first rock star was black. Rock was invented by black artists. Chuck Berry was a black rock star when Rick James was a kid. So was Little Richard

[kixxumass]

@npgfunk Chuck Berry was Black? I didn't know that. That's the guy from the Gong Show right?

[kixxumass]

@FireitupBedford I simply used that title as an attention grabber to get viewers to click on the video cuz I think this is such a great song & wanted ppl to hear it. As far as Rick not being a Rock Star, If you read the video description it tells a little about Ricks story in the early days BEFORE he was the King of Funk, when he was a ROCK musician, the link I provided in the video description takes you to a more detailed story of this time in his life. Rick never planned on doing funk, he set

[FireitupBedford]

Rick James before they were rock stars? Rick James wasn't rock. He was the King of Funk...

[nutothis1]

Is this Rick singing lead? Thank you for posting such a classic!!

[DEEZNUTS1981]

Prince actually kicks some serious ass.  Never thought so at one point, but after years of learning good music, it's quite obvious. My buddies dad was actually in this band Great White Cane with Rick James. Anyone know if there's more video or even audio anywhere??????

[kixxumass]

@DEEZNUTS1981 Hi, I put a link in the annotations in this video and I believe under the info section of where the entire album is. I also have been meaning to post a few more songs off of this album, but find myself busy and getting side tracked, but I will try to do that here real soon so check back to see if I posted more from The Great White Cane. That's awesome your friends dad was in this band, I totally dig this band!

[FireitupBedford]

@DEEZNUTS1981 I have the Great White Cane...

[GeneralTrousers]

Rick James was multi-faceted ... he was rock, soul, funk and a lot of other stuff. His time in Canada produced some melancholic music that never made it to the airwaves. He fancied himself as a Mick Jagger sort ... but there are stories that he did some ghost-work for Smokie Robinson in the late 1960s, so their collaboration over 10 years later in the early was not odd ... he could saaang as they say.

x

[impal07]

One of many projects Rick was involved in from the Mynah Birds to Stone City Band - Rick was a genious...

[bluethenred]

Thanks for bringing to my attention another angle on such a complex and talented guy.

R.I.P Rick.

[DullardGuy]

mhhm! Fire and Desire,Happy, SPacey Love ...HE got soul and sang from the heart. Hell with all these comments! RICK we mess yo black ass!

[njin]

I'm loving Rick James music, but someone saying that he's a better singer, and that he's got more soul? WTF? It's hard and loud, but to me it sounds very much like opera theatre with over parodical emotional singing, while prince imo has more heart in it. Rick james though is the ultimate party punk funker.

[MJJacksonbty]

@njin PRINCE SUCKS!!!!!!!!! RICK JAMES IS WAAAAAYYYYYYY BETTER!!!!!

[njin]

@MJJacksonbty lovin the way you try to prove something with passion only, and no logic or sense of reflection. Kind of like "my dad beats your dad!" It's to be said that I love Rick James music though, and I'm in a period of time where I listen to Rick James alot more than Prince. I don't feel like fighting over it either, I just felt like asking what people meant was better when it comes to his vocal skills compared to prince. Yes, Rick has a very powerful voice. So has Tom Jones and Anastacia

[MJJacksonbty]

Prince Sucks!

[kixxumass]

quit starting shit on my board MJJ!

[MJJacksonbty]

@kixxumass =( sorry

[kixxumass]

@MJJ- thanks for apologizing, i appreciate it cuz there's no need for all that. I don't like it when i'm watchin a video on someone else's channel and then i go to read comments and see a bunch of haterz hatin' so i definitely don't want it goin' on in the comments on my channel. thanks for your courtesy and apology

[mjjcng8958]

@MJJacksonbty no he does not!!!

[DullardGuy]

Stupid ass comment! Period!

[BIGROB80]

Rick James>Prince

Punk Funk Forever!

[bettychambers]

81 was the contraversy tour,i think the tour with rick james was 1980 when dirty mind was out.prince kicked rick james ass real badd on stage ,i mean really rick james should have been the opening act to even fuck with ole boy. and i do remember rick james calling prince fag on tv and just trippin on ch 69 in atlanta.and it really wasn't over mary jane girls and vanity6 who started an all girls group,and believe he did talk about that. it was about those asskickings he was taking every night

[Shiftyeyes516]

nice cut - I would like to get my hands on the cd or album - where can I find it?

[kixxumass]

yep, the url is to the right of the video , click on more info link and the link to buy the entire album is at the bottom, this whole fuckin' album kicks ass, i'ma post another cut from the album too, so you can hear it...it totally jamz...

[gittahfiend]

this is WAY better than that "rick james bitch" ego disco shit he ended up doing.

[lbj46]

i saw this group at massey hall in toronto in 71-72? when they opened for bb king i was'nt overly impressed. but i do remember they had a lot of people on the payroll,8 or 9 i think....

[AlanDSanborn]

they are both 2 tuff funkerteers know your music prince did not learn or tack anything from rick james nor did rick james. funk was around way before both of them james brown hello. And if i know my music prince had started doing funk before rick james on the single soft and wet way before mary jane came out and also check out the dirty mind album this was before 1999 came out. But rick is a force like prince not to be fucked with go pick up bustin out by rick james.

[unclerege]

Mary Jane was released the same year as Soft and wet, so not "way before". One thing's for sure Rick was definitely a better singer.

[kitrik23]

i wish people wouldnt metion a feminine, high heel wearing, suck my own dick, flukey/lucky faggot to a hard hitting, bass booming, cant help but to dance to punk funk pioneer.

read memoirs of a superfreak and learn how the quivering faggot stole from the original king of punk funk!

[MUN7001]

lol thats damn right , playa, yeeeeeaaah

[veney21]

You should also read that book and Teena Marie's recent interview about how Rick stole Prince's keyboards which were preprogrammed because he did not how to program them. I think we know who the theif was.

The Minn sound does not sound like the Rick James sound.

[mssquirrely]

Why do people continue To Try and Compare APPLES To ORANGES

Prince was just as popular as Rick James in the Late 70's, which is @ the time they BOTH started. 2 totally different sounds and style of Music & presence. Prince in the beginning was wilder on stage than Rick, his concerts were banned but he later toned it down.

BOTH are LEGENDS!!!!

[skuderjay]

well.. Prince and Rick were both putting records out at the same time.. and catering to the same audience.. I don't see why they can't be compared. I remember going to Prince's "1999: concert back in 83.. which featured Prince, Vanity 6, Rick James and The Mary Jane Girls.. Prince was great but Rick turned the show out... He was just more soulful. But that was about the peak of Rick's career.. Prince wouldn't reach that level of soul until later in his career.

[chaosrated3x]

You must don't know the effects both Prince and Rick James had on us(The black audience) in the hood, We loved them both, but remember Prince altough his style was considered funk sort of, he basically appealed to gays in the early part of his career. But also remember "I Wanna Be Your Lover" was nominated for an music award in "79", and where did you attend this concert n 83, because my recollection, Rick James Vowed they would never share a concert venue after Prince's antic in L.A. in 81

[skuderjay]

well, you can take what I'm saying as information from another persons perspective, or you can take it like somebody is trying to trick you out of something. The concert was at the Oakland Coliseum.. I can mail you the ticket stubs if you like.. I don't understand what you mean about me "not knowing the effects of both Prince and Rick James.." considering I was there and I was affected... my comments were in response to a person saying they couldn't be compared.

[chaosrated3x]

Ok,there's no need to show me any tickets, but if you look at those tickets, But I'm sure you'll see that the year wasn't in 83, I was in the 10th that year (McClymonds High in Oakland) and went to both concerts,at the Oakland Coliseum, Prince was towards the end of 82, and he was headlinning that year with , Vanity 6, and the Time, while Rick James came the following year, with Roger Troutman, the MaryJane Girls and some new group he wanted to start called The Do Rags

[skuderjay]

McClymonds!! That explains everything.. I was at Sherman Elementary.. that's an unfair matchup.. stop picking on the kids...

I think you're right about the dates though.. that would have been a super long concert.. I was 10 years old so I may have forgotten some detail.. I just know seen them both.. and Rick James's show had a bigger impact.. Do you remember how the concert started..  with the silhouette of Rick smoking a joint?

[chaosrated3x]

I think you're talking about the 81 concert where Prince said," Anyone that thinks I'm A F@ggot, F"CK Them, and he'll whip they @ss"' because Rick Janes kept saying that about him durring that time. That was when Rick had the "Throwin' Down" lp and Prince had "Controversy" out that year for The Punk Funk Tour

[skuderjay]

I remember it was the 1999 concert.. and it was the Coldblooded tour for Rick James.. Rick was on fire back then.. I wish I had a time machine.. so I could go back and see those shows...

[jimlaregina]

It would not surprise me if they staged the Rick James-Prince rivalry for the sake of publicity. God knows there were both talented as hell and there was enough room on Earth for each to succeed.

[kixxumass]

totally agree!

[kitrik23]

its strange cause with the "mynah birds" the music sounded like motown black music and he sang white, with "great white cain" the music sounds white but he sings black, but this stuff hints at what is to come....

[kixxumass]

its strange cause with the "mynah birds" the music sounded like motown black music and he sang white, with "great white cain" the music sounds white but he sings black,

hahaha! that is SO true! good analogy :)

[QuickPic2]

That's Rick James singing? His voice sounds too high or different. lol. Well, his voice changed over the years. Just like Al Pacino of the 1970's was high pitched than in the 1980's Scarface to present it got gravally and raspy. Smoking and other stuff causes it.

[Buckeyecat2002]

Rick James and Prince are two distictly different types of artists. Prince has a far greater song writing range than Rick James. Rick was also a great song writer, performer and human being. Prince seems to have more self control and seems to avoid the media and keep his life private.

[kitrik23]

sorry bu your so wrong, rick is one of the greatest song writers of all time. not to mention he created a style of his own that bred little fags like prince!

[MUN7001]

definitely, i couldn't agree more, if anything Rick James is hte brains behind Prince, of course prince made it his own,

[chaosrated3x]

Do your research and listen to minneapolis genius - just another sucker - a song done by Prince in 76/77 then come to your conclusions

[MUN7001]

rick is a way better FUNKIN songwriter than Prince, you gotta be jokin, Prince talking about his sister sucked his penis , plz., if anything politics, made Rick James not get very far , he was a true funk rocker, while Prince is a little child that needs help , though both are very talented

[dburse66]

MUN7001 you are so right about the politics. Imagine how much bigger Rick would have been if he could have gotten his videos on MTV when it first started. Do your research people, Rick was the biggest selling Black Artist when MTV first started out. But they would not play his videos at all.

[MUN7001]

i know , and the late great Michael Jackson was the one to break that hold , MTV is truely a racist company,

[STERLINGLOVER]

MTV SUCKS...TV SUCKS

[1980Triumph]

that is the biggest bullshit I ever heard. Michael Jackson had the biggest selling album by black artist with Off The Wall, and the Jacksons sold 90 million records by 79, no way Rick was the biggest selling

[myfunkyway9]

@1980Triumph Rick James was the biggest selling artist from 79-83 Then came Thriller even through Off the Wall was big Rick released 2 big lp's and then 3bigger lp's Street Songs,Throw Down and Cold Blooded(83) (83)Thriller plus Fire it up Lp was Big but not has big as his 1st 2 or after Street Songs still sold over 800,000 copies

[1980Triumph]

@myfunkyway9

Not true at all. By 1980 the Jacksons were the biggest selling group - Destiny 78 sold 2 million and Triumph 1980 sold 3 million, both are record sales not including singles. Off the Wall was the biggest selling album by a black artist EVER in 1979 and at the time sold 7 million and eventually sold 20 million. From 79 to 83 Rick maybe was like 2nd or 3rd because EWF had huge sellers too.

[taylor4660]

@1980Triumph ..Rick and TP opened the door for the black crossover....EWF was the biggest but ran outta gas by 80 going gold w/Faces..Jacksons'Triumph was platnium by 1981..Commodores were huge as well..Teddy's success (5 PLATNIUM IN A ROW/10 MIL SOLD BTWEEN 72-82) influenced black vocalists to leave groups (Lionel/Jeffrey) for solo success...Rick was the obvious template for Prince...Street Songs was #1r/b and # 2 pop in 81.. he out grossed the Stones that yr.

[taylor4660]

@myfunkyway9 You are right. Teddy Pendergrass and Rick James opened the door for the black pop crossover...

Between 77-81 Teddy had 5 straight platnium records with Rick right behind him.....During this period the Jacksons were reconfiguiring the slick pop crossover they finally mine 2 yrs later. EWF/Jacksons/Commodores were the top bands...Teddy's solo success prompted Jeffrey Osborne/Peabo/Cuba Gooding/Dennis Edwards/Lionel Richie to pay attention..

[taylor4660]

@1980Triumph What he is saying is that Rick was the man during that time. As big as Off the Wall was MJ never won a Grammy and people treated it like a fluke. Prince was trying to figure out his music direction. He was getting booed in 81 on tour....By 1982 he figured it out as well as MJ...Ricks drugs/Motown's independent status lacked the ability to take him past 2 mill.....Lionel and Luther and Jeffrey would all blow up in 1982..the year of TPS ACCIDENT.

[1980Triumph]

@taylor4660

I don't think people treated it as a fluke, remember the Jacksons rebounded heavy in 1978 selling 4 million with Destiny, then Off the Wall, in 1980 the Jacksons released Triumph which was a three million seller in the US. At that time MJ was in serious demand but he started to create his persona of being rare and elusive which is why he hardly did TV. Also MJ did win a single Grammy for OTW. Rick was at least the NO. 2 guy during that time, but MJ was number one.

[BobTheRecordGuy]

@1980Triumph : yes, but when he had his biggest success, he was no longer Black.

[1980Triumph]

@BobTheRecordGuy

Ughh, could you be any more wrong? MJ was black with OTW, Thriller, and Bad. Also his color or any color means nothing to the facts.

On a side note, I love how you hear Rick James in this song and he was so young but the same James we all knew and love

[hungurr]

If Rick James didn't have a serious drug problem and a stint of incarceration, Prince would never have become the superstar that we know today.

[realfire48]

Yhis show the range of Rick James talent.

[GuitarComet]

Wow! This has got to be the best Rick James song I've ever heard! OMG! I'm somewhat familiar with certain White guys he worked with in the early 70s, but these were obscure bands with guys like Neil Merryweather.

I'm sure I'll never see this one, but maybe some of it might get released on a compilation/greatest hits CD that his sons/daughters decide to release.

Killer tracks! Lovin' it!

The "White Cane" reference is funny, too!

[kixxumass]

there's a link to this CD to the right under info---->

[cllamont]

Is it a real aCD or a bootleg made from the record?

[kixxumass]

It's not a CD that the label put out, but it is a real CD, with the full album cover inserts and all that. You can go check it out if you want to see what it looks like, just click on the link to the right...it lets you view the cover, the back cover, and the inside jacket sleeve, also the actual CD itself has an image of all the band members on it.

[Shamakah]

So I take it that your canadian. Cause Toronto is the only place i've seen this CD. And where did you get a copy of it.

I have a copy too.

[kixxumass]

I have the Vinyl LP and I got it when I was working at a radio station in San Francisco,

You have a CD or LP? they didnt make this on a CD but I posted a link to one above

[cllamont]

This album will never see the light of day on CD and it is easily one of the best that Rick ever did.

[kixxumass]

this album has already seen the light of day on CD, theres a link to it over to the right under info

and youre right, this is his best!

[petecsanky]

P.S. listen to the great bass lines by Denny Gerrard, one of the best bass players in Canada. He and The Paupers played at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.....

[kixxumass]

Do You know where I can find any footage from that show by any chance?

[petecsanky]

Wow! Great tune - thanks for posting this uber-rare one. I still remmeber them playing in Yorkville village (Toronto) in the 60s. There is a great write-up on early Ricky James & the Mynah Birds at canadianbands d o t com under "Mynah Birds". Good times!

[kixxumass]

Right On! Thx for the info,i'll check it out!I really love Ricks Rock n' Roll stuff just as much, if not more than his funk-sound, i mean, he still has that soulful voice even as a rock/blues/jazz or however you wanna lable his pre-rick james music, but i think it's a much more unique-classic sound than what he's known for, everybody should hear his Great White Cane & Mynah Birds recordings, they're truely awesome! i'll post more of it so check back soon & thanks for checkin' it out!

[svenroser]

Wow!Thanks for posting this!It seems that little by bit,the older and farby unknown stuff of Rick is surfacing.I heard he also played bass on a Sam Moore album.A few years ago Motown released a very limited edition collection from their hidden vault,which included the very elusive 1st single by the Mynah Birds,"It´s my time",which got pulled back by Motown ´cause of Rick´s AWOL problems.Motown should release much more stuff,like demos and rarities,no?Cheers and hell yeah!

[kixxumass]

Yeah! "It's My Time" is an awesome tune! it sounds alot like the stones, it's funny cuz Rick always referred to himself back then as the black Mick Jagger, and everytime I play that song, I think of him as Rick Jagger cuz he sounds so much like him!

[funkg]

this is not bad at all!

[MNguy26]

I just read his autobiography and he mentioned this deal. It is so great to hear it. Thanks for posting.

[kixxumass]

no problem! you're welcome ;)

[Badgrooves]

yeah haha, that was his FIRST major recording deal, where did you find this album anyways, its SUPER rare! you should put some more tracks from this album up...I'd LOVE to hear more.

[kixxumass]

Yes,I was going to but my highspeed internet went down & I'm on dialup until cox can get out here to fix the problem so uploading will take 4eve!(oh,i acquired this album when I worked for a radio station)I also have some songs he recorded with Neil Young that have never seen the light of day or ever been heard by anyone other than Motow(The Mynah Birds)the songs kickass but since the recordings were never commercially released I wonder if that would be copyright infringent if I were post it?

[Badgrooves]

My music teacher plays keys on that album! so cool!

[kixxumass]

REALLY? that IS cool! I have this entire

album, and it's awesom, I love Rick's style on the album, it's entirely different from his funk-punk style, and it's way before he was Rick James, all of his sounds are cool, but this album is really enjoyable!