1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:12,262 --> 00:00:15,223           lively funk music         4 00:00:15,265 --> 00:00:18,184        Rick James' "Mary Jane"      5 00:00:18,226 --> 00:00:21,021                                      6 00:00:21,062 --> 00:00:22,230            Come here, baby          7 00:00:22,272 --> 00:00:25,859                                      8 00:00:25,900 --> 00:00:27,527            Mary, I love you         9 00:00:27,569 --> 00:00:30,905                                      10 00:00:30,947 --> 00:00:32,532              Do it, girl            11 00:00:32,574 --> 00:00:34,576                                      12 00:00:34,617 --> 00:00:37,412               Mary Jane             13 00:00:37,454 --> 00:00:39,873                                      14 00:00:39,914 --> 00:00:43,418               Mary Jane             15 00:00:43,460 --> 00:00:46,087       I'm in love with Mary Jane   16 00:00:46,129 --> 00:00:48,798          She's my main thing        17 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,593               She makes me                       feel all right           18 00:00:51,634 --> 00:00:54,012        She makes my heart sing      19 00:00:54,054 --> 00:00:56,723        And when I'm feeling low     20 00:00:56,765 --> 00:00:59,225        She comes as no surprise     21 00:00:59,267 --> 00:01:01,895       Turns me on with her love     22 00:01:01,936 --> 00:01:05,690          Takes me to paradise       23 00:01:05,732 --> 00:01:08,276               [vocalizing]            24 00:01:08,318 --> 00:01:11,613       Do you love me Mary Jane?     25 00:01:11,654 --> 00:01:12,781                  Yeah               26 00:01:12,822 --> 00:01:14,616               Whoa-oh-oh            27 00:01:14,657 --> 00:01:17,786          Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?       28 00:01:17,827 --> 00:01:21,790             Now do you think                 you love me Mary Jane?       29 00:01:21,831 --> 00:01:25,293        Don't you play no games      30 00:01:25,335 --> 00:01:26,795                  Ooh                31 00:01:26,836 --> 00:01:29,297              Mary Jane...           32 00:01:29,339 --> 00:01:31,299            -[Ty] Patrick!                 -[Patrick] Hi. How are you?     33 00:01:31,341 --> 00:01:32,258              [Ty] Good.              34 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:35,136            -Been a while.                        -[Ty] I know.            35 00:01:35,178 --> 00:01:40,183      It's been at least 12 years     36 00:01:40,225 --> 00:01:44,479       since I've seen anything           that we put away in storage.     37 00:01:44,521 --> 00:01:46,940           But they are all                    personal artifacts          38 00:01:46,981 --> 00:01:49,025       from my dad's whole life.      39 00:01:49,067 --> 00:01:51,820             low bass music          40 00:01:51,861 --> 00:01:57,242                                      41 00:02:00,370 --> 00:02:02,247               Oh, wow.               42 00:02:02,288 --> 00:02:03,623              Hey, Daddy.             43 00:02:03,665 --> 00:02:07,418         Most of these things              were in Buffalo, New York.      44 00:02:07,460 --> 00:02:11,506        And then a lot of stuff               was also in the house        45 00:02:11,548 --> 00:02:13,007       we had in Woodland Hills.      46 00:02:13,049 --> 00:02:16,302              Oh, my God.                  Look how beautiful this is.     47 00:02:16,344 --> 00:02:19,681     This was hanging in the house             in Woodland Hills.          48 00:02:20,807 --> 00:02:22,308                  Oh.                 49 00:02:22,350 --> 00:02:23,685               [Patrick]                     Is that Catherine Bach        50 00:02:23,726 --> 00:02:26,354      from, uh,   Dukes of Hazzard?     51 00:02:26,396 --> 00:02:27,814  Probably so.                       52 00:02:27,856 --> 00:02:30,525  I mean...                          53 00:02:30,567 --> 00:02:33,653  Daddy had his share                 of women, that's for sure.         54 00:02:33,695 --> 00:02:38,741             Oh, my gosh.             55 00:02:38,783 --> 00:02:43,079       This is OJ and his wife.       56 00:02:43,121 --> 00:02:45,373           You know my dad.                    He speaks his mind.         57 00:02:45,415 --> 00:02:47,208             I don't know                    if he had some insight,       58 00:02:47,250 --> 00:02:51,254             but he said,                  "That motherfucker did it."     59 00:02:52,297 --> 00:02:55,425           I haven't been here                   since my dad passed         60 00:02:55,466 --> 00:02:59,804              because I knew                it could be sort of emotional.  61 00:02:59,846 --> 00:03:01,890        This is his whole life.       62 00:03:01,931 --> 00:03:04,309             Oh, my gosh.             63 00:03:04,350 --> 00:03:06,936               Oh, man.               64 00:03:08,771 --> 00:03:11,733      We had some father/daughter     65 00:03:11,774 --> 00:03:13,902           chats right here.          66 00:03:13,943 --> 00:03:15,653          I love this piece.          67 00:03:17,238 --> 00:03:19,866          I miss you, Daddy.          68 00:03:19,908 --> 00:03:21,910    [news anchor]   Sad news tonight              for Rick James fans.        69 00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:23,411      The funk singer best known      70 00:03:23,453 --> 00:03:25,663           for his hit song                  "Super Freak" has died.       71 00:03:25,705 --> 00:03:27,373             [news anchor]                    He was in fragile health      72 00:03:27,415 --> 00:03:29,584              after a stroke                    and years of drug use.       73 00:03:29,626 --> 00:03:31,252             [news anchor]                   It was in 1981 that James'     74 00:03:31,294 --> 00:03:33,254           million-seller album                Street Songs   gave us         75 00:03:33,296 --> 00:03:35,632      the hits "Give It to Me Baby"               and "Super Freak."         76 00:03:35,673 --> 00:03:38,426          James earned a Grammy               nomination for that album.     77 00:03:38,468 --> 00:03:41,054        After that, though, James'           personal life was troubled.     78 00:03:41,095 --> 00:03:43,723      He was arrested several times           on drug charges, assault,      79 00:03:43,765 --> 00:03:46,059             and served time                      in Folsom Prison.          80 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:49,145    It didn't take his death for me       to start playing his music.     81 00:03:49,187 --> 00:03:50,438         It's been in my car.         82 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,649        It's been in my house.                    I'm--big fan.            83 00:03:52,690 --> 00:03:56,444                 [Ty]                      On behalf of the James family,  84 00:03:56,486 --> 00:04:00,615          we would like to thank                   all of his fans.          85 00:04:02,116 --> 00:04:05,954     This is his moment of glory,     86 00:04:05,995 --> 00:04:09,082     and he would have loved to...    87 00:04:09,123 --> 00:04:12,877           know that he had                    this much support,          88 00:04:12,919 --> 00:04:16,089    and we appreciate your prayers.  89 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:17,257              Thank you.              90 00:04:17,298 --> 00:04:19,300            soft funk music          91 00:04:19,342 --> 00:04:22,136     [Rick]   When I hit the stage,               I become Rick James.        92 00:04:22,178 --> 00:04:26,057        That character exemplifies          everything that it stands for:  93 00:04:26,099 --> 00:04:30,561              freedom, sex,                      love, power, truth.         94 00:04:30,603 --> 00:04:32,897     I couldn't be the same person               off the stage.            95 00:04:32,939 --> 00:04:36,401         If I was that way off           the stage, I'd be nuts by now.    96 00:04:36,442 --> 00:04:38,319       Rick James' "Super Freak"     97 00:04:38,361 --> 00:04:42,156      Rick James was the ultimate             "be yourself" artist.        98 00:04:42,198 --> 00:04:45,493           upbeat funky music        99 00:04:45,535 --> 00:04:48,329         He was groundbreaking                    and fearless.            100 00:04:48,371 --> 00:04:50,373     His music speaks for itself.     101 00:04:50,415 --> 00:04:53,334        It gets no more funkier                 than Rick James.           102 00:04:53,376 --> 00:04:55,211           [Big Daddy Kane]                   And he was just so raw.       103 00:04:55,253 --> 00:04:58,798        He became one of the guys           that a lot of men wanted to be  104 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:00,174     and women wanted to be with.     105 00:05:00,216 --> 00:05:01,801     [Nile]   He had a certain magic    106 00:05:01,843 --> 00:05:04,095       in his style of production.     107 00:05:04,137 --> 00:05:05,680          His musical legacy                     is undeniable.            108 00:05:05,722 --> 00:05:08,766      [Dr. Boyd]   Rick's powerful            music really anchored itself    109 00:05:08,808 --> 00:05:11,519           to the evolution               of Black history in America.     110 00:05:11,561 --> 00:05:13,688         Rick put it to music,               and he put words to it.       111 00:05:13,730 --> 00:05:15,523                [Tanya]                     From the bottom to the top,     112 00:05:15,565 --> 00:05:18,318       from the top to the bottom,           he could relate to everybody    113 00:05:18,359 --> 00:05:20,028          because he had been                    in every shoe.            114 00:05:20,069 --> 00:05:23,031      Musically, there weren't many             that could touch him.        115 00:05:23,072 --> 00:05:26,034      He was a real motherfucker.     116 00:05:26,075 --> 00:05:28,870                                      117 00:05:28,911 --> 00:05:31,456           She's a super freak,                    super freak             118 00:05:31,497 --> 00:05:34,125        She's super freaky, yow!     119 00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:35,209             [engine revving]          120 00:05:35,251 --> 00:05:36,711             Everybody sing          121 00:05:36,753 --> 00:05:40,548               Super freak,                       super freak...           122 00:05:40,590 --> 00:05:42,175        Never mind who you thought                      I was.               123 00:05:42,216 --> 00:05:43,968        I'm Rick James, bitch.        124 00:05:44,010 --> 00:05:47,221         [cheers and applause]        125 00:05:52,018 --> 00:05:53,311     I used to have these dreams.     126 00:05:53,353 --> 00:05:54,771     I just knew that it was gonna              happen, you know,          127 00:05:54,812 --> 00:05:56,314         and I used to see it,                   and my mother,            128 00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:58,274      consequently, would take me              to a psychiatrist,          129 00:05:58,316 --> 00:06:00,151         and the psychiatrist                    would tell her,           130 00:06:00,193 --> 00:06:01,527        "Hey, he's real normal.                He's above normal.          131 00:06:01,569 --> 00:06:03,112          He has a super high                     intelligence,            132 00:06:03,154 --> 00:06:05,198          but the boy just...         133 00:06:05,239 --> 00:06:06,991          wants to be a star.         134 00:06:07,033 --> 00:06:08,618          And that is that."                      [both laugh]             135 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,954      [narrator]   This is Buffalo,             the second-largest city       136 00:06:11,996 --> 00:06:13,623            in New York state.         137 00:06:13,664 --> 00:06:16,209         Strategically located at           the eastern end of Lake Erie,    138 00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:17,585       it early was given the title    139 00:06:17,627 --> 00:06:20,088            of the Queen City                       of the Lakes.            140 00:06:20,129 --> 00:06:21,881                Buffalo is                      a bustling community,        141 00:06:21,923 --> 00:06:24,384          and serves as the hub                of the Niagara frontier.      142 00:06:24,425 --> 00:06:26,260         Its dynamic development                       results               143 00:06:26,302 --> 00:06:28,513        from an unusual diversity                    of industry.            144 00:06:28,554 --> 00:06:31,599        classical music playing      145 00:06:31,641 --> 00:06:32,934            [news reporter]                 What's Buffalo like to you?     146 00:06:32,975 --> 00:06:33,935           What is Buffalo?           147 00:06:33,976 --> 00:06:35,603     It's basically a small town.     148 00:06:35,645 --> 00:06:37,605     It's a good place for music,                   you know,              149 00:06:37,647 --> 00:06:39,107         'cause we have a lot                    of music there.           150 00:06:39,148 --> 00:06:41,776        Nice hills and ghetto.        151 00:06:41,818 --> 00:06:42,944              [laughter]              152 00:06:42,985 --> 00:06:44,028          [speaking language]         153 00:06:44,070 --> 00:06:46,280            Rats this big.            154 00:06:47,156 --> 00:06:49,951              mellow music           155 00:06:49,992 --> 00:06:55,289                                      156 00:07:04,382 --> 00:07:05,967       [Conway]   Buffalo, to me,                  is one of the most         157 00:07:06,008 --> 00:07:09,720      racially-segregated cities                 in the country.           158 00:07:09,762 --> 00:07:11,681             Now we posted up                  at the Chinese store        159 00:07:11,722 --> 00:07:14,267             Hopin' somebody                   would buy us a cigar        160 00:07:14,308 --> 00:07:15,852            Then we evolved          161 00:07:15,893 --> 00:07:17,478          To breakin' in houses                and stealin' cars...        162 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:18,896        It's split up in sections,     163 00:07:18,938 --> 00:07:20,398        you know what I'm saying?      164 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,191        Like, this the east side,                that's your ghetto.         165 00:07:22,233 --> 00:07:24,026           You see the school.               You see how this shit look?     166 00:07:24,068 --> 00:07:26,571      It's more Black kids and shit,         you know what I'm saying?      167 00:07:26,612 --> 00:07:28,739            And Black families                 trying to figure it out.      168 00:07:28,781 --> 00:07:31,492        The bottom, I call it.               You got the west side.        169 00:07:31,534 --> 00:07:33,494           It's more, like,                   you know, Hispanic--         170 00:07:33,536 --> 00:07:35,663        like, Latinos and shit,               you know what I mean?        171 00:07:35,705 --> 00:07:37,790        Your Puerto Ricans and           Dominicans and shit like that,    172 00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:40,418          but it's also still                  more cultural, too,         173 00:07:40,460 --> 00:07:42,837             because you got                     your Middle Easterns        174 00:07:42,879 --> 00:07:44,422              and, you know,                you got some people--you know,  175 00:07:44,464 --> 00:07:46,674      you got people from all over,           really, on the west side,      176 00:07:46,716 --> 00:07:48,593        you know what I'm saying?            Then you got South Buffalo.     177 00:07:48,634 --> 00:07:50,511              That's, like,                       your poor whites.          178 00:07:50,553 --> 00:07:53,514         And then North Buffalo,                  they're--you know,         179 00:07:53,556 --> 00:07:55,349            it's nice houses,                     it's nice schools.         180 00:07:55,391 --> 00:07:57,226       You know, everybody is doing                 well-well-off,           181 00:07:57,268 --> 00:07:58,811         so to speak, over there.      182 00:07:58,853 --> 00:08:00,521            Me, personally,                    I stay on the east,         183 00:08:00,563 --> 00:08:02,148            where I belong,                   you know what I mean?        184 00:08:02,190 --> 00:08:04,901           lively soul music         185 00:08:04,942 --> 00:08:06,736                                      186 00:08:06,777 --> 00:08:08,738      [producer]   What's the local              legend of Rick James?        187 00:08:08,779 --> 00:08:11,282      [Conway]   OG Jimbo once had                our nigga Rick James        188 00:08:11,324 --> 00:08:13,409             to come through,                   you know what I mean?        189 00:08:13,451 --> 00:08:16,162               Caught him.                  Caught him getting right, man.  190 00:08:16,204 --> 00:08:19,916        Pulling up in the limo           with furs and shit on, though.    191 00:08:19,957 --> 00:08:21,501      Bitches and shit with him.      192 00:08:21,542 --> 00:08:24,837    Two, three cars deep and shit,             making a spot hot.          193 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:26,714           Like, "Damn, nigga,                       you gonna--             194 00:08:26,756 --> 00:08:28,257       you gonna make my spot hot."    195 00:08:28,299 --> 00:08:29,759                 [laughs]              196 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:30,968      He was just one of them dudes    197 00:08:31,010 --> 00:08:32,803           that you didn't want                     to fuck with,            198 00:08:32,845 --> 00:08:34,388      you didn't want to mess with,    199 00:08:34,430 --> 00:08:35,890     who was known for definitely     200 00:08:35,932 --> 00:08:38,059          everything you hear                     in his music,            201 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:39,685       you know what I'm saying?      202 00:08:39,727 --> 00:08:42,021       Songs like "Ghetto Life"             and all that shit, like,       203 00:08:42,063 --> 00:08:45,733          that's Rick James,                   man, in a nutshell.         204 00:08:45,775 --> 00:08:46,901    Like, you know what I'm saying?  205 00:08:46,943 --> 00:08:48,694         Coming from we from,                   we all like that.          206 00:08:48,736 --> 00:08:51,739           lively funk music         207 00:08:51,781 --> 00:08:57,078                                      208 00:08:57,119 --> 00:08:58,621                [David]                         He was born in 1948.        209 00:08:58,663 --> 00:09:01,374         So his growing up period                     in Buffalo             210 00:09:01,415 --> 00:09:04,210        were really the 1950s.        211 00:09:04,252 --> 00:09:06,295             - Here today                        - Here today            212 00:09:06,337 --> 00:09:08,464            To make you dance                     the ghetto way           213 00:09:08,506 --> 00:09:10,007            You telling me?          214 00:09:10,049 --> 00:09:12,385           And we're gonna sing                  a little song...          215 00:09:12,426 --> 00:09:14,136               [Carmen]                       His first name is James.      216 00:09:14,178 --> 00:09:16,389        His second name is Ambrose     217 00:09:16,430 --> 00:09:17,557             'cause that's                     his father's name,          218 00:09:17,598 --> 00:09:20,226               so he was                     James Ambrose Johnson.        219 00:09:20,268 --> 00:09:21,769           And I do remember                    when he was born.          220 00:09:21,811 --> 00:09:24,647        He was a little light,             bright dude, almost white.      221 00:09:24,689 --> 00:09:26,315                 [Ty]                         My dad was one of eight       222 00:09:26,357 --> 00:09:29,443              in a household                   where his mom struggled.      223 00:09:29,485 --> 00:09:32,572    He watch his dad abuse his mom.  224 00:09:32,613 --> 00:09:34,699              His mother was                   very protective of him.       225 00:09:34,740 --> 00:09:36,993               I feel like                       he was the favorite.        226 00:09:37,034 --> 00:09:39,745          She was a hustler,             and she did what she had to do    227 00:09:39,787 --> 00:09:41,414     to raise her eight children.     228 00:09:41,455 --> 00:09:43,916         [Rick]   My mother was              a very strong disciplinarian.    229 00:09:43,958 --> 00:09:46,377         We got a lot of what                  they call whoopings         230 00:09:46,419 --> 00:09:48,963         with ironing cords--            what they call now child abuse.  231 00:09:49,005 --> 00:09:50,298       So I guess you might say,               in a kind of a way,         232 00:09:50,339 --> 00:09:53,718        I was an abused child.        233 00:09:53,759 --> 00:09:55,428        But I had a lot of love                   in my family.            234 00:09:55,469 --> 00:09:57,972              somber music           235 00:09:58,014 --> 00:10:00,141        My first sexual encounter,             I had when I was, like,       236 00:10:00,182 --> 00:10:01,642         eight or nine years old.      237 00:10:01,684 --> 00:10:03,102            And it was kind of                     a strange thing,          238 00:10:03,144 --> 00:10:04,979            because, you know,              most men like to claim, like,    239 00:10:05,021 --> 00:10:07,481      the first time they make love,       they know exactly what to do,    240 00:10:07,523 --> 00:10:09,775                and, well,                    that's a complete fallacy,     241 00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:11,444        a complete lie, you know.      242 00:10:11,485 --> 00:10:13,821        But when I was around 13,            there was this older woman,     243 00:10:13,863 --> 00:10:15,948         a friend of my mother's                     babysat me.             244 00:10:15,990 --> 00:10:17,658         And I remember laying on           the bed, and this older woman,  245 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:19,118         she started touching me               and doing these things,       246 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:20,328         and it felt good to me.       247 00:10:20,369 --> 00:10:21,454              I'm not gonna                       sit here and lie.          248 00:10:21,495 --> 00:10:22,830         It didn't go very far...                      [laughs]              249 00:10:22,872 --> 00:10:24,957            because my mother                      came home early,          250 00:10:24,999 --> 00:10:27,501        and my mother snatched her               out of those covers.        251 00:10:27,543 --> 00:10:29,378      It's the first time I've ever             seen my mother fight.        252 00:10:29,420 --> 00:10:31,005       My mother just punched her,     253 00:10:31,047 --> 00:10:32,840      and, you know, and, "How could          you do this to my son?"       254 00:10:32,882 --> 00:10:34,634      and beat her down the stairs,             because in those days,       255 00:10:34,675 --> 00:10:36,177             it wasn't about,                   you call this bureau,        256 00:10:36,218 --> 00:10:39,680        you call this association           for sexually abused children.    257 00:10:39,722 --> 00:10:41,015         If you caught something                 like that going down        258 00:10:41,057 --> 00:10:42,892        where I grew up, you beat                  the person down.          259 00:10:42,933 --> 00:10:43,684               That was it.            260 00:10:43,726 --> 00:10:47,688           dramatic R&B music        261 00:10:47,730 --> 00:10:49,106         [Carmen]   In Buffalo,                  the street life was--        262 00:10:49,148 --> 00:10:50,775           it was lively, man.         263 00:10:50,816 --> 00:10:52,818             There were a lot                    of Black businesses,        264 00:10:52,860 --> 00:10:56,489       but most of your bigger ones            were numbers-orientated.      265 00:10:56,530 --> 00:10:58,199              Numbers today,                    it would be the lotto.       266 00:10:58,240 --> 00:10:59,700         My mother got into that.      267 00:10:59,742 --> 00:11:01,994        My mother wanted to be               a dancer and a singer.        268 00:11:02,036 --> 00:11:03,871       It didn't take her too long                   to see that             269 00:11:03,913 --> 00:11:06,207         working scrubbing floors                 and washing dishes         270 00:11:06,248 --> 00:11:07,208          was not gonna make it.       271 00:11:07,249 --> 00:11:08,668           And she ran numbers,        272 00:11:08,709 --> 00:11:10,544          and she was making                   a very good living.         273 00:11:10,586 --> 00:11:12,380          [Stan]   His mother,                    she introduced Rick         274 00:11:12,421 --> 00:11:13,881          to the numbers racket.       275 00:11:13,923 --> 00:11:16,217              Rick's job                    was to pick up the money.      276 00:11:16,258 --> 00:11:19,512     That's his first involvement             in breaking the law.         277 00:11:19,553 --> 00:11:21,055        [Levi]   Rick and I went               to grammar school together     278 00:11:21,097 --> 00:11:23,432           from the third grade               through the eighth grade.      279 00:11:23,474 --> 00:11:25,059         As a child, he was, uh,       280 00:11:25,101 --> 00:11:27,019              rambunctious,                       like we all were.          281 00:11:27,061 --> 00:11:29,897          Rick hated school.                He was bored, like I was.      282 00:11:29,939 --> 00:11:31,524            And Rick wanted                     to be a musician,          283 00:11:31,565 --> 00:11:32,900      and I thought he was nuts.      284 00:11:32,942 --> 00:11:34,235                  Yeah               285 00:11:34,276 --> 00:11:35,569    [playing lively rock and roll]    286 00:11:35,611 --> 00:11:38,406                  Yeah               287 00:11:38,447 --> 00:11:40,574                [David]                       What he really absorbed       288 00:11:40,616 --> 00:11:42,743              in that period                       were two things:          289 00:11:42,785 --> 00:11:44,412            one was the music          290 00:11:44,453 --> 00:11:46,914      of Ray Charles and Bo Diddley              and Little Richard,         291 00:11:46,956 --> 00:11:48,916          but the other thing              he discovered in Buffalo--      292 00:11:48,958 --> 00:11:51,419    because there was a club there            called the Royal Arms        293 00:11:51,460 --> 00:11:52,837      that he went to--was jazz.      294 00:11:52,878 --> 00:11:55,047          Headed for the station              with a pack on my back       295 00:11:55,089 --> 00:11:57,174     [Carmen]   He listened to music                 all the time.            296 00:11:57,216 --> 00:11:59,719             My mother had                   a huge jazz selection.        297 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,764            We had everything.                 I remember Louis Jordan.      298 00:12:03,806 --> 00:12:05,683           Take her right back                  to the track, Jack         299 00:12:05,725 --> 00:12:07,435         [smooth jazz playing]        300 00:12:07,476 --> 00:12:09,770      [David]   Rick was definitely                a musical prodigy,         301 00:12:09,812 --> 00:12:12,940       and he talked about hearing                  Miles and Monk           302 00:12:12,982 --> 00:12:16,610      at a very, very early age,                   in person,              303 00:12:16,652 --> 00:12:18,112            and getting it,           304 00:12:18,154 --> 00:12:21,073         understanding exactly             what these guys were doing.     305 00:12:21,115 --> 00:12:22,575      [Rick]   I was playing drums                 when I was, like,          306 00:12:22,616 --> 00:12:24,076              I don't know,                      nine, ten years old.        307 00:12:24,118 --> 00:12:26,412         My mother would take me               to blues and jazz clubs,      308 00:12:26,454 --> 00:12:27,747             and I'd sit in,           309 00:12:27,788 --> 00:12:29,415           but I just was able                     to keep a beat,           310 00:12:29,457 --> 00:12:31,250      and I kinda knew automatically  311 00:12:31,292 --> 00:12:33,335           what I was supposed                       to be doing.            312 00:12:33,377 --> 00:12:35,504         He's hearing a lot of            funky R&B, gut bucket stuff,     313 00:12:35,546 --> 00:12:37,590            and, you know,            314 00:12:37,631 --> 00:12:39,467           begins to absorb                     all these sounds           315 00:12:39,508 --> 00:12:40,968        that are coming at him.       316 00:12:41,010 --> 00:12:42,636       I don't know, growing up,                  I guess I was            317 00:12:42,678 --> 00:12:43,971       sort of a ham, you know.       318 00:12:44,013 --> 00:12:46,474             I was, like,                     always kind of crazy.        319 00:12:46,515 --> 00:12:48,851             And I always                     liked entertainment,         320 00:12:48,893 --> 00:12:50,936      and I always liked singing,                    and...                321 00:12:50,978 --> 00:12:53,272      just kind of joking around,                   you know.              322 00:12:53,314 --> 00:12:56,650        My teacher either said                I was going to be...         323 00:12:56,692 --> 00:12:59,570         a hoodlum or a great                     entertainer.             324 00:12:59,612 --> 00:13:01,447             ethereal music          325 00:13:01,489 --> 00:13:02,823         [Carmen]   If you lived                in Buffalo, and you were      326 00:13:02,865 --> 00:13:04,950            from the projects,                 there were gangs galore,      327 00:13:04,992 --> 00:13:06,660             so you were not                      gonna walk around          328 00:13:06,702 --> 00:13:09,163     and be without confrontation.    329 00:13:09,205 --> 00:13:13,083         And he had his share.              Rick was not a choir boy.      330 00:13:13,125 --> 00:13:15,336        [Jason]   There was a lot              of skirmishes with the law     331 00:13:15,377 --> 00:13:19,423      related to theft, burglary,             drug use, and so on,         332 00:13:19,465 --> 00:13:22,176       'cause he was introduced              to drugs pretty early.        333 00:13:22,802 --> 00:13:25,679    [narrator]   The city of Buffalo               grew up as a port          334 00:13:25,721 --> 00:13:29,350                and became                    a great industrial center.     335 00:13:29,391 --> 00:13:33,479           But in recent times,               Buffalo has been changing.     336 00:13:33,521 --> 00:13:37,191       Businesses gone, jobs gone,     337 00:13:37,233 --> 00:13:39,860               people gone.            338 00:13:39,902 --> 00:13:42,029                [JoJo]                        In the '60s in Buffalo,       339 00:13:42,071 --> 00:13:44,990          people were just tired                 of the segregation.         340 00:13:45,032 --> 00:13:47,409       It was basically schools,      341 00:13:47,451 --> 00:13:50,704            bussing, jobs,            342 00:13:50,746 --> 00:13:52,832          and the lack thereof.        343 00:13:54,792 --> 00:13:55,876     [Carmen]   Buffalo is probably                 one of the most           344 00:13:55,918 --> 00:13:57,711       racist cities in the world.     345 00:13:57,753 --> 00:13:59,380              I used to love                       that little sign          346 00:13:59,421 --> 00:14:00,840           as you're coming in,        347 00:14:00,881 --> 00:14:02,716              where it says                    the "All-American City."      348 00:14:02,758 --> 00:14:04,009         I used to laugh at that.      349 00:14:04,051 --> 00:14:06,011     It is the All-American city,                  all right--             350 00:14:06,053 --> 00:14:07,888           racist right down                 to the bone, you know?        351 00:14:07,930 --> 00:14:10,641         At that time, it was             the whole Black power thing.     352 00:14:10,683 --> 00:14:12,977      [playing percussive music]      353 00:14:13,018 --> 00:14:15,729       We were all into wearing          daishikis and stuff back then.    354 00:14:15,771 --> 00:14:17,481                [Rick]                      I had just left high school     355 00:14:17,523 --> 00:14:21,026      because I wanted to play with          this African culture group.     356 00:14:21,068 --> 00:14:23,153        And I played conga drums.      357 00:14:23,195 --> 00:14:25,406     [Levi]   Everybody that I knew                    back then              358 00:14:25,447 --> 00:14:28,075          wanted to get the hell             out of town, out of Buffalo,    359 00:14:28,117 --> 00:14:30,244        but when we got of age,                 there was a war.           360 00:14:30,286 --> 00:14:35,165                                      361 00:14:35,207 --> 00:14:36,917       And not trying to be funny,                   but that got            362 00:14:36,959 --> 00:14:38,752              a lot of guys                    out of the neighborhood.      363 00:14:38,794 --> 00:14:41,630     [President Johnson]   Situation            in Vietnam is difficult,      364 00:14:41,672 --> 00:14:44,133               but there is                     an old American saying       365 00:14:44,174 --> 00:14:46,760           that when the going                       gets tough,             366 00:14:46,802 --> 00:14:49,138         the tough get going.         367 00:14:49,179 --> 00:14:51,599         [Levi]   You had to go               to Fort Here and Fort There,    368 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:53,475     and so that's how we learned         about the rest of the world.     369 00:14:53,517 --> 00:14:56,061    He had tried to go in the Navy,          and that didn't work.        370 00:14:56,103 --> 00:14:57,479      [Rick]   I was getting ready                  to get drafted.           371 00:14:57,521 --> 00:14:59,273         So they said, "You know,             if you join the reserves,      372 00:14:59,315 --> 00:15:01,025           you won't have to go                      to Vietnam,"            373 00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:02,484         but they didn't tell me             if I didn't go to meetings,     374 00:15:02,526 --> 00:15:04,028          I'd go to active duty,       375 00:15:04,069 --> 00:15:05,487            So I stopped going                     to the meetings,          376 00:15:05,529 --> 00:15:07,448       and of course, they sent me                 on active duty.           377 00:15:07,489 --> 00:15:10,200         sustained guitar note       378 00:15:10,242 --> 00:15:11,785                [Levi]                         We got in there, man.        379 00:15:11,827 --> 00:15:14,580            It was too rigid,                      too disciplined.          380 00:15:14,622 --> 00:15:16,957           Ain't no place to be                if you're a free spirit.      381 00:15:16,999 --> 00:15:18,626      Tell you what time to get up,                what to put on,           382 00:15:18,667 --> 00:15:22,129          when to take a shower,                when to do everything.       383 00:15:22,171 --> 00:15:24,256             You know, quote,                  "That makes you a man."       384 00:15:24,298 --> 00:15:26,634             No, it don't.                 Makes you a goddamn robot.      385 00:15:26,675 --> 00:15:29,386         [speaker] I don't think            no Black man should really be,  386 00:15:29,428 --> 00:15:31,221             we'll just say,                  drafted into the service.      387 00:15:31,263 --> 00:15:32,973       Actually, I think it really                    should be              388 00:15:33,015 --> 00:15:35,601            a voluntary basis                      for a Black man.          389 00:15:35,643 --> 00:15:38,729      Every Black man, send him off          to Vietnam, he go out there,    390 00:15:38,771 --> 00:15:41,565      fight, get shot up, yet still,        he come back to the States,     391 00:15:41,607 --> 00:15:44,151       and he can't buy a house,            and so what's the point?       392 00:15:44,193 --> 00:15:45,653     [Rick]   You know, here I come                 from the street,          393 00:15:45,694 --> 00:15:48,489          playing African music              and being real Afro-centric,    394 00:15:48,530 --> 00:15:50,449             all of a sudden                   into this white society       395 00:15:50,491 --> 00:15:52,785               of a uniform                      and white authority,        396 00:15:52,826 --> 00:15:54,662      and it was a terrible change.    397 00:15:54,703 --> 00:15:56,121      I mean, I wasn't ready for it.  398 00:15:56,163 --> 00:15:57,957           My mind was saying,                "Something is wrong here."     399 00:15:57,998 --> 00:15:59,750          That's when I decided                    to go to Canada.          400 00:15:59,792 --> 00:16:02,461           upbeat rock music         401 00:16:02,503 --> 00:16:07,216                                      402 00:16:07,257 --> 00:16:11,428        [David]   Rick went AWOL                 and wound up in Canada       403 00:16:11,470 --> 00:16:14,431        and gravitated to Toronto,     404 00:16:14,473 --> 00:16:18,852     where there was a burgeoning           folk rock and roll scene.      405 00:16:18,894 --> 00:16:21,188              [narrator]                     This is Yorkville Village,     406 00:16:21,230 --> 00:16:24,024          a phenomena in Toronto                  in the mid-'60s--          407 00:16:24,066 --> 00:16:26,443           a colorful, quaint,                  cacophonous community        408 00:16:26,485 --> 00:16:28,278        with a split personality.      409 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,990         When the sun goes down,                  Yorkville becomes          410 00:16:31,031 --> 00:16:33,617            the no man's land                     of the teenagers.          411 00:16:33,659 --> 00:16:36,829         [rock music playing]         412 00:16:36,870 --> 00:16:41,208     [David]   It's interesting how            this whole Canadian entry      413 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:44,628           begins with Rick                 because he's in Toronto,       414 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:47,548     he's walking down the street,       somebody calls him the N-word,    415 00:16:47,589 --> 00:16:50,384       looks like they're gonna           jump him, there's a scuffle.     416 00:16:50,426 --> 00:16:52,886             Yow! Trap door          417 00:16:52,928 --> 00:16:54,304                [Rick]                        Well, what happened was,      418 00:16:54,346 --> 00:16:55,931         some white boys started                  fighting with me.          419 00:16:55,973 --> 00:16:57,224              Now here I am,                  thinking that white people     420 00:16:57,266 --> 00:16:59,143           are cool in Canada,                 and I get in this fight.      421 00:16:59,184 --> 00:17:01,478            And some guys came                      to my defense            422 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,522          and beat these guys up              'cause I was a little guy;     423 00:17:03,564 --> 00:17:04,773        I was a little skinny kid.     424 00:17:04,815 --> 00:17:06,692               But the guys                     who beat these guys up       425 00:17:06,734 --> 00:17:09,445              were in a band                      called The Hawks.          426 00:17:09,486 --> 00:17:12,072           Later, it turned out                 they called themselves       427 00:17:12,114 --> 00:17:14,283       The Band--Robbie Robertson,                   Levon Helm--            428 00:17:14,324 --> 00:17:15,576             and they played                      behind Bob Dylan.          429 00:17:15,617 --> 00:17:17,327       And they kind of rescued me.    430 00:17:17,369 --> 00:17:19,496         And they kind of took me                 under their wing.          431 00:17:19,538 --> 00:17:21,874     You know, the Toronto scene,               where he ends up,          432 00:17:21,915 --> 00:17:23,792       pretty much like what was         happening in Greenwich Village,  433 00:17:23,834 --> 00:17:25,377        in New York, at that time.     434 00:17:25,419 --> 00:17:28,338            The music scene                   was extremely active.        435 00:17:28,380 --> 00:17:32,926           Yorkville Avenue                  had door-to-door clubs        436 00:17:32,968 --> 00:17:35,262           and patios and bars,        437 00:17:35,304 --> 00:17:38,057          and every one of them                      had a band.             438 00:17:38,098 --> 00:17:40,517        Rick found his people,                      you know,              439 00:17:40,559 --> 00:17:42,686         found kind of a tribe                  in the mid-'60s.           440 00:17:42,728 --> 00:17:44,730     [Rick]   When I went to Canada,            I was really at a point       441 00:17:44,772 --> 00:17:46,607      in my life where I didn't like                white people            442 00:17:46,648 --> 00:17:48,442           because I was seeing                 what they were doing.        443 00:17:48,484 --> 00:17:50,736            But it seemed like                the Canadian white people      444 00:17:50,778 --> 00:17:52,446        that I met were friendly,      445 00:17:52,488 --> 00:17:54,073           and they didn't have                      this hatred             446 00:17:54,114 --> 00:17:56,492            and this animosity                  towards Black people.        447 00:17:56,533 --> 00:18:01,080       The Canadian musicians on         Yorkville were very inventive,    448 00:18:01,121 --> 00:18:04,208             and Rick fit in                     very well with them.        449 00:18:04,249 --> 00:18:06,043     He's meeting and hanging out              with Joni Mitchell,         450 00:18:06,085 --> 00:18:07,878           and he's hanging out                    with Neil Young.          451 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,463         So he's in this stew pot      452 00:18:09,505 --> 00:18:13,008        of all this mid-'60s music                    and flow,              453 00:18:13,050 --> 00:18:15,511             and he's 17, 18,          454 00:18:15,552 --> 00:18:19,264              living in that                    and figuring that out.       455 00:18:19,306 --> 00:18:22,643         [David]   Whatever this             new music was, he could do it.  456 00:18:22,684 --> 00:18:26,605     It didn't really matter that        he was a brother from Buffalo.    457 00:18:26,647 --> 00:18:27,981            He could adapt.           458 00:18:28,023 --> 00:18:29,983                 He went                       by many different names.      459 00:18:30,025 --> 00:18:31,443              He was always                       changing his name          460 00:18:31,485 --> 00:18:32,736        because he didn't want                   to get caught.            461 00:18:32,778 --> 00:18:34,446         [Rick]   I was sitting                   around a restaurant,        462 00:18:34,488 --> 00:18:35,656         and this friend of mine               was saying, he's saying,      463 00:18:35,697 --> 00:18:37,116           "You're running away                   from the service,          464 00:18:37,157 --> 00:18:38,325      you gotta have another name."    465 00:18:38,367 --> 00:18:40,828            And this girl,                who was a singer in Canada--     466 00:18:40,869 --> 00:18:42,663    her name was Shirley Matthews--  467 00:18:42,704 --> 00:18:44,456      she says, "Well," she says,     468 00:18:44,498 --> 00:18:45,999            "I got a cousin                  named Rickie Matthews.        469 00:18:46,041 --> 00:18:48,001      Why don't you call yourself               Rickie Matthews?"          470 00:18:48,043 --> 00:18:50,129          So, I said Rickie,                   and I put my name--         471 00:18:50,170 --> 00:18:51,922      middle name James Matthews.     472 00:18:51,964 --> 00:18:53,465                So it was                       Rickie James Matthews.       473 00:18:53,507 --> 00:18:55,217      And that's when I had the band              with Neil Young.          474 00:18:55,259 --> 00:18:56,760          -[singer]   Hey, man?                    -[Rickie]   Yeah?           475 00:18:56,802 --> 00:18:58,387      [singer]   What's that little            black thing in the corner      476 00:18:58,428 --> 00:19:00,681          -with the yellow beak?          -[Rickie]   That's a mynah bird!    477 00:19:00,722 --> 00:19:01,974      [Rick]   I joined this group,             and we called ourselves       478 00:19:02,015 --> 00:19:04,059             The Sailor Boys,                     and then later on,         479 00:19:04,101 --> 00:19:05,477                we stopped                     wearing my sailor suits       480 00:19:05,519 --> 00:19:07,104          and just wore whatever                  we wanted to wear,         481 00:19:07,146 --> 00:19:08,814         and we called ourselves                   the Mynah Birds.          482 00:19:08,856 --> 00:19:11,233             So this group                     is Rickie Mathews,          483 00:19:11,275 --> 00:19:15,571          Neil Young on guitar,               and Bruce Palmer on bass.      484 00:19:15,612 --> 00:19:17,865            Those two guys               end up in Buffalo Springfield.    485 00:19:17,906 --> 00:19:21,702           lively rock music         486 00:19:21,743 --> 00:19:23,704     But, you know, we're getting              ahead of the story.         487 00:19:23,745 --> 00:19:26,248           There's John Taylor         488 00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:29,001       and Rickman Mason on drums.     489 00:19:29,042 --> 00:19:31,211               [Rickman]                        We played rock, R&B.        490 00:19:31,253 --> 00:19:33,088              We didn't get                     into any folky stuff.        491 00:19:33,130 --> 00:19:35,716            That's all we did.                    That was our job.          492 00:19:35,757 --> 00:19:38,969         We lived in probably              10 or 15 different places.      493 00:19:39,011 --> 00:19:42,472       We got our own apartment,          and the next thing you know,     494 00:19:42,514 --> 00:19:44,975          there was 15 people               living in the apartment.       495 00:19:45,017 --> 00:19:47,019       [Rick]   We had a very big              following around Toronto.      496 00:19:47,060 --> 00:19:48,395                It was us                    playing around the village,     497 00:19:48,437 --> 00:19:49,980             and we were all                   just starving musicians       498 00:19:50,022 --> 00:19:51,398          who just loved music.        499 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:53,400               [Rickman]                   Rick--very talented musician.    500 00:19:53,442 --> 00:19:56,904     He knew what he wanted to do,         and that got done that way.     501 00:19:56,945 --> 00:19:59,573    Actually, we basically followed         his lead through tunes.       502 00:19:59,615 --> 00:20:01,074          [Rick]   Me and Neil                   wrote a lot of stuff.        503 00:20:01,116 --> 00:20:03,869           Neil was very fluent                      on acoustic,            504 00:20:03,911 --> 00:20:05,913          and he taught me a lot            of chords and different stuff.  505 00:20:05,954 --> 00:20:07,164            Some people say                   it's hard to imagine         506 00:20:07,206 --> 00:20:08,415              Neil Young                    and Rick James together,       507 00:20:08,457 --> 00:20:10,000      but really, when you think               about it, it's not          508 00:20:10,042 --> 00:20:11,418         'cause I was singing                    in those days,            509 00:20:11,460 --> 00:20:13,086          and I really wasn't              playing guitar or anything.     510 00:20:13,128 --> 00:20:14,296         I was kind of playing                 a little harmonica.         511 00:20:14,338 --> 00:20:18,050             Neil was into                    very melodic chords,         512 00:20:18,091 --> 00:20:19,718      real pretty kind of chords,                   you know,              513 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,555       and I would write kind of          R&B lyrics over these chords.    514 00:20:23,597 --> 00:20:25,432           So really, it was             a very interesting combination.  515 00:20:25,474 --> 00:20:27,100           We had this manager,                    and he thought,           516 00:20:27,142 --> 00:20:28,769         you know, we were great,           and, you know, he used to come  517 00:20:28,810 --> 00:20:29,978        to our shows all the time.     518 00:20:30,020 --> 00:20:31,772             And he ended up                       going to Motown           519 00:20:31,813 --> 00:20:34,107       and telling Motown about us,             and they flew us down.       520 00:20:34,149 --> 00:20:37,319        [Harry]   The Mynah Birds              do an audition at Motown,      521 00:20:37,361 --> 00:20:40,739     They get signed, and they go           and they cut four songs.       522 00:20:40,781 --> 00:20:44,743         So, this is a copy of           the actual multitrack session.    523 00:20:44,785 --> 00:20:47,454       Motown had master tape--                   master reels.            524 00:20:47,496 --> 00:20:50,123      Here it is. "It's My Time."               Take 21, people.           525 00:20:50,165 --> 00:20:53,961      [upbeat rock music playing]     526 00:20:54,002 --> 00:20:55,545         I mean, I can't play,                   but, you know.            527 00:20:55,587 --> 00:20:58,090                                      528 00:20:58,131 --> 00:21:00,467       I really love you, darling   529 00:21:00,509 --> 00:21:04,638         A love that's so strong                  and so fine...           530 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,473        [Rickman]   Being signed              to Motown, it was fabulous,     531 00:21:06,515 --> 00:21:08,141       especially white people too.    532 00:21:08,183 --> 00:21:11,144         They just accepted us                    like whammo,             533 00:21:11,186 --> 00:21:12,437         and we were in there                    and recording,            534 00:21:12,479 --> 00:21:15,816        And it was a whirlwind,                     actually,              535 00:21:15,857 --> 00:21:18,986        'cause all's I remember           is 24/7 being in the studio.     536 00:21:19,027 --> 00:21:21,488      Actually, Rick disappeared           out of the studio somewhere     537 00:21:21,530 --> 00:21:22,531     and passed out on the steps,     538 00:21:22,572 --> 00:21:23,782          and they found him                     an hour later.            539 00:21:23,824 --> 00:21:25,367            Love you anyway          540 00:21:25,409 --> 00:21:26,368                [Harry]                          Cue Neil Young.           541 00:21:26,410 --> 00:21:28,954                                     542 00:21:28,996 --> 00:21:30,622     [Rickman]   We had the Supremes            come in and back us up,       543 00:21:30,664 --> 00:21:32,207            and Stevie Wonder                       would jump in            544 00:21:32,249 --> 00:21:33,333       and play a little keyboard.     545 00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:35,669         It was a great time.         546 00:21:35,711 --> 00:21:37,004              It's my time           547 00:21:37,045 --> 00:21:38,297       It feels like it's my time   548 00:21:38,338 --> 00:21:40,549       I'm gonna love you anyway     549 00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:41,550              [song ends]             550 00:21:41,591 --> 00:21:43,844           I mean, you know,                    I feel like a kid          551 00:21:43,885 --> 00:21:45,887      playing my favorite singles               when I hear that,          552 00:21:45,929 --> 00:21:48,640            and, you know--           553 00:21:48,682 --> 00:21:50,726      but Rick is trying to sound               like Mick Jagger.          554 00:21:50,767 --> 00:21:53,603             I can't get no          555 00:21:53,645 --> 00:21:56,189              Satisfaction           556 00:21:56,231 --> 00:21:58,442         He used Mick Jagger's                    actions too.             557 00:21:58,483 --> 00:22:00,819        I think he really liked                the way Mick moved.         558 00:22:00,861 --> 00:22:02,362           He was interested                  in being a rock star,        559 00:22:02,404 --> 00:22:03,989       and it's not surprising.       560 00:22:04,031 --> 00:22:08,035    I mean, a lot of Black artists         of the 1960s were inspired      561 00:22:08,076 --> 00:22:12,873    by the rock movement as much as         or more than R&B music.       562 00:22:12,914 --> 00:22:17,127           [singer vocalizing]         563 00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:19,129            soft rock music          564 00:22:19,171 --> 00:22:21,381                In love              565 00:22:21,423 --> 00:22:23,300            If a pain in...          566 00:22:23,342 --> 00:22:24,384         [Harry]   When you hear                    the Mynah Birds,          567 00:22:24,426 --> 00:22:25,719             there's a moment                      where your brain          568 00:22:25,761 --> 00:22:27,554            can't quite accept                  that it's Rick James.        569 00:22:27,596 --> 00:22:29,222           You tell people,               "You know that's Rick James,"    570 00:22:29,264 --> 00:22:32,267             and they go,                      "Oh, right. Right."         571 00:22:32,309 --> 00:22:35,562            Kind of lean in                  and listen to go, "Oh,"       572 00:22:35,604 --> 00:22:37,230       'cause there's a quality            to his voice that's unique.     573 00:22:37,272 --> 00:22:39,733           And it didn't last        574 00:22:39,775 --> 00:22:43,195       Like you thought it would     575 00:22:43,236 --> 00:22:45,072                [Harry]                      I think there's a somewhat     576 00:22:45,113 --> 00:22:47,783         of a vulnerability there            that I hadn't heard before.     577 00:22:47,824 --> 00:22:48,909           Hadn't heard since.         578 00:22:48,950 --> 00:22:51,036          He's 18 and trying                to figure something out.       579 00:22:51,078 --> 00:22:52,454        sentimental piano chords     580 00:22:52,496 --> 00:22:54,915            Rick is thinking,                  "Okay, we're on Motown.       581 00:22:54,956 --> 00:22:56,458        We're gonna be popular.       582 00:22:56,500 --> 00:22:59,586         We've got a built-in                 promotional machine.         583 00:22:59,628 --> 00:23:00,337             We're going."            584 00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:01,546           But the Mynah Birds,        585 00:23:01,588 --> 00:23:03,423      they had fired their manager.    586 00:23:03,465 --> 00:23:05,717        [Rickman]   Our manager,               Morley Shelman, got upset,     587 00:23:05,759 --> 00:23:08,428            and somehow Morley               knew Rick was a draft dodger    588 00:23:08,470 --> 00:23:10,263         and squealed on him.         589 00:23:10,305 --> 00:23:12,557       Rickie gets snatched back                  by the Navy,             590 00:23:12,599 --> 00:23:14,768         has to go in the brig               'cause he's been AWOL.        591 00:23:14,810 --> 00:23:18,188            We had no idea                 that he was a draft dodger.     592 00:23:18,230 --> 00:23:19,940             None at all.             593 00:23:19,981 --> 00:23:22,442       We had no Rick, so we had             to find another singer.       594 00:23:22,484 --> 00:23:24,611            We had a couple                     of jobs to play.           595 00:23:24,653 --> 00:23:26,279       There was really not much             to talk about, I guess.       596 00:23:26,321 --> 00:23:28,782        It just was bam. Over.        597 00:23:30,409 --> 00:23:32,786              mellow music           598 00:23:32,828 --> 00:23:34,413     [Rick]   Well, after I got out                   of the brig,            599 00:23:34,454 --> 00:23:35,914      I went back home for a while,    600 00:23:35,956 --> 00:23:37,791         and I had to decide what            I wanted to do with my life.    601 00:23:37,833 --> 00:23:39,084      I mean, you gotta understand,            it was like three years,      602 00:23:39,126 --> 00:23:41,920          four years of my life                  now have passed by.         603 00:23:41,962 --> 00:23:43,964      You know, so I had to get used        to my family all over again,    604 00:23:44,005 --> 00:23:45,924              and, you know,                     and just--you know,         605 00:23:45,966 --> 00:23:47,426      I had to get used to me again,                 you know,              606 00:23:47,467 --> 00:23:48,927      find out what I wanted to do.    607 00:23:48,969 --> 00:23:51,430      And the outcome was the same--            music, music, music.        608 00:23:51,471 --> 00:23:52,973         I wanted to make music.       609 00:23:53,014 --> 00:23:55,183        [Stan]   The Mynah Birds             don't have the kind of success  610 00:23:55,225 --> 00:23:57,602             that Rick James                       was hoping for.           611 00:23:57,644 --> 00:24:00,856            But he ends up                 doing more work for Motown      612 00:24:00,897 --> 00:24:03,358         as a session songwriter       613 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,903              and arranger,                      among other things.         614 00:24:06,945 --> 00:24:09,739      [narrator]   From Michigan's              Motor Town, a new export      615 00:24:09,781 --> 00:24:13,910           was added to cars--                    the Detroit sound.         616 00:24:13,952 --> 00:24:18,081            My world is empty                   without you, babe          617 00:24:18,123 --> 00:24:20,584    It's not a one-man organization       or a two-man organization,      618 00:24:20,625 --> 00:24:23,587       but it is an organization                  of teamwork.             619 00:24:23,628 --> 00:24:25,005         [David]   Rick would go                       to Motown.             620 00:24:25,046 --> 00:24:26,339             He would write.           621 00:24:26,381 --> 00:24:27,632              There would be                    Holland-Dozier-Holland       622 00:24:27,674 --> 00:24:29,634           and Norman Whitfield                   and Bobby Taylor,          623 00:24:29,676 --> 00:24:32,012       and a whole bunch of people                 hanging around,           624 00:24:32,053 --> 00:24:34,806     and was part of the machine.     625 00:24:34,848 --> 00:24:36,641    [Rick]   It was very hard for me             to get into the studio       626 00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:38,185             because, I mean,                     there was so much          627 00:24:38,226 --> 00:24:40,020       competition of great people.    628 00:24:40,061 --> 00:24:41,855          So I just really spent                    a couple years           629 00:24:41,897 --> 00:24:43,565         just learning my craft.       630 00:24:43,607 --> 00:24:47,027     [David]   Rick doesn't do well                 with authority,           631 00:24:47,068 --> 00:24:51,406         and Motown was a highly                authoritarian climate.       632 00:24:51,448 --> 00:24:53,116       He didn't have any hits,       633 00:24:53,158 --> 00:24:56,828              and he was                     an impatient young man.       634 00:24:56,870 --> 00:24:59,372       And when it didn't happen                   in a hurry,             635 00:24:59,414 --> 00:25:00,874         he got out of dodge.         636 00:25:00,916 --> 00:25:04,753                                      637 00:25:04,794 --> 00:25:06,421          [Rick]   I just felt                    I was going nowhere.        638 00:25:06,463 --> 00:25:08,006           What I wanted to do                    was rock and roll,         639 00:25:08,048 --> 00:25:10,926         and what I wanted to do,               Motown was not doing,        640 00:25:10,967 --> 00:25:12,886           and I wanted to take                  what they were doing        641 00:25:12,928 --> 00:25:15,722             a step farther,                 and I couldn't do it there.     642 00:25:15,764 --> 00:25:18,391         So me and a bass player                    named Gregory,           643 00:25:18,433 --> 00:25:20,352       we headed out to California,    644 00:25:20,393 --> 00:25:24,648               and a whole                      nother thing happened.       645 00:25:24,689 --> 00:25:27,400                [David]                          It's in California         646 00:25:27,442 --> 00:25:29,319             where Rick James                    becomes Rick James.         647 00:25:29,361 --> 00:25:32,239          With some stumbles                     along the way.            648 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,033          They audition for bass            for Crosby, Stills, and Nash,    649 00:25:35,075 --> 00:25:37,410         and Reeves got the gig.                     Rick didn't.            650 00:25:37,452 --> 00:25:42,415     He had designs of continuing         what he had begun in Canada,     651 00:25:42,457 --> 00:25:45,252         which was to be part                    of this kind of           652 00:25:45,293 --> 00:25:47,921     burgeoning folk rock culture.    653 00:25:47,963 --> 00:25:52,384         He watched these people            who he had first met in Canada  654 00:25:52,425 --> 00:25:55,011      begin to really get over big,    655 00:25:55,053 --> 00:25:58,431     and whether as a bass player,           whether as a vocalist,        656 00:25:58,473 --> 00:26:00,433             he wanted in.            657 00:26:00,475 --> 00:26:01,768         And it didn't happen.        658 00:26:01,810 --> 00:26:03,144           [Rick]   You know,                    they got these houses,       659 00:26:03,186 --> 00:26:04,729         and, you know, all these               gold albums and stuff,       660 00:26:04,771 --> 00:26:06,356         and Buffalo Springfield                   are doing well,           661 00:26:06,398 --> 00:26:07,607              and here I am,                      feeling like shit.         662 00:26:07,649 --> 00:26:08,525          You know, I'm saying,                    like, you know,           663 00:26:08,567 --> 00:26:09,693      "Why don't I have any of this?  664 00:26:09,734 --> 00:26:11,194                You know,                       what's wrong with me?"       665 00:26:11,236 --> 00:26:12,654     [Harry]   He gets in this band             called Salt 'N' Pepper.       666 00:26:12,696 --> 00:26:14,406         Interracial band, right?                  Salt 'N' Pepper.          667 00:26:14,447 --> 00:26:15,323        They get their big break.      668 00:26:15,365 --> 00:26:16,533        They open for Jethro Tull      669 00:26:16,575 --> 00:26:17,993          at the Fillmore West,        670 00:26:18,034 --> 00:26:20,120        and then they break up.                  Doesn't happen.           671 00:26:20,161 --> 00:26:21,288           When I met Rick,           672 00:26:21,329 --> 00:26:23,790           he was in and out                    of several bands.          673 00:26:23,832 --> 00:26:27,085        He was in a band, and then             it would be short-lived,      674 00:26:27,127 --> 00:26:29,212        for one reason or another.     675 00:26:29,254 --> 00:26:33,091    And then my job was to get him         out of all those contracts.     676 00:26:33,133 --> 00:26:35,969              Take him down                     a country road...          677 00:26:36,011 --> 00:26:37,721      [Harry]   Then there's a band                  out of Toronto           678 00:26:37,762 --> 00:26:39,222         called Heaven and Earth.      679 00:26:39,264 --> 00:26:41,933       And this is a band where           they're incorporating horns.     680 00:26:41,975 --> 00:26:45,437           Heaven and Earth                  was like a blues band.        681 00:26:45,478 --> 00:26:48,398              Rick wrote                    some amazing love songs.       682 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,443           That band mutates                    into White Cane.           683 00:26:51,484 --> 00:26:53,653           twangy folk music         684 00:26:53,695 --> 00:26:57,157        He worked that band hard,              and that was a leap up.       685 00:26:57,198 --> 00:27:01,119      The music was hard-driving.        It was just spectacular music.    686 00:27:01,161 --> 00:27:04,414       We heard about this group                called White Cane          687 00:27:04,456 --> 00:27:05,540             at the Whiskey.           688 00:27:05,582 --> 00:27:06,791              Gotta see it.            689 00:27:06,833 --> 00:27:09,878          We were gonna see,                   you know, this guy.         690 00:27:09,919 --> 00:27:12,172       And he played the guitar                  and wore a hat            691 00:27:12,213 --> 00:27:14,049        almost just like this.        692 00:27:14,090 --> 00:27:17,469         Rick was very electric,                      you know.              693 00:27:17,510 --> 00:27:20,096        We all whispered, like,                 "Wow," you know,           694 00:27:20,138 --> 00:27:21,973      "He's gonna do something."      695 00:27:22,015 --> 00:27:24,100      [Stan]   Rick, in the middle                    of the tour,            696 00:27:24,142 --> 00:27:26,144           gets into arguments                      with the band            697 00:27:26,186 --> 00:27:29,522      about Rick stopping the music          and addressing the audience,    698 00:27:29,564 --> 00:27:32,817         getting them to clap               or say things in unison.       699 00:27:32,859 --> 00:27:36,529       And the tour fell apart.                Rick left the band.         700 00:27:36,571 --> 00:27:40,116       I've never seen anybody with           so much drive and ambition     701 00:27:40,158 --> 00:27:43,787      to make it, and frustration         because he wasn't making it.     702 00:27:43,828 --> 00:27:47,540            funky bass music         703 00:27:47,582 --> 00:27:49,542                [Rick]                        I met my first true love      704 00:27:49,584 --> 00:27:50,669      when I came out to California.  705 00:27:50,710 --> 00:27:52,045          Her name was Syville.        706 00:27:52,087 --> 00:27:54,881       We met at, like, this crazy                 Halloween party.          707 00:27:54,923 --> 00:27:57,050          Drugs, sex everywhere.                   It was decadent.          708 00:27:57,092 --> 00:27:59,886          It was like Dionysius                 or something going on.       709 00:27:59,928 --> 00:28:01,346       [producer] Your daughter                 just informed me           710 00:28:01,388 --> 00:28:03,306      that the party you were at              was actually an orgy.        711 00:28:03,348 --> 00:28:06,184               [laughs]                    It was a party and an orgy.     712 00:28:06,226 --> 00:28:10,021    You know, but it was civilized,                you know.              713 00:28:10,063 --> 00:28:11,773         It wasn't just crazy.        714 00:28:11,815 --> 00:28:16,444    I saw Rick sitting in the seat         right by the kitchen area.      715 00:28:16,486 --> 00:28:17,946           He was, you know,          716 00:28:17,987 --> 00:28:20,115       a very nice-looking man,                 very intelligent.          717 00:28:20,156 --> 00:28:23,368      There was a lot about him,             you know, that I liked.       718 00:28:23,410 --> 00:28:26,371         Eventually, he came over              to where I was sitting.       719 00:28:26,413 --> 00:28:29,541            He said, "Syville,                do you wanna go with me?"      720 00:28:29,582 --> 00:28:31,751       And I said, "Well, yeah."      721 00:28:33,128 --> 00:28:34,337           [Rick]   I ended up                  going over to her place,      722 00:28:34,379 --> 00:28:36,214          and a few years later,                  I was still there.         723 00:28:36,256 --> 00:28:38,591           We had two children:                    my daughter Ty,           724 00:28:38,633 --> 00:28:40,552         and a son named Rickie.       725 00:28:40,593 --> 00:28:44,431            He was absent.                 He was pursuing his career.     726 00:28:44,472 --> 00:28:46,349      He was chasing his dreams.      727 00:28:46,391 --> 00:28:47,934        I'm sure him and my mom       728 00:28:47,976 --> 00:28:51,771           had their reasons                for whatever took place.       729 00:28:51,813 --> 00:28:56,192         That's how life was,             and you have to go with that.    730 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:59,529          When he got to LA,                 he got right smack dab        731 00:28:59,571 --> 00:29:01,114             in the middle                     of hippie culture,          732 00:29:01,156 --> 00:29:02,741         and he met Jay Sebring,       733 00:29:02,782 --> 00:29:04,242                 who was                      a well-known hairdresser,      734 00:29:04,284 --> 00:29:06,453          who knew Sharon Tate.        735 00:29:06,494 --> 00:29:10,123    And he was invited to a party,             and that turned out         736 00:29:10,165 --> 00:29:13,168             to be the party                    of the Manson murders.       737 00:29:13,209 --> 00:29:14,919             [news anchor]                    An employee came to work      738 00:29:14,961 --> 00:29:17,172         and found several bodies                   in the house.            739 00:29:17,213 --> 00:29:19,924       The tentative identification         of the persons are as follows:  740 00:29:19,966 --> 00:29:24,137      Sharon Polanski, Jay Sebring.    741 00:29:24,179 --> 00:29:26,598       [Syville]   We was supposed                 to go to a party,          742 00:29:26,639 --> 00:29:28,475          and I wanted to go.         743 00:29:28,516 --> 00:29:30,185       And he said he was tired,      744 00:29:30,226 --> 00:29:31,728            and, you know,                    he didn't want to go.        745 00:29:31,770 --> 00:29:34,105     He said, "We'll do something              else another day."          746 00:29:34,147 --> 00:29:36,107              [reporter]                        Do you believe that         747 00:29:36,149 --> 00:29:37,984             there should be                       a death penalty?          748 00:29:38,026 --> 00:29:42,280      [Charles]   A death penalty?             Aren't we all born to die?     749 00:29:42,322 --> 00:29:44,991        [Rick]   After Jay died,                I was really distraught.      750 00:29:45,033 --> 00:29:47,952        [interviewer] What were            you doing during the '70s?      751 00:29:47,994 --> 00:29:51,790     Tripping around. Going nuts.                Writing music.            752 00:29:51,831 --> 00:29:53,333          Getting turned down                 by record companies.         753 00:29:53,374 --> 00:29:56,836      I think hustle is just part             of the American DNA.         754 00:29:56,878 --> 00:29:58,338                 And Rick                     was definitely a hustler.      755 00:29:58,379 --> 00:30:01,841      And I mean that in a good way            because he did survive.       756 00:30:01,883 --> 00:30:04,511          When the California             hippie thing didn't work out,    757 00:30:04,552 --> 00:30:07,013    he'd go home, he'd deal drugs,    758 00:30:07,055 --> 00:30:09,516        he'd have big shipments          coming in from God knows where.  759 00:30:09,557 --> 00:30:12,268    He did all kinds of crazy shit.  760 00:30:12,310 --> 00:30:14,562        [Rick]   I went to Canada                 for a brief moment,         761 00:30:14,604 --> 00:30:17,315       and I met a friend up there,               and, uh...[laughs]         762 00:30:17,357 --> 00:30:19,651           we went to Colombia,                     South America.           763 00:30:19,692 --> 00:30:22,070      I really don't even know if I         should get into it, you know?    764 00:30:22,111 --> 00:30:24,864      Anyway, went to South America,           and we did this deal,        765 00:30:24,906 --> 00:30:26,324      and we made a bunch of money.    766 00:30:26,366 --> 00:30:29,202            I took that money,                  and I went to Buffalo.       767 00:30:29,244 --> 00:30:31,496      When you really get confused,          you go home to your mother.     768 00:30:31,538 --> 00:30:33,414         I says, "Mom, I'm tired.             I've been away from home,      769 00:30:33,456 --> 00:30:35,542        like, eight or nine years.              Nothing's happening."        770 00:30:35,583 --> 00:30:37,836            So I start getting               into being at home with her,    771 00:30:37,877 --> 00:30:40,046        and listening to the music                  going around,            772 00:30:40,088 --> 00:30:41,673        and it was in the ghetto,      773 00:30:41,714 --> 00:30:43,383             so I listened                  to a lot of Black music.       774 00:30:43,424 --> 00:30:45,385           And I was hearing               the Parliament-Funkadelics      775 00:30:45,426 --> 00:30:47,470              and Bootsy                   and all that kind of stuff.     776 00:30:47,512 --> 00:30:49,389          And I start saying,                "Well, this is kind of        777 00:30:49,430 --> 00:30:54,018    like my concept--rock and funk.     But not the way I would do it."  778 00:30:54,060 --> 00:30:55,979         I wanted to be nasty,               and I wanted to be raw,       779 00:30:56,020 --> 00:30:59,065      and I if I hit a bad chord           or a bad note in my record,     780 00:30:59,107 --> 00:31:00,692    and it made sense, I'd keep it.  781 00:31:00,733 --> 00:31:02,068              Or if I hit                     a bad note, vocally,         782 00:31:02,110 --> 00:31:03,903       and if it had the magic,                   I'd keep it.             783 00:31:03,945 --> 00:31:06,531            [singer trilling]          784 00:31:06,573 --> 00:31:07,740           [singer vocalizing]         785 00:31:07,782 --> 00:31:09,701           upbeat funk music         786 00:31:09,742 --> 00:31:12,078               You and I             787 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,582             We fit together                   like a glove on hand        788 00:31:15,623 --> 00:31:17,667              That's right           789 00:31:17,709 --> 00:31:20,086             Don't you know          790 00:31:20,128 --> 00:31:23,464           That I would gladly                  take you anywhere          791 00:31:23,506 --> 00:31:25,300          You wanted to go...        792 00:31:25,341 --> 00:31:27,093        I had written these songs                 when I was staying         793 00:31:27,135 --> 00:31:28,761              with my mother                     at home in Buffalo.         794 00:31:28,803 --> 00:31:31,639         I got some neighborhood             musicians, and we recorded.     795 00:31:31,681 --> 00:31:33,558          Wouldn't you agree?        796 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,769          And if by chance...        797 00:31:36,811 --> 00:31:38,605             I took the tape,                       and I came out           798 00:31:38,646 --> 00:31:39,814      to Los Angeles to make a deal.  799 00:31:39,856 --> 00:31:41,816             The end of me           800 00:31:41,858 --> 00:31:43,276             I had no visions                    of being with Motown        801 00:31:43,318 --> 00:31:45,153             when I came out                       with this music.          802 00:31:45,194 --> 00:31:46,988        Matter of fact, Motown was          the last company in the world    803 00:31:47,030 --> 00:31:49,282        that I wanted to be with.      804 00:31:49,324 --> 00:31:51,993      I was riding in the elevator,         and I ran into Jeffrey Bowen,    805 00:31:52,035 --> 00:31:53,453        and he was producing stuff                    at Motown,             806 00:31:53,494 --> 00:31:55,038               and he said,                   "What are you doing here?"     807 00:31:55,079 --> 00:31:56,122      I said, "Well, I got an album                I just finished.          808 00:31:56,164 --> 00:31:57,290       I'm trying to shop a deal."     809 00:31:57,332 --> 00:31:58,917                 He said,                      "Well, let me hear it."       810 00:31:58,958 --> 00:32:00,793       You know, rest was history.          I ended up signing with them.    811 00:32:00,835 --> 00:32:02,962              My first album                   was called   Come Get It!       812 00:32:03,004 --> 00:32:05,089             I always come           813 00:32:05,131 --> 00:32:07,133       It's so much fun, yeah...     814 00:32:07,175 --> 00:32:09,636           He'd been toiling                  throughout the 1970s         815 00:32:09,677 --> 00:32:11,095         as a kind of musical                      journeyman.             816 00:32:11,137 --> 00:32:14,140      It finally clicked in 1978                with   Come Get It!          817 00:32:14,182 --> 00:32:16,100                [Kerry]                        My father thought that       818 00:32:16,142 --> 00:32:19,896        Rick was a great producer.     819 00:32:19,938 --> 00:32:23,399         And he was just like,               "Man, he's got a sound        820 00:32:23,441 --> 00:32:25,234       that we don't have here."      821 00:32:25,276 --> 00:32:28,947     Motown as a label was trying            to make the transition        822 00:32:28,988 --> 00:32:31,783        from being a conveyor belt                 kind of a label,          823 00:32:31,824 --> 00:32:36,162      where they produced and wrote         everything for their artists,    824 00:32:36,204 --> 00:32:38,831        and trying to catch up                   with the times.           825 00:32:38,873 --> 00:32:42,335     By '77, people were operating                 as artists.             826 00:32:42,377 --> 00:32:44,462            They were writing                      their own music.          827 00:32:44,504 --> 00:32:46,673           They were expressing               themselves from the heart,     828 00:32:46,714 --> 00:32:49,175         as opposed to having              songwriters do it for them.     829 00:32:49,217 --> 00:32:52,303     [Jason]   Rick James basically           helps Motown by providing it    830 00:32:52,345 --> 00:32:55,306        with a new economic model                of self-sufficiency.        831 00:32:55,348 --> 00:32:58,476           And that becomes              the Motown model in the 1970s,    832 00:32:58,518 --> 00:33:01,479      and it's one that actually           helps save Motown in an era     833 00:33:01,521 --> 00:33:04,023    of dwindling financial returns              for the company.           834 00:33:04,065 --> 00:33:05,817         "You and I" combines              a lot of different sounds.      835 00:33:05,858 --> 00:33:09,195    I mean, it builds to an intro,       and then there's another intro.  836 00:33:09,237 --> 00:33:10,655     There's--these female vocals                   come in.               837 00:33:10,697 --> 00:33:12,031      There's, like, these steps.     838 00:33:12,073 --> 00:33:14,367      [lively funk music playing]     839 00:33:14,409 --> 00:33:15,994       Rick loved guitar riffs.       840 00:33:16,035 --> 00:33:20,623                                     841 00:33:20,665 --> 00:33:22,208               Step three.             842 00:33:22,250 --> 00:33:23,459                Step two.              843 00:33:23,501 --> 00:33:26,170         [singers vocalizing]         844 00:33:26,212 --> 00:33:31,384                                     845 00:33:33,970 --> 00:33:36,431               Another one.                      That's another one.         846 00:33:37,432 --> 00:33:38,891         There's three intros.        847 00:33:42,395 --> 00:33:44,272        You know, he's adlibbing,                   feeling free.            848 00:33:44,313 --> 00:33:45,773          He's not trying to fit                   in the formula.           849 00:33:45,815 --> 00:33:49,235    He's giving you some odd sounds           right off the bat.          850 00:33:49,277 --> 00:33:51,571         [producer] It's like                disco and funk eloped.        851 00:33:51,612 --> 00:33:53,948        This three-part harmony      852 00:33:53,990 --> 00:33:56,701          Wouldn't you agree?        853 00:33:56,743 --> 00:33:59,454         [Norwood]   "You and I"             was one of my favorite songs.    854 00:33:59,495 --> 00:34:00,997              It was my jam.           855 00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:03,875    I liked the lyrics, the melody,  856 00:34:03,916 --> 00:34:06,586        the bassline, the beat.       857 00:34:06,627 --> 00:34:09,589     I still remember just jumping                up and down,             858 00:34:09,630 --> 00:34:12,425      dancing and singing that--             the hook to that song.        859 00:34:12,467 --> 00:34:15,386        [Kerry]   Rick understood                   the demographic           860 00:34:15,428 --> 00:34:17,180          and the psychographic                    of the audience           861 00:34:17,221 --> 00:34:19,348         that he was focusing on.      862 00:34:19,390 --> 00:34:20,600              When he says,            863 00:34:20,641 --> 00:34:21,934          Some people must say       864 00:34:21,976 --> 00:34:24,270        I'm infatuated with you      865 00:34:24,312 --> 00:34:27,440        I don't care, 'cause they               really don't know          866 00:34:27,482 --> 00:34:30,943             They never hear                  or see the things I do       867 00:34:30,985 --> 00:34:35,865         So far as I'm concerned,            they all can go to hell       868 00:34:35,907 --> 00:34:38,367            [holding note]            869 00:34:38,409 --> 00:34:42,455       Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, oh-oh-oh   870 00:34:42,497 --> 00:34:45,083          When he says that,          871 00:34:45,124 --> 00:34:48,294              we're like,                 "What? He said 'go to hell?'"    872 00:34:48,336 --> 00:34:50,630            And it worked.            873 00:34:50,671 --> 00:34:52,340             Sing it, sugar          874 00:34:52,381 --> 00:34:56,135                [Kerry]                       It also gave him a vibe       875 00:34:56,177 --> 00:34:59,013             that no other                     Motown artist had.          876 00:34:59,055 --> 00:35:00,181                [Rick]                      To me, my attitude about it,    877 00:35:00,223 --> 00:35:01,474          it was long incoming.        878 00:35:01,516 --> 00:35:03,476            I was a superstar                    in my head already.         879 00:35:03,518 --> 00:35:05,103        I mean, although I wasn't                    financially,            880 00:35:05,144 --> 00:35:06,437       my ego at the time was like,    881 00:35:06,479 --> 00:35:08,397          "Yeah, it's about time                      for this."             882 00:35:08,439 --> 00:35:11,567       Think about a kid, maybe,            like, 13 or 14 years old,      883 00:35:11,609 --> 00:35:14,654            and we only hit                 when we're 30 years old.       884 00:35:14,695 --> 00:35:16,989     It took a whole lot of years             for him to get there.        885 00:35:17,031 --> 00:35:18,658       It was not what you call                   an overnight             886 00:35:18,699 --> 00:35:20,159         sensation shit with us.       887 00:35:20,201 --> 00:35:21,744          We had been looking                     for a break,             888 00:35:21,786 --> 00:35:23,996     and finally got one in life,         and we took advantage of it.     889 00:35:24,038 --> 00:35:26,916     [Kerry]   That    Come and Get It          album had "You and I" on it,    890 00:35:26,958 --> 00:35:28,793     and it had "Mary Jane" on it.    891 00:35:28,835 --> 00:35:31,254    Now, let's welcome an extremely            gifted young man           892 00:35:31,295 --> 00:35:33,840      who, in less than a year's           time, has a platinum album      893 00:35:33,881 --> 00:35:35,967         and two gold singles                     to his credit            894 00:35:36,008 --> 00:35:37,593         on Motown, of course,        895 00:35:37,635 --> 00:35:40,012       and as he joins us to do            one of those smash singles,     896 00:35:40,054 --> 00:35:41,848          how about it, gang,                    for Rick James            897 00:35:41,889 --> 00:35:43,683       and the Stone City Band.       898 00:35:43,724 --> 00:35:46,102       I'm in love with Mary Jane   899 00:35:46,144 --> 00:35:48,563          She's my main thing        900 00:35:48,604 --> 00:35:51,357               She makes me                       feel all right           901 00:35:51,399 --> 00:35:54,068        She makes my heart sing      902 00:35:54,110 --> 00:35:55,611     [Ice Cube]   I remember hearing                  Rick James.             903 00:35:55,653 --> 00:35:58,948         First song I ever heard,            I believe, was "Mary Jane."     904 00:35:58,990 --> 00:36:01,909           My friend Ronnie                 and his brother Robert--       905 00:36:01,951 --> 00:36:03,161          we called him Ace--         906 00:36:03,202 --> 00:36:05,246            I knew when Ace                     had to watch us,           907 00:36:05,288 --> 00:36:09,208           we was gonna see                   some titty magazines,        908 00:36:09,250 --> 00:36:12,044          we was gonna learn                    some dirty words,          909 00:36:12,086 --> 00:36:14,589         we was gonna see him                     roll a joint,            910 00:36:14,630 --> 00:36:17,425       and we was gonna hear him              play some Rick James.        911 00:36:17,466 --> 00:36:20,344       I'm in love with Mary Jane   912 00:36:20,386 --> 00:36:22,388          I'm not the only one       913 00:36:22,430 --> 00:36:25,516       And Mary wanna play around   914 00:36:25,558 --> 00:36:28,519       I let her have her fun...     915 00:36:28,561 --> 00:36:30,313     [Ice Cube]   When I was young,             I thought it was a song       916 00:36:30,354 --> 00:36:33,900       talking about a pretty girl                  that he loved.           917 00:36:33,941 --> 00:36:36,152          Ace taught me, "No.         918 00:36:36,194 --> 00:36:38,362        He talking about weed."       919 00:36:38,404 --> 00:36:41,032      And I'm like, "I be damned.     920 00:36:41,073 --> 00:36:42,867        This man is a genius."        921 00:36:42,909 --> 00:36:46,329        Oh, do ya? Do ya? Do ya?     922 00:36:46,370 --> 00:36:50,875             Now do you think                 you love me Mary Jane?       923 00:36:50,917 --> 00:36:52,585       Don't you play no games...   924 00:36:52,627 --> 00:36:54,837     [Dr. Boyd]   People were trying          to go beyond the boundaries.    925 00:36:54,879 --> 00:36:56,964          They were trying to go                 against convention.         926 00:36:57,006 --> 00:37:01,427    It kind of linked up perfectly        with the music he was making.    927 00:37:01,469 --> 00:37:04,597          I mean, this wasn't            Nat King Cole singing ballads.    928 00:37:04,639 --> 00:37:08,059     This was a guy making a song              about smoking weed,         929 00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:09,977     which, back in the late '70s,                was radical.             930 00:37:10,019 --> 00:37:12,438       [Steven]   No one had ever              really heard that before.      931 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,274        And at the time--you know,           it's almost laughable now--     932 00:37:15,316 --> 00:37:18,945             this was just                a very controversial record.     933 00:37:18,986 --> 00:37:22,198      [Kerry]   You have this album                from a new artist          934 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:26,786         who has a totally new               and different persona.        935 00:37:26,827 --> 00:37:28,704             There was a guy                 by the name of Skip Miller.     936 00:37:28,746 --> 00:37:30,039         He said, "You know what,      937 00:37:30,081 --> 00:37:32,625      this is one of the first times               that I can say           938 00:37:32,667 --> 00:37:34,585             I think we have                    a Benji record here."        939 00:37:34,627 --> 00:37:36,212                I said,                     "What's a Benji record?"       940 00:37:36,254 --> 00:37:38,130          He said, "You know,               remember the dog Benji?"       941 00:37:38,172 --> 00:37:40,299                 He said,                      "This record is so good       942 00:37:40,341 --> 00:37:41,717          that Benji could have                    took the record           943 00:37:41,759 --> 00:37:44,804          into the radio station                 and got it played."         944 00:37:44,845 --> 00:37:48,266     The main influence I hear in        Rick's music is George Clinton.  945 00:37:48,307 --> 00:37:50,977       [crowd singing indistinctly]    946 00:37:51,018 --> 00:37:52,311        Say it like you mean it      947 00:37:52,353 --> 00:37:56,315                                      948 00:37:56,357 --> 00:37:58,442         Parliament-Funkadelic               had a focus on creating       949 00:37:58,484 --> 00:38:02,071          these really tight,                    funky grooves.            950 00:38:02,113 --> 00:38:03,948              I also hear                   Sly and the Family Stone       951 00:38:03,990 --> 00:38:05,241         as a clear influence                    in Rick's work.           952 00:38:05,283 --> 00:38:08,244          I want to thank you        953 00:38:08,286 --> 00:38:12,498              For lettin' me                     be myself again           954 00:38:12,540 --> 00:38:15,751          Funk was a bad word               until we made it famous.       955 00:38:15,793 --> 00:38:19,046            Funk is, like,                  just the way you feeling.      956 00:38:19,088 --> 00:38:21,924                I mean,                   whatever you feeling is funk.    957 00:38:21,966 --> 00:38:26,929       We came out of the A-hole             in between the P-hole.        958 00:38:26,971 --> 00:38:29,640       So if you come from that,             then you funky anyway.        959 00:38:29,682 --> 00:38:34,520          Funk is the modern                     interpretation            960 00:38:34,562 --> 00:38:39,025             of our ancestors                   screaming through us,        961 00:38:39,066 --> 00:38:43,696      from Africa, through the pain         of slavery, through Jim Crow.    962 00:38:43,738 --> 00:38:46,157        It's Black excellence,                and it's nigga shit.         963 00:38:46,198 --> 00:38:48,200       The worst made beautiful.      964 00:38:48,242 --> 00:38:52,621           The lowest given                the opportunity to express.     965 00:38:52,663 --> 00:38:54,707          Shit, Rick James is         966 00:38:54,749 --> 00:38:57,877          an amazing expression                    of all of that.           967 00:38:57,918 --> 00:38:59,712         Tonight,   Rock Concert                      presents               968 00:38:59,754 --> 00:39:01,297     the Pied Piper of funk fun--     969 00:39:01,339 --> 00:39:02,798      oh, "punk funk," I'm sorry.     970 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:04,050      [crewmember] 204. Take two.     971 00:39:04,091 --> 00:39:05,384         Tonight,   Rock Concert                      presents               972 00:39:05,426 --> 00:39:08,637            the Pied Piper                  of punk funk, Rick James.      973 00:39:08,679 --> 00:39:12,391            We're bustin' out                 of this L-Seven square       974 00:39:12,433 --> 00:39:14,477         Freaks like you and I       975 00:39:14,518 --> 00:39:17,396               Could never                       funk from there           976 00:39:17,438 --> 00:39:19,148      [Big Daddy Kane]   I remember             listening to Rick James'      977 00:39:19,190 --> 00:39:20,733         music when I was a kid.       978 00:39:20,775 --> 00:39:23,944       Bustin' Out   was probably                 one of my favorites.        979 00:39:23,986 --> 00:39:26,405      Heavy bassline-driven grooves,  980 00:39:26,447 --> 00:39:28,991           and Rick was just                  wilding on the songs.        981 00:39:29,033 --> 00:39:31,160         Just spitting it raw.        982 00:39:31,202 --> 00:39:33,287       Put your hands in the air     983 00:39:33,329 --> 00:39:35,581         And sing along with me      984 00:39:35,623 --> 00:39:36,916              Bustin' out!           985 00:39:36,957 --> 00:39:38,834           [Big Daddy Kane]                  Rick James' style of funk      986 00:39:38,876 --> 00:39:41,921        wasn't like the GAP Band,      987 00:39:41,962 --> 00:39:44,924       Con Funk Shun, Ohio Players.    988 00:39:44,965 --> 00:39:47,093       His style was just hard.       989 00:39:47,134 --> 00:39:49,762        [Jason]   He was creating            a really rhythmic, aggressive,  990 00:39:49,804 --> 00:39:51,931               hard-driving                       Black dance music.         991 00:39:51,972 --> 00:39:55,768          Rick James' grooves               were groovier than most.       992 00:39:55,810 --> 00:39:58,854         The way that they hit                     on the one,             993 00:39:58,896 --> 00:40:02,066       meaning on the first beat                of every measure,          994 00:40:02,108 --> 00:40:05,277        meant that they caused            a kind of energetic response.    995 00:40:05,319 --> 00:40:07,446          Every time you come               to that first melody--uh.      996 00:40:07,488 --> 00:40:09,448        [playing funky rhythm]        997 00:40:09,490 --> 00:40:10,282                  Uh.                 998 00:40:10,324 --> 00:40:12,451         The Rick James sound         999 00:40:12,493 --> 00:40:14,745             was basically                    like a funk grenade.         1000 00:40:14,787 --> 00:40:16,247                [Levi]                         He named it punk funk.       1001 00:40:16,288 --> 00:40:17,581       Rick wanted to me a rocker,     1002 00:40:17,623 --> 00:40:19,125      and then he came from Buffalo,  1003 00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:21,127        and, you know, we have             a different kind of style,      1004 00:40:21,168 --> 00:40:22,628     you know, our genre is funk,     1005 00:40:22,670 --> 00:40:24,255         but it's a different                     kind of funk.            1006 00:40:24,296 --> 00:40:25,631            You're doing jazz.         1007 00:40:25,673 --> 00:40:28,801          You're doing hard rock                    with guitars.            1008 00:40:28,843 --> 00:40:30,970       You're doing big band music,                with the horns.           1009 00:40:31,011 --> 00:40:33,681       The punk part was punk from,                 like, Europe.            1010 00:40:33,722 --> 00:40:36,100      He was equating the poor kids                over in England           1011 00:40:36,142 --> 00:40:38,310        with the poor kids here in          the neighborhoods in Buffalo.    1012 00:40:38,352 --> 00:40:39,812      Punk funk was the attitude.     1013 00:40:39,854 --> 00:40:41,439     "We're gonna do what the hell               we want to do."           1014 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:43,149         It gave me a vehicle                to write about anything       1015 00:40:43,190 --> 00:40:44,608       I wanted to write about.       1016 00:40:44,650 --> 00:40:46,026     You know, I smoke marijuana,             I can write about it.        1017 00:40:46,068 --> 00:40:48,070    If I don't like Richard Nixon,         I can call him an asshole.      1018 00:40:48,112 --> 00:40:51,574      To be able to finally have          Blacks write about whatever,     1019 00:40:51,615 --> 00:40:54,493    and be able to wear whatever--    1020 00:40:54,535 --> 00:40:57,163         because for so long,             Blacks have been stigmatized     1021 00:40:57,204 --> 00:41:00,124       into this choreographed--      1022 00:41:00,166 --> 00:41:01,959            Doo wop, doo wah         1023 00:41:02,001 --> 00:41:03,335               I love you            1024 00:41:03,377 --> 00:41:06,922          Ooh, do, do, do, do                    You know, eh.            1025 00:41:06,964 --> 00:41:10,176      And I remember asking Rick,          "Man, what are you gonna do     1026 00:41:10,217 --> 00:41:13,137      if this thing is a success?            What are you going to--       1027 00:41:13,179 --> 00:41:15,473         what are you gonna do           with your money, for instance?"  1028 00:41:15,514 --> 00:41:17,475       "Oh, Steve, ain't nothing               gonna change, man.          1029 00:41:17,516 --> 00:41:19,602     I'm just gonna buy some more            clothes or something."        1030 00:41:19,643 --> 00:41:23,397        But things did change,              and they changed rapidly.      1031 00:41:23,439 --> 00:41:25,649          The hustling energy                     is an energy.            1032 00:41:25,691 --> 00:41:29,028           And that energy--                  once you get through         1033 00:41:29,069 --> 00:41:31,530     with your non-musical hustle,               whatever it is,           1034 00:41:31,572 --> 00:41:34,033              that energy                 is still there in the music.     1035 00:41:34,074 --> 00:41:37,870       You can feel that intensity                  in his music.            1036 00:41:37,912 --> 00:41:39,038          It's aspirational.          1037 00:41:39,079 --> 00:41:42,833        He aspires to get over.                   It's America.            1038 00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:45,002    [Rick]   I had a double platinum               album on my hands,         1039 00:41:45,044 --> 00:41:46,921        and then I needed a group,                 so I went home,           1040 00:41:46,962 --> 00:41:49,882      and I put together my favorite          musicians in that town,       1041 00:41:49,924 --> 00:41:52,259         who became my family for            years--the Stone City Band.     1042 00:41:52,301 --> 00:41:53,719      [news reporter]   Do you want           to present everybody to us?     1043 00:41:53,761 --> 00:41:54,845                 Sure.                1044 00:41:54,887 --> 00:41:55,888         'Cause you know them                   better than I do.          1045 00:41:55,930 --> 00:41:57,806                [Rick]                       This light-skinned fellow.     1046 00:41:57,848 --> 00:41:59,892        This is Tom McDermott,                   guitar player.            1047 00:41:59,934 --> 00:42:01,185        -[reporter, indistinct]              -[Rick]   That's Hughes.        1048 00:42:01,227 --> 00:42:02,311               -Drummer.                         -How you doing?           1049 00:42:02,353 --> 00:42:03,646                [Rick]                        This is Joanne McDuffie.      1050 00:42:03,687 --> 00:42:05,564      We call her JoJo for short.     1051 00:42:05,606 --> 00:42:06,732       One of the girl singers.       1052 00:42:06,774 --> 00:42:07,858         -This is Levi Ruffin.                   -How you doing?           1053 00:42:07,900 --> 00:42:09,693                [Rick]                       We're the Stone City Band.     1054 00:42:09,735 --> 00:42:12,321          This is Lisa Sarna,               one of the girl singers.       1055 00:42:12,363 --> 00:42:15,074         That's Oscar Alston,                   Alexander Monday.          1056 00:42:15,115 --> 00:42:16,909              [laughter]              1057 00:42:16,951 --> 00:42:18,577        That's our bass player.       1058 00:42:18,619 --> 00:42:20,704      Rick came up and asked me,            "Man, who's jamming now?"      1059 00:42:20,746 --> 00:42:22,373      and I said, "As far as, like,            the groove's concerned,       1060 00:42:22,414 --> 00:42:24,542        it's still George Clinton                    and Bootsy."            1061 00:42:24,583 --> 00:42:25,751     And he told me, man, I quote,    1062 00:42:25,793 --> 00:42:27,127            "Man, we can do                    better than that."          1063 00:42:27,169 --> 00:42:29,129      I said, "Shit. Sign me up."     1064 00:42:29,171 --> 00:42:32,091       [Lanise]   We did our first             rehearsals at Rick house.      1065 00:42:32,132 --> 00:42:34,218           He had some songs                  that he wanted to do.        1066 00:42:34,260 --> 00:42:38,305       So we went to the studio.             We recorded the demos.        1067 00:42:38,347 --> 00:42:40,558    Rick took them back to Motown.    1068 00:42:40,599 --> 00:42:42,768    Berry Gordy told Rick--he said,  1069 00:42:42,810 --> 00:42:46,105     "Whoever those musicians are,             that's your band."          1070 00:42:46,146 --> 00:42:47,439                [Oscar]                          Rick could write.          1071 00:42:47,481 --> 00:42:49,567                He wasn't                      a great pianist or bass,      1072 00:42:49,608 --> 00:42:51,443       but he knew what he liked      1073 00:42:51,485 --> 00:42:54,655          and what would work                   and fit together.          1074 00:42:54,697 --> 00:42:56,657              So when he had                      all of us around,          1075 00:42:56,699 --> 00:43:00,244            that's like having              all of the notes on the piano,  1076 00:43:00,286 --> 00:43:02,079      all of the notes on the bass.    1077 00:43:02,121 --> 00:43:04,039    [Levi]   Chemistry was like new,               because none of us         1078 00:43:04,081 --> 00:43:05,749            really had played                  together in the studio.       1079 00:43:05,791 --> 00:43:07,585      I knew what we was supposed                to sound like.            1080 00:43:07,626 --> 00:43:08,877          I just didn't know                     how to make it.           1081 00:43:08,919 --> 00:43:10,921      Rick showed us how to make it.  1082 00:43:10,963 --> 00:43:12,631           He wanted us to see                 everything he was doing.      1083 00:43:12,673 --> 00:43:14,049         I guess he was figuring,                     you know,              1084 00:43:14,091 --> 00:43:15,884     "One day I might not be here.            Maybe I can't do it.         1085 00:43:15,926 --> 00:43:17,469       Y'all can still carry on                  with the shit."           1086 00:43:17,511 --> 00:43:19,388              [announcer]                       All-points bulletin:        1087 00:43:19,430 --> 00:43:21,599            be on the lookout                      for Rick James.           1088 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:23,976                Rick James                     and the Stone City Band.      1089 00:43:24,018 --> 00:43:25,311           They're bustin' out.        1090 00:43:25,352 --> 00:43:27,646            funky R&B music          1091 00:43:27,688 --> 00:43:29,148                [Oscar]                      I was staying with my mom.     1092 00:43:29,189 --> 00:43:31,817       Rick said, "We're all gonna               have to get braids."        1093 00:43:31,859 --> 00:43:35,029       "Braids? Are you kidding.            My mama's gonna kill me."      1094 00:43:35,070 --> 00:43:37,531      He said, "If you want to be             a part of this band,         1095 00:43:37,573 --> 00:43:39,825     you have to get your braids."    1096 00:43:39,867 --> 00:43:41,368          [Rick]   I had, like,                     this short Afro,          1097 00:43:41,410 --> 00:43:42,953                you know,                      and I didn't want that.       1098 00:43:42,995 --> 00:43:44,496      You know, I didn't wanna look              like everybody else.        1099 00:43:44,538 --> 00:43:47,124      And the Beatles had made such           a tremendous effect on me      1100 00:43:47,166 --> 00:43:48,667         with the Beatle haircut.      1101 00:43:48,709 --> 00:43:50,669            So I ran into this              African woman on an airplane,    1102 00:43:50,711 --> 00:43:53,631         she was from the Masai,                 and I saw her hair.         1103 00:43:53,672 --> 00:43:55,758                 I said,                       "God, that's fantastic.       1104 00:43:55,799 --> 00:43:57,593           How do you do that?"             and she showed me these books    1105 00:43:57,635 --> 00:44:00,471               of Africans                      with their short hair,       1106 00:44:00,512 --> 00:44:03,349       and then she showed me some           pictures after they finished    1107 00:44:03,390 --> 00:44:04,892           doing what they did,                      their magic.            1108 00:44:04,933 --> 00:44:06,644                 I said,                      "Can you do this for me?"      1109 00:44:06,685 --> 00:44:08,103          And she said, "Yeah."               I said, "There it is. Bam.     1110 00:44:08,145 --> 00:44:09,855          That's the vision.                  That's what I want."         1111 00:44:09,897 --> 00:44:11,106              Bustin' out!           1112 00:44:11,148 --> 00:44:12,608           We're bustin' out         1113 00:44:12,650 --> 00:44:14,026          [Levi]   I had beads                  and everything in mine.       1114 00:44:14,068 --> 00:44:15,944            Everybody thought                   we was fucking crazy.        1115 00:44:15,986 --> 00:44:17,446         Next thing you know,                   all the brothers,          1116 00:44:17,488 --> 00:44:18,697    they started wearing this shit.  1117 00:44:18,739 --> 00:44:20,991          He wanted everybody                  to put glitter on,          1118 00:44:21,033 --> 00:44:23,994         you know, their hair,            and it'd be in your suitcase     1119 00:44:24,036 --> 00:44:26,121         for, like, six months              after the tour, you know.      1120 00:44:26,163 --> 00:44:28,207          Rick would pour all             that stuff in your hair, man.    1121 00:44:28,248 --> 00:44:31,460      It was like, man, you know,             I be ready to fight.         1122 00:44:31,502 --> 00:44:33,045               [Lanise]                      He wanted us to look like      1123 00:44:33,087 --> 00:44:35,130              we were ready                   to take care of business,      1124 00:44:35,172 --> 00:44:37,007        and that's what we did,                   every night.             1125 00:44:37,049 --> 00:44:39,134            I mean, for me,                 I couldn't fuck with it.       1126 00:44:39,176 --> 00:44:40,219               [laughs]               1127 00:44:40,260 --> 00:44:42,262       Rick James had a style that     1128 00:44:42,304 --> 00:44:46,558         kind of reminded you                 of David Bowie, Kiss.        1129 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:50,396      It was Black, it was rock,          but it was kinda avant-garde,    1130 00:44:50,437 --> 00:44:53,232               in terms                    of Black culture, for sure.     1131 00:44:53,273 --> 00:44:55,901              Look at you            1132 00:44:55,943 --> 00:44:58,570               Mary Jane             1133 00:44:59,988 --> 00:45:03,367           [David]   Rick sees               George Clinton's showmanship,    1134 00:45:03,409 --> 00:45:06,120          and he realizes that,        1135 00:45:06,161 --> 00:45:09,373         just as George became            the purple-haired crazy man,     1136 00:45:09,415 --> 00:45:13,585      he's gonna have to come up             with his show identity.       1137 00:45:13,627 --> 00:45:16,171      Where's the ganja tonight?      1138 00:45:16,213 --> 00:45:20,259          [David]   Weed became               a signature part of his act.    1139 00:45:20,300 --> 00:45:23,220                You know,                     the giant joint on stage.      1140 00:45:23,262 --> 00:45:25,764       [Val]   They would tell us                   at sound check,           1141 00:45:25,806 --> 00:45:27,516           "You cannot smoke."         1142 00:45:27,558 --> 00:45:30,686              Rick said,                     "We're smoking anyway."       1143 00:45:30,728 --> 00:45:33,772             So on stage,                     he would light it up,        1144 00:45:33,814 --> 00:45:35,607               and he would                       tell the audience,         1145 00:45:35,649 --> 00:45:37,860        "If the police bother me,      1146 00:45:37,901 --> 00:45:40,446             you all tear                    this mother sucker up."       1147 00:45:40,487 --> 00:45:42,114            funky R&B music          1148 00:45:42,156 --> 00:45:45,951     [Steven]   P-Funk, Parliament,            Bootsy, all these people,      1149 00:45:45,993 --> 00:45:48,996            they were kinda                 looking at Rick sideways,      1150 00:45:49,037 --> 00:45:53,876          because he had learned             how to craft pop with funk,     1151 00:45:53,917 --> 00:45:57,921      and so he hit the big time              faster than they did.        1152 00:45:57,963 --> 00:46:00,632    [Bootsy]   Rick was the smartest             one out of all of us.        1153 00:46:00,674 --> 00:46:03,677        He sold a lot of records.            People came to the concerts.    1154 00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:05,304            And, you know,                   he used to talk about,        1155 00:46:05,345 --> 00:46:07,264          "Yeah, I'm selling                more records than y'all."      1156 00:46:07,306 --> 00:46:10,142      I think George took offense                 a little bit.            1157 00:46:10,184 --> 00:46:14,313           But all was fair                   in funk and war, man.        1158 00:46:14,354 --> 00:46:17,274         [cheers and applause]        1159 00:46:18,859 --> 00:46:20,819                [Tommy]                     The first tour was amazing.     1160 00:46:20,861 --> 00:46:23,280        We'd be going out six,                    seven months.            1161 00:46:23,322 --> 00:46:25,491    We hit every place in America,               it seemed like.           1162 00:46:25,532 --> 00:46:29,578        LA Coliseum, July 1979.       1163 00:46:29,620 --> 00:46:31,121        Greatest Funk Festival.       1164 00:46:31,163 --> 00:46:33,832         [cheers and applause]        1165 00:46:33,874 --> 00:46:39,338                                      1166 00:46:39,838 --> 00:46:42,257        [Lanise]   There was over               100,000 people in there.      1167 00:46:42,299 --> 00:46:43,509             In the audience.          1168 00:46:43,550 --> 00:46:45,302               And they was                       chanting our name,         1169 00:46:45,344 --> 00:46:47,137         screaming and hollering.      1170 00:46:47,179 --> 00:46:49,306             And that made me                      feel real good,           1171 00:46:49,348 --> 00:46:51,517    and I was saying, "We did it."    1172 00:46:51,558 --> 00:46:56,939                                      1173 00:46:57,898 --> 00:46:59,066                [Gail]                           He was a showman.          1174 00:46:59,107 --> 00:47:00,651              From the time                       he walked on stage         1175 00:47:00,692 --> 00:47:02,319        to the time he walked off,     1176 00:47:02,361 --> 00:47:05,155    he was in it to give everything      that he felt about the music     1177 00:47:05,197 --> 00:47:06,865          and throw that out                    to the audience.           1178 00:47:06,907 --> 00:47:07,741                 Sing!                1179 00:47:07,783 --> 00:47:09,660         I'm in the beach house      1180 00:47:09,701 --> 00:47:11,286        [Lisa]   Life on the road                   with Rick James           1181 00:47:11,328 --> 00:47:12,996        and the Stone City Band       1182 00:47:13,038 --> 00:47:17,751             was tumultuous,                  high energy, never-ending.     1183 00:47:17,793 --> 00:47:21,338      One of the most fun nights                   of my life              1184 00:47:21,380 --> 00:47:22,881         was jamming with him         1185 00:47:22,923 --> 00:47:25,843           at Giants Stadium                    here in New York.          1186 00:47:25,884 --> 00:47:30,639    I guess we were of the mindset            that we were so free,        1187 00:47:30,681 --> 00:47:32,808         we could just really                 do anything we want.         1188 00:47:32,850 --> 00:47:34,518            I don't even know                      what we played,           1189 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:37,354      but I remember going out there        with Rick and just jamming,     1190 00:47:37,396 --> 00:47:39,481              and just doing                 whatever the hell we wanted,    1191 00:47:39,523 --> 00:47:41,358       and the crowd went bananas.     1192 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,151      I mean, it was incredible.      1193 00:47:43,193 --> 00:47:44,695      [Tommy]   It was just, like,                pedal to the metal.         1194 00:47:44,736 --> 00:47:46,530         We just bump and groove,      1195 00:47:46,572 --> 00:47:49,575       and there was pyrotechnics,             you know, and theatrics.      1196 00:47:49,616 --> 00:47:51,702             We had dancers.           1197 00:47:51,743 --> 00:47:54,454           The pyrotechnics                was really a lot, you know.     1198 00:47:54,496 --> 00:47:55,622      Sometimes it would go off,      1199 00:47:55,664 --> 00:47:56,832          and you'd be, like,                    shell-shocked.            1200 00:47:56,874 --> 00:47:58,584                 Bam!                          [imitates ringing]          1201 00:47:58,625 --> 00:48:00,127      Your ears would be ringing.     1202 00:48:00,168 --> 00:48:05,007      The band, the girls, Rick,            the crew--we were family.      1203 00:48:05,048 --> 00:48:07,134            [Val]   We toured                    all over the country.        1204 00:48:07,175 --> 00:48:09,887       Throwing money up in the air                in pillowcases.           1205 00:48:09,928 --> 00:48:12,222                 You ate                       at the best restaurants.      1206 00:48:12,264 --> 00:48:14,224         Christmas time, bonuses.      1207 00:48:14,266 --> 00:48:16,768                "Let's go.                      Let's take a Learjet.        1208 00:48:16,810 --> 00:48:19,563       Let's take a helicopter.              Let's go to New York."        1209 00:48:19,605 --> 00:48:21,398    Just anything he wanted to do.    1210 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:24,151     Most of us are from Buffalo,              and we moved to LA.         1211 00:48:24,192 --> 00:48:25,777            We were living in                 Randolph Hearst's mansion.     1212 00:48:25,819 --> 00:48:27,446          I mean, we were, like,                   living big time.          1213 00:48:27,487 --> 00:48:29,990      I brought all these guys out,          my homeboys from the ghetto.    1214 00:48:30,032 --> 00:48:32,075     [Lanise]   Coming from Buffalo,                 New York to LA           1215 00:48:32,117 --> 00:48:35,287            was an extreme                    culture shock to me.         1216 00:48:35,329 --> 00:48:36,622       That was beautiful, man,       1217 00:48:36,663 --> 00:48:38,373          up in the canyons--                   Coldwater Canyon.          1218 00:48:38,415 --> 00:48:41,460      I walked in there and said,                  "I--damn."              1219 00:48:41,501 --> 00:48:43,128        I said, "This is living."      1220 00:48:43,170 --> 00:48:46,465     I mean, the house was so big,       you rarely ran into each other.  1221 00:48:46,506 --> 00:48:47,925               [laughs]               1222 00:48:47,966 --> 00:48:51,303    You had to get on the intercom              to find somebody.          1223 00:48:51,345 --> 00:48:53,847     [Levi]   There was some stupid             shit going on out there.      1224 00:48:53,889 --> 00:48:56,016           There was plenty                      of dope around.           1225 00:48:56,058 --> 00:48:58,310         Freaky women, all kinds               of different narcotics.       1226 00:48:58,352 --> 00:49:00,729     I think I snorted everything             on God's planet earth        1227 00:49:00,771 --> 00:49:01,647        when I was in the band.       1228 00:49:01,688 --> 00:49:04,107     Drugs. Rock and roll. Women.     1229 00:49:04,149 --> 00:49:06,360            It was all part                   of the same package.         1230 00:49:06,401 --> 00:49:07,903            That was Rick.            1231 00:49:07,945 --> 00:49:10,405          I mean, he did that              before he even got famous.      1232 00:49:10,447 --> 00:49:11,740               He partied.             1233 00:49:11,782 --> 00:49:13,367              Plus he liked                      to be around people.        1234 00:49:13,408 --> 00:49:15,410         [Rick]   And those days                  was wild and crazy.         1235 00:49:15,452 --> 00:49:16,787             I mean, we were                     fucking all standing        1236 00:49:16,828 --> 00:49:18,288         on the verge of insanity                   in those days.           1237 00:49:18,330 --> 00:49:19,831              Everybody was                       snorting cocaine,          1238 00:49:19,873 --> 00:49:22,250              and everybody                     was taking quaaludes,        1239 00:49:22,292 --> 00:49:25,212             drinking Cristal                and Dom Pérignon champagne,     1240 00:49:25,253 --> 00:49:28,632          and getting butt naked            and doing it in the bathrooms.  1241 00:49:28,674 --> 00:49:29,633            It was wonderful.          1242 00:49:29,675 --> 00:49:31,218            Girls love girls,          1243 00:49:31,259 --> 00:49:32,844             and I don't know                   what guys were doing.        1244 00:49:32,886 --> 00:49:35,639      Personally, I was loving women         very, very hard them days.     1245 00:49:35,681 --> 00:49:38,475        I got a lot of inspiration            from women in those days.      1246 00:49:38,517 --> 00:49:40,852       [Oscar]   There was a girl,              we had the video camera,      1247 00:49:40,894 --> 00:49:43,313             and her and I                   were engaged sexually,        1248 00:49:43,355 --> 00:49:47,859    and Rick was behind the camera,          you know, taping us.         1249 00:49:47,901 --> 00:49:51,363           So at one point,           1250 00:49:51,405 --> 00:49:54,032         Rick just, you know,                  took off his belt--         1251 00:49:54,074 --> 00:49:58,370      had the belt--and the girl                was on top of me,          1252 00:49:58,412 --> 00:50:03,166    and he started hitting the girl      on her behind with the strap.    1253 00:50:03,208 --> 00:50:04,876           And I'm thinking,             "Oh, these are just love taps.    1254 00:50:04,918 --> 00:50:06,461       You know, no big thing."       1255 00:50:06,503 --> 00:50:09,840       Until one time, the belt             slipped off of her behind      1256 00:50:09,881 --> 00:50:12,676        and hit me on the leg,                   and it hurt it.           1257 00:50:12,718 --> 00:50:17,723    And I, you know, hollered out,            but I saw on her body        1258 00:50:17,764 --> 00:50:22,227     these red marks from the belt             hitting her behind.         1259 00:50:22,269 --> 00:50:25,355      If you gave him that space,          if you allowed him to do--      1260 00:50:25,397 --> 00:50:29,776             he would take                 that opportunity and do it.     1261 00:50:29,818 --> 00:50:32,029               [Steven]                      He did everything to women     1262 00:50:32,070 --> 00:50:34,573                  to see                      what they could withstand,     1263 00:50:34,614 --> 00:50:39,036     see what would make them say,       "Oh no. I'm not gonna do that."  1264 00:50:39,077 --> 00:50:41,246       The more they agreed to,       1265 00:50:41,288 --> 00:50:43,582            the more upset                    he became with them.         1266 00:50:43,623 --> 00:50:48,003     He treated women the way that       rock and rollers treated women.  1267 00:50:48,045 --> 00:50:51,006      [Tanya]   His sexual exploits                    were more,             1268 00:50:51,048 --> 00:50:53,759       "You do that to that person.                 Let me watch.            1269 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:56,261         I want to orchestrate                some shit over here."        1270 00:50:56,303 --> 00:50:58,221    He wasn't personally involved.    1271 00:50:58,263 --> 00:51:00,223              He was not                   that kind of "super freak."     1272 00:51:00,265 --> 00:51:02,768           He didn't let people                       touch him.             1273 00:51:02,809 --> 00:51:04,686     He wasn't, like, in the orgy.    1274 00:51:04,728 --> 00:51:06,271       He would watch the orgy.       1275 00:51:06,313 --> 00:51:08,774              It was not                    a personal thing for him.      1276 00:51:08,815 --> 00:51:11,401      If he was gonna be sexual,      1277 00:51:11,443 --> 00:51:12,944         it was with somebody                      he trusted,             1278 00:51:12,986 --> 00:51:14,613        and he trusted no one.        1279 00:51:14,654 --> 00:51:16,198             [siren wailing]           1280 00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:17,949      [Levi]   He had broads, man,                 chasing our limos          1281 00:51:17,991 --> 00:51:20,702        down the street and shit,           man, throwing panties on stage  1282 00:51:20,744 --> 00:51:22,120      and all kinds of stupid shit.    1283 00:51:22,162 --> 00:51:24,456    And that shit was funny to me,               but it was fun.           1284 00:51:24,498 --> 00:51:27,292      That's what you dreamed of            when you were growing up.      1285 00:51:27,334 --> 00:51:29,461        [Gail]   I would say that                 part of his persona         1286 00:51:29,503 --> 00:51:32,506             was the bad boy,               living on the dangerous side,    1287 00:51:32,547 --> 00:51:35,258            running around                  with the different women,      1288 00:51:35,300 --> 00:51:38,678         the drugs, the whole               bigger-than-life picture       1289 00:51:38,720 --> 00:51:40,305             that he painted.          1290 00:51:40,347 --> 00:51:43,475      [Jason]   On stage and in his             lyrics and in his music,      1291 00:51:43,517 --> 00:51:48,021        he was portraying this            sexual bravado and machismo.     1292 00:51:48,063 --> 00:51:50,273        Off stage, we now know        1293 00:51:50,315 --> 00:51:52,484      that what was underwriting                  that machismo            1294 00:51:52,526 --> 00:51:55,070           and that bravado was                    very disturbing,          1295 00:51:55,112 --> 00:51:57,364         very dark, and abusive.       1296 00:52:03,203 --> 00:52:06,414            upbeat R&B music         1297 00:52:06,456 --> 00:52:09,167     [Harry]   Rick essentially has               a run of nine albums        1298 00:52:09,209 --> 00:52:12,003          in six, seven years--                    Come Get it!             1299 00:52:12,045 --> 00:52:14,005        Bustin' Out of L Seven,                    Fire It Up.             1300 00:52:14,047 --> 00:52:15,674          Bam, bam, bam, bam.               He's got all these hits.       1301 00:52:15,715 --> 00:52:18,135      [Levi]   I used to sit there                and watch him write.        1302 00:52:18,176 --> 00:52:21,012           Incredible speed.                 He would just--my God.        1303 00:52:21,054 --> 00:52:23,348       Next thing you know, you got           a hit record right there.      1304 00:52:23,390 --> 00:52:25,934    [Steven]   He was making records                and making music          1305 00:52:25,976 --> 00:52:28,854           and making money,                but he was leveling off.       1306 00:52:28,895 --> 00:52:30,522     people were still into Rick,     1307 00:52:30,564 --> 00:52:33,233          but we were waiting                  on something else.          1308 00:52:33,275 --> 00:52:35,193      And then came   Street Songs.     1309 00:52:35,235 --> 00:52:38,321        First, there was rock.              Then there was hard rock.      1310 00:52:38,363 --> 00:52:40,365       Then there was punk rock.      1311 00:52:40,407 --> 00:52:43,201         And now, thanks to--             mainly to our next performer,    1312 00:52:43,243 --> 00:52:44,703          there's punk funk.          1313 00:52:44,744 --> 00:52:49,166      Here he is, the Pied Piper            of Funk, Mr. Rick James.       1314 00:52:49,207 --> 00:52:51,751         [cheers and applause]        1315 00:52:51,793 --> 00:52:54,462           upbeat funk music         1316 00:52:54,504 --> 00:52:56,631                                      1317 00:52:56,673 --> 00:52:58,216       [Rick] Street Songs   spoke                     of things              1318 00:52:58,258 --> 00:52:59,259       that happened in the ghetto.    1319 00:52:59,301 --> 00:53:00,719                 It talks                      about very real subjects      1320 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:02,053          and very real things.        1321 00:53:02,095 --> 00:53:03,805          You know, Black people                       made me.              1322 00:53:03,847 --> 00:53:05,390       Black people bought tickets     1323 00:53:05,432 --> 00:53:07,475          and sold out concerts                     and stadiums.            1324 00:53:07,517 --> 00:53:10,729      So it was a conscious attempt                   on my part             1325 00:53:10,770 --> 00:53:13,190         to get back to the roots               of what I'm all about.       1326 00:53:13,231 --> 00:53:15,483             When I came home                       last night             1327 00:53:15,525 --> 00:53:18,570                                      1328 00:53:18,612 --> 00:53:22,032               You wouldn't                     make love to me...         1329 00:53:22,073 --> 00:53:23,658               [Lanise]                     Rick James had to come back     1330 00:53:23,700 --> 00:53:27,996          to Buffalo, New York,             to feel the vibe of everybody,  1331 00:53:28,038 --> 00:53:31,374           what was going on                at that particular time.       1332 00:53:31,416 --> 00:53:34,586                                      1333 00:53:34,628 --> 00:53:36,796              Out all night                      just dancing...           1334 00:53:36,838 --> 00:53:39,799        This is the album that              everybody's talking about      1335 00:53:39,841 --> 00:53:41,092       and everybody is buying.       1336 00:53:41,134 --> 00:53:42,928         And triple platinum.         1337 00:53:42,969 --> 00:53:44,596      Your sales are just setting     1338 00:53:44,638 --> 00:53:46,389              new records                  in the recording industry.      1339 00:53:46,431 --> 00:53:48,600     [host] What are you gonna do          with all that money, Rick?      1340 00:53:48,642 --> 00:53:50,727          Going to invest it                  in making more money.        1341 00:53:50,769 --> 00:53:52,062               -Are you?                           -[laughter]             1342 00:53:52,103 --> 00:53:53,563                [Jason]                       Street Songs   in 1981         1343 00:53:53,605 --> 00:53:54,940                takes him                      to a whole other level.       1344 00:53:54,981 --> 00:53:57,776             Street Songs                        is a concept album         1345 00:53:57,817 --> 00:54:01,196       that is very much rooted          around his childhood experience  1346 00:54:01,238 --> 00:54:02,697        growing up in Buffalo,        1347 00:54:02,739 --> 00:54:05,575      and his focus on the issues               that informed him          1348 00:54:05,617 --> 00:54:07,077    and informed Black communities                at the time.             1349 00:54:07,118 --> 00:54:08,954         When I was a young boy      1350 00:54:08,995 --> 00:54:11,081        Growing up in the ghetto     1351 00:54:11,122 --> 00:54:13,083         Hanging out on corners      1352 00:54:13,124 --> 00:54:14,960       Singing with the fellas...   1353 00:54:15,001 --> 00:54:16,753       [Dr. Boyd]   "Ghetto Life"               could be a hip hop song.      1354 00:54:16,795 --> 00:54:20,048       The scene he's describing              is sort of, you know,        1355 00:54:20,090 --> 00:54:22,550             Black America                   at a particular point,        1356 00:54:22,592 --> 00:54:25,971       from a class perspective,            talking about pimp game,       1357 00:54:26,012 --> 00:54:28,640              the dope game,                      police brutality.          1358 00:54:28,682 --> 00:54:32,310       "Mr. Policeman" came out          years before "Fuck tha Police."  1359 00:54:32,352 --> 00:54:35,605           Hey, Mr. Policeman        1360 00:54:35,647 --> 00:54:38,733              I've seen you                     in my neighborhood         1361 00:54:38,775 --> 00:54:41,987              You look to me                    you'll do no good          1362 00:54:42,028 --> 00:54:45,156     [Ice Cube]   And it's basically             saying the same thing.       1363 00:54:45,198 --> 00:54:46,658           I remember, like,          1364 00:54:46,700 --> 00:54:49,327         listening to it over               and over and over again.       1365 00:54:49,369 --> 00:54:51,496                [Jason]                    It's probably his best album.    1366 00:54:51,538 --> 00:54:53,873       It all really came together                 on   Street Songs,          1367 00:54:53,915 --> 00:54:57,836        and you understood him             to be a concept R&B artist,     1368 00:54:57,877 --> 00:55:00,130    not just a kind of hired hand.    1369 00:55:00,171 --> 00:55:02,799         [funky music playing]        1370 00:55:02,841 --> 00:55:04,217  [Harry]                             So this is bare bones.             1371 00:55:04,259 --> 00:55:05,844  Rhythm section                      and some guitar riffs.             1372 00:55:05,885 --> 00:55:10,140                                     1373 00:55:10,181 --> 00:55:12,058  Master of the hand claps.          1374 00:55:13,810 --> 00:55:15,687          Give it to me, baby        1375 00:55:16,313 --> 00:55:18,023     [Harry]   It's great to be able               to break it apart          1376 00:55:18,064 --> 00:55:19,774          and enjoy the pieces.        1377 00:55:19,816 --> 00:55:20,984         You know, we love it                when it's all together.       1378 00:55:21,026 --> 00:55:22,193      Like, we were just grooving     1379 00:55:22,235 --> 00:55:23,695         when you get the bass                 and drums together.         1380 00:55:23,737 --> 00:55:24,612                  Ho!                1381 00:55:24,654 --> 00:55:27,824                                     1382 00:55:27,866 --> 00:55:29,868       [Rick]   All right, I hear              your fingers wearing out.      1383 00:55:29,909 --> 00:55:31,161         I hear 'em wearing out.       1384 00:55:31,202 --> 00:55:32,454         I hear the motherfuckers                    wearing out.            1385 00:55:32,495 --> 00:55:34,205               [laughs]               1386 00:55:34,247 --> 00:55:38,168             "Super Freak"           1387 00:55:38,209 --> 00:55:39,502         I hate "Super Freak."        1388 00:55:39,544 --> 00:55:43,381        [playing "Super Freak"                      bassline]              1389 00:55:43,423 --> 00:55:44,299                [Kerry]                       Well, it's really funny.      1390 00:55:44,341 --> 00:55:45,383        That was the last song        1391 00:55:45,425 --> 00:55:47,052    that he recorded on the album,    1392 00:55:47,093 --> 00:55:50,430      and he didn't have anything             that he felt was pop,        1393 00:55:50,472 --> 00:55:52,223           and he just started                   humming this thing.         1394 00:55:52,265 --> 00:55:54,267     [hums "Super Freak" bassline]    1395 00:55:54,309 --> 00:55:56,227          [Lanise]   Every time                     it would come on          1396 00:55:56,269 --> 00:55:57,937       in an arena that we was at,     1397 00:55:57,979 --> 00:56:00,398         the people acted a fool.      1398 00:56:00,440 --> 00:56:02,692       They went crazy over it.       1399 00:56:02,734 --> 00:56:05,362         'Cause we was playing            that song early in the night.    1400 00:56:05,403 --> 00:56:08,073            It was so big,                     we had to make that         1401 00:56:08,114 --> 00:56:09,282      the last tune of the night.     1402 00:56:09,324 --> 00:56:12,494        She's a very kinky girl      1403 00:56:12,535 --> 00:56:16,373            The kind you don't                 take home to mother         1404 00:56:16,414 --> 00:56:19,709            And she will never                 let your spirit down        1405 00:56:19,751 --> 00:56:22,921             Once you get her                     off the street           1406 00:56:22,962 --> 00:56:26,007            She likes the boys                     in the band             1407 00:56:26,049 --> 00:56:28,259         [Rick]   "Super Freak"                was just--it was a parody.     1408 00:56:28,301 --> 00:56:29,594      It was just a fucking joke.     1409 00:56:29,636 --> 00:56:31,679          You know, girls trying                    to seduce you.           1410 00:56:31,721 --> 00:56:33,390        You know, I was with girls                  who thought--            1411 00:56:33,431 --> 00:56:35,266                whatever--                    candle lights and incense      1412 00:56:35,308 --> 00:56:39,020            and ménage à trois                    and 714 quaaludes.         1413 00:56:39,062 --> 00:56:40,397         It was right on time.        1414 00:56:40,438 --> 00:56:43,358         I mean, "Super Freak"              was everywhere, you know?      1415 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:45,068       Rick just called it out.       1416 00:56:45,110 --> 00:56:46,528       That girl is pretty kinky     1417 00:56:46,569 --> 00:56:48,279        The girl's a super freak     1418 00:56:48,321 --> 00:56:49,614               [Bootsy]                       And I think it was good       1419 00:56:49,656 --> 00:56:52,283          because they felt good                  about coming out.          1420 00:56:52,325 --> 00:56:53,618     Rick knew what he was doing.     1421 00:56:53,660 --> 00:56:56,538            I hate the fact                that it became so popular.      1422 00:56:56,579 --> 00:56:59,499      There were a lot of people                 who had no idea           1423 00:56:59,541 --> 00:57:02,335         what Rick was about,                 who heard that song,         1424 00:57:02,377 --> 00:57:04,462            and embraced it           1425 00:57:04,504 --> 00:57:08,425        separate from the rest                of his body of work.         1426 00:57:08,466 --> 00:57:10,510           I went to college                   in the early '80s,          1427 00:57:10,552 --> 00:57:12,095           and "Super Freak"                  was the kind of song         1428 00:57:12,137 --> 00:57:13,555              you'd hear                     at a white frat party.        1429 00:57:13,596 --> 00:57:15,390                [host]                      Straight from Rick James       1430 00:57:15,432 --> 00:57:17,434         and   Dance Party USA's                 Halloween Special!          1431 00:57:17,475 --> 00:57:19,561                 Awoo!                1432 00:57:19,602 --> 00:57:21,438      [Dr. Boyd]   And all the rest           of the music they gonna play    1433 00:57:21,479 --> 00:57:22,564        is gonna be rock and roll.     1434 00:57:22,605 --> 00:57:24,524            They're gonna play                     one Black song,           1435 00:57:24,566 --> 00:57:25,775       it's gonna be "Super Freak,"    1436 00:57:25,817 --> 00:57:27,277            and they're gonna                     freak out over it.         1437 00:57:27,318 --> 00:57:28,319     [producer] So it sounds like                  you've been             1438 00:57:28,361 --> 00:57:29,904     to a few white frat parties.     1439 00:57:29,946 --> 00:57:32,490     You know, I made the rounds,           you know what I'm saying?      1440 00:57:32,532 --> 00:57:36,161           That record spoke                to a different mentality.      1441 00:57:36,202 --> 00:57:38,455            It spoke to the                   New Wave generation.         1442 00:57:38,496 --> 00:57:40,623      It spoke to a different tempo.  1443 00:57:40,665 --> 00:57:43,001      You got the Oberheim synth            playing this little riff       1444 00:57:43,042 --> 00:57:44,669           where he's like,           1445 00:57:44,711 --> 00:57:47,005       "This is where I'm gonna            get white folks on board."      1446 00:57:47,046 --> 00:57:50,592        [bass line, synth notes                from New Wave song]         1447 00:57:50,633 --> 00:57:53,636            Devo's "Whip It"         1448 00:57:53,678 --> 00:57:56,306      So, it's this little thing                   in the mix              1449 00:57:56,347 --> 00:58:00,477       that became the catalyst,            that made it cross over,       1450 00:58:00,518 --> 00:58:02,770        that just kinda caught            white folks' ears, you know.     1451 00:58:02,812 --> 00:58:04,147              [producer]                   The dog whistle for whites.     1452 00:58:04,189 --> 00:58:05,648              -[laughter]                          -Oh, shit.              1453 00:58:05,690 --> 00:58:08,693            She likes the boys                     in the band             1454 00:58:08,735 --> 00:58:12,447              She says that                 I'm her all-time favorite      1455 00:58:12,489 --> 00:58:14,324           When I make my move                     to her room             1456 00:58:14,365 --> 00:58:16,451          It's the right time        1457 00:58:16,493 --> 00:58:18,369             She's never hard                      to please...            1458 00:58:18,411 --> 00:58:21,414                [Nancy]                    I directed all Rick's videos.    1459 00:58:21,456 --> 00:58:25,960    He was the first visual artist                 for Motown.             1460 00:58:26,002 --> 00:58:27,295           New wave magazine         1461 00:58:27,337 --> 00:58:28,838       That girl is pretty kinky     1462 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:30,548               That girl's                       a super freak...          1463 00:58:30,590 --> 00:58:32,884                [Mark]                           It was June 1981.          1464 00:58:32,926 --> 00:58:34,636        It was, like, right after              "Super Freak" came out.       1465 00:58:34,677 --> 00:58:37,347          Us Magazine   sent me                  to Buffalo, New York,        1466 00:58:37,388 --> 00:58:40,808      to his house, and I did photos        in all the different rooms.     1467 00:58:40,850 --> 00:58:43,686         Rick was really proud                   of his things.            1468 00:58:43,728 --> 00:58:45,813               You know,                     he had these two tusks        1469 00:58:45,855 --> 00:58:48,733      that were going into his pool.  1470 00:58:48,775 --> 00:58:51,194         I mean, it was a little                off the top, you know,       1471 00:58:51,236 --> 00:58:53,988          but I think everything                 that he ever wanted,        1472 00:58:54,030 --> 00:58:56,199       he wanted to put in his home                  in Buffalo.             1473 00:58:56,241 --> 00:58:57,617              He was living                      the rock star life.         1474 00:58:57,659 --> 00:59:00,119         [Rick]   Do I love sex?                    Yes. Abundantly.          1475 00:59:00,161 --> 00:59:02,497      Do I love women? Yes. Totally.  1476 00:59:02,539 --> 00:59:04,624            Do I love the fact                that I have lots of money      1477 00:59:04,666 --> 00:59:06,292     and I'm rich and famous and--    1478 00:59:06,334 --> 00:59:07,710        yes. That's real great.       1479 00:59:07,752 --> 00:59:09,921    [Mark]   I started shooting Rick                  at concerts.            1480 00:59:09,963 --> 00:59:12,590         He was the Black Elvis.                Just larger than life.       1481 00:59:12,632 --> 00:59:15,051       James Brown on steroids.              This just says it all.        1482 00:59:15,093 --> 00:59:17,679      His boys around him, and he's         getting ready to go on stage.    1483 00:59:17,720 --> 00:59:19,389           It's a cross between                    David Lee Roth,           1484 00:59:19,430 --> 00:59:21,975    Bret Michaels, and Vince Neil,    1485 00:59:22,016 --> 00:59:24,769     before they were even around.                 [chuckles]              1486 00:59:24,811 --> 00:59:27,480      He was on top of the world.                He really was.            1487 00:59:27,522 --> 00:59:28,773          Girl's a super freak       1488 00:59:28,815 --> 00:59:31,276                [Nancy]                         He wanted the fame.         1489 00:59:31,317 --> 00:59:33,778          He knew how to get it,       1490 00:59:33,820 --> 00:59:36,281          but he didn't know                   how to turn it off.         1491 00:59:36,322 --> 00:59:39,117         That girl's all right       1492 00:59:39,158 --> 00:59:42,704                With me              1493 00:59:42,745 --> 00:59:44,414          [plays single note]                          Yeah               1494 00:59:44,455 --> 00:59:47,917     [Nancy]   He was getting high,            you know, and goofing up.      1495 00:59:47,959 --> 00:59:49,586           He talked about,                    "I could have gone          1496 00:59:49,627 --> 00:59:51,713      with another video company,     1497 00:59:51,754 --> 00:59:56,301    or, you know--where they supply         a whole cocaine budget.       1498 00:59:56,342 --> 00:59:58,469       They put into the budget                   the cocaine.             1499 00:59:58,511 --> 01:00:00,346     How come you don't do that?"     1500 01:00:02,181 --> 01:00:04,642      [Jason]   There was a kind of            visceral danger about him.     1501 01:00:04,684 --> 01:00:06,728       You see this in the lyrics,                      right,               1502 01:00:06,769 --> 01:00:08,646            where he's talking                about perversity and kink      1503 01:00:08,688 --> 01:00:11,232         and the kind of seedier                 sides of the erotic.        1504 01:00:11,274 --> 01:00:14,277         You see this in his own              kind of self-presentation,     1505 01:00:14,319 --> 01:00:17,030      the way he dresses and the way       he interacts with the camera.    1506 01:00:17,071 --> 01:00:18,781           He sometimes seemed                     really coked up           1507 01:00:18,823 --> 01:00:20,658         in front of the camera.       1508 01:00:20,700 --> 01:00:22,118               This wasn't                       just a performance.         1509 01:00:22,160 --> 01:00:25,330           This was actually                who he was in some ways.       1510 01:00:25,788 --> 01:00:28,499         [Gail]   If Rick James                      came along now           1511 01:00:28,541 --> 01:00:30,335              and was doing                       what he was doing,         1512 01:00:30,376 --> 01:00:34,130        it would not pass the test              in terms of misogyny,        1513 01:00:34,172 --> 01:00:35,340         women as sex objects.        1514 01:00:35,381 --> 01:00:36,716      He would probably stand out     1515 01:00:36,758 --> 01:00:39,510           like a sore thumb                   and be ostracized.          1516 01:00:43,181 --> 01:00:45,475                   The nominees for            favorite soul album are:  1517 01:00:45,516 --> 01:00:47,477       Gap Band III,   The Gap Band...  1518 01:00:47,518 --> 01:00:49,729         [cheers and applause]        1519 01:00:49,771 --> 01:00:51,773           ...Hotter than July,                  Stevie Wonder...           1520 01:00:51,814 --> 01:00:54,400         [cheers and applause]        1521 01:00:54,442 --> 01:00:56,527             ...Street Songs,                      Rick James...            1522 01:00:56,569 --> 01:00:58,821         [cheers and applause]        1523 01:00:58,863 --> 01:01:02,158             ...and The Dude,                      Quincy Jones.            1524 01:01:02,200 --> 01:01:03,951         [cheers and applause]        1525 01:01:03,993 --> 01:01:05,286                    And the winner?  1526 01:01:05,328 --> 01:01:08,331  And the winner is...                [giggles]                          1527 01:01:08,373 --> 01:01:10,041  ...Street Songs,                    Rick James.                        1528 01:01:10,083 --> 01:01:12,960         [upbeat music plays]         1529 01:01:13,002 --> 01:01:14,712          [Stan] Street Songs                 really just facilitated       1530 01:01:14,754 --> 01:01:16,714       this extraordinary explosion    1531 01:01:16,756 --> 01:01:19,217           of what he could do                    in all its forms.          1532 01:01:19,258 --> 01:01:21,886           He's winning awards.             He's appearing at the Grammys.  1533 01:01:21,928 --> 01:01:24,555      He's expanding his empire.      1534 01:01:24,597 --> 01:01:27,100           Mom, I love you,                      and I told you            1535 01:01:27,141 --> 01:01:29,352       that there's such a thing              called rock and roll.        1536 01:01:29,394 --> 01:01:31,396       Well, now there's a thing              called funk and roll.        1537 01:01:31,437 --> 01:01:32,730          Thank you, people.          1538 01:01:32,772 --> 01:01:35,900        Rick James was not just                a great songwriter          1539 01:01:35,942 --> 01:01:37,402             and producer                      for his own music,          1540 01:01:37,443 --> 01:01:38,945      but also for other artists.     1541 01:01:38,986 --> 01:01:41,906          [Steven]   Once Rick                       showed Motown            1542 01:01:41,948 --> 01:01:44,534       that he could deliver hits,     1543 01:01:44,575 --> 01:01:46,077      they were interested in him     1544 01:01:46,119 --> 01:01:48,413               producing                    "Mary Had a Little Lamb."      1545 01:01:48,454 --> 01:01:50,081      They didn't care. Anybody.      1546 01:01:50,123 --> 01:01:51,457          And they had a girl         1547 01:01:51,499 --> 01:01:54,627      who had been a staff writer            there for the longest.        1548 01:01:54,669 --> 01:01:57,797         [indistinct chatter]         1549 01:01:58,798 --> 01:02:00,091               [laughs]               1550 01:02:00,133 --> 01:02:01,259         [Steven]   Teena Marie.        1551 01:02:01,300 --> 01:02:02,760       They didn't know what to do                    with her.              1552 01:02:02,802 --> 01:02:04,595       They had made tracks on her.    1553 01:02:04,637 --> 01:02:07,265        They had done all kinds                of styles with her.         1554 01:02:07,306 --> 01:02:08,766            Which song now?           1555 01:02:08,808 --> 01:02:10,268      Anybody ever wrote for me.      1556 01:02:10,309 --> 01:02:13,271         I always wrote songs                  for everybody else.         1557 01:02:13,312 --> 01:02:15,106       Nobody ever wrote me one.      1558 01:02:15,148 --> 01:02:18,109      [Jason]   One of Rick James'               greatest contributions       1559 01:02:18,151 --> 01:02:20,027             as a songwriter                  and producer and arranger      1560 01:02:20,069 --> 01:02:21,779      was working with Teena Marie.    1561 01:02:21,821 --> 01:02:24,866       He produced her debut album               "Wild and Peaceful."        1562 01:02:24,907 --> 01:02:26,451     [Carmen]   I was in California.    1563 01:02:26,492 --> 01:02:28,327          And we're riding down                       to Motown,             1564 01:02:28,369 --> 01:02:30,830       and he puts this tape in.           He said, "Listen to this."      1565 01:02:30,872 --> 01:02:32,665       So, I'm listening to it,       1566 01:02:32,707 --> 01:02:35,001     and I think it was--that it's                a Black girl,            1567 01:02:35,042 --> 01:02:37,587            automatically,                 because it had that sound.      1568 01:02:37,628 --> 01:02:40,631             [Teena Marie]                      Young and I'm old         1569 01:02:40,673 --> 01:02:44,260         I'm rich and I'm poor       1570 01:02:44,302 --> 01:02:47,305        It feel like I've been on                   this earth             1571 01:02:47,346 --> 01:02:50,016           Many times before         1572 01:02:50,057 --> 01:02:51,642     [Carmen]   So we get to Motown.    1573 01:02:51,684 --> 01:02:53,352             These two girls                   are walking towards us,       1574 01:02:53,394 --> 01:02:54,520          Black and a white one,       1575 01:02:54,562 --> 01:02:55,980               and he said,                       "Here's Teena now.         1576 01:02:56,022 --> 01:02:58,441            You can meet her,"                  and as we get closer,        1577 01:02:58,483 --> 01:02:59,901         I say to the Black girl,      1578 01:02:59,942 --> 01:03:02,779        "Hey, I heard your music.                    You're bad."            1579 01:03:02,820 --> 01:03:05,281       And Rick says, "No, not her.                     Her."                1580 01:03:05,323 --> 01:03:06,824              And I look at                     the little white girl,       1581 01:03:06,866 --> 01:03:08,659        and I'm just like, "Her?"      1582 01:03:08,701 --> 01:03:11,078      [interviewer] How did that         happen when you first met Rick?  1583 01:03:11,120 --> 01:03:12,830            He was walking                      down the hallway.          1584 01:03:12,872 --> 01:03:14,499      -[interviewer] 17th floor?                     -Yeah.                1585 01:03:14,540 --> 01:03:15,958             [interviewer]                    That sounds strange.         1586 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:17,168      Just walking down the hall             in the record company.        1587 01:03:17,210 --> 01:03:18,419       Walking down the hallway.      1588 01:03:18,461 --> 01:03:19,504       [interviewer] You hadn't              known him before this?        1589 01:03:19,545 --> 01:03:21,339         No, I never knew him                     before that.             1590 01:03:21,380 --> 01:03:23,090             [indistinct]             1591 01:03:23,132 --> 01:03:25,593       [Rick]   I starting working           with Teena by sheer accident.    1592 01:03:25,635 --> 01:03:27,512       I was happened to be walking          around the halls of Motown,     1593 01:03:27,553 --> 01:03:28,971              and I happened                      to hear this girl          1594 01:03:29,013 --> 01:03:30,431         singing through a room,               and I happened to go in,      1595 01:03:30,473 --> 01:03:32,266          and here's this little              white girl playing piano.      1596 01:03:32,308 --> 01:03:34,936      And I stopped and I listened.          And I thought she was great.    1597 01:03:34,977 --> 01:03:36,354            So I had this song                    "Sucker for Love,"         1598 01:03:36,395 --> 01:03:37,230          and I put it on Teena.       1599 01:03:37,271 --> 01:03:38,523             Baby, you too           1600 01:03:38,564 --> 01:03:41,150          Are a mellow fellow        1601 01:03:41,192 --> 01:03:44,737            And you're as rare                   as vintage wine           1602 01:03:44,779 --> 01:03:46,030          [Steven]   I remember                      the first time           1603 01:03:46,072 --> 01:03:47,740       they did a session together.    1604 01:03:47,782 --> 01:03:50,034               They were at                     Marvin Gaye's studio.        1605 01:03:50,076 --> 01:03:52,829        Everybody and they mama                was in this place,          1606 01:03:52,870 --> 01:03:54,539              all sitting                     in the control room,         1607 01:03:54,580 --> 01:03:55,748          just watching this.         1608 01:03:55,790 --> 01:03:57,291        Rick was behind the board.     1609 01:03:57,333 --> 01:03:59,043           And he knew exactly                     what he wanted.           1610 01:03:59,085 --> 01:04:01,254    And he gave her a huge record.    1611 01:04:01,295 --> 01:04:04,173        [David]   He knew she was                   an R&B vocalist.          1612 01:04:04,215 --> 01:04:05,800            He obviously knew                       she was white.           1613 01:04:05,842 --> 01:04:07,468      And he didn't really care.      1614 01:04:07,510 --> 01:04:10,888           He was open-minded.              He saw she could really blow.    1615 01:04:10,930 --> 01:04:12,974         He allowed her to grow.       1616 01:04:13,015 --> 01:04:15,810             He tutored her.                       He mentored her.          1617 01:04:15,852 --> 01:04:18,354         And she became a star                  in her own right.          1618 01:04:18,396 --> 01:04:20,231           smooth funky music        1619 01:04:20,273 --> 01:04:24,735         She developed primarily                  a Black fan base,          1620 01:04:24,777 --> 01:04:27,697            because she was                   authentically Black.         1621 01:04:27,738 --> 01:04:29,073        She just had the soul.        1622 01:04:29,115 --> 01:04:31,033          I used to tell her                      all the time,            1623 01:04:31,075 --> 01:04:34,412         "Your skin is light,              but you're a Black woman."      1624 01:04:34,453 --> 01:04:36,205       [Levi]   She was a sister.               She wasn't faking shit.       1625 01:04:36,247 --> 01:04:37,874       And that's the first thing,            you know, one would think.     1626 01:04:37,915 --> 01:04:40,042         "Man, bitch can't be                  all that shit, man.         1627 01:04:40,084 --> 01:04:42,253        You faking this bull."           No, no, she's straight sister.    1628 01:04:42,295 --> 01:04:44,881      [Steven]   Their relationship                  was initially            1629 01:04:44,922 --> 01:04:47,258            one of big brother                    and little sister.         1630 01:04:47,300 --> 01:04:50,970      But it turned into a boy-girl         relationship sort of a thing.    1631 01:04:51,012 --> 01:04:52,388     [Levi]   She said, "Me and Rick               getting married."          1632 01:04:52,430 --> 01:04:54,307            I said, "When?                When the fuck you hear this?"    1633 01:04:54,348 --> 01:04:55,641          "Levi, I'm in love,         1634 01:04:55,683 --> 01:04:56,809           and he's in love.                  We getting married."         1635 01:04:56,851 --> 01:04:59,604                I said,                  "Teena, he ain't marrying you."  1636 01:04:59,645 --> 01:05:01,147        And it never happened.        1637 01:05:01,188 --> 01:05:03,316        That was just Rick high           somewhere talking that shit.     1638 01:05:03,357 --> 01:05:06,277          [Teena vocalizing]          1639 01:05:14,285 --> 01:05:17,121         [cheers and applause]        1640 01:05:17,163 --> 01:05:19,457               Abuse them            1641 01:05:19,498 --> 01:05:23,085        [band plays soul music]       1642 01:05:23,127 --> 01:05:28,049             Oh, that's what                       I used to do            1643 01:05:28,090 --> 01:05:32,470           Use and abuse them        1644 01:05:32,511 --> 01:05:35,556                   Oh                1645 01:05:35,598 --> 01:05:37,934        Then I laid eyes on you      1646 01:05:37,975 --> 01:05:39,977     [Ice Cube]   "Fire and Desire"                is one of the most         1647 01:05:40,019 --> 01:05:42,063         perfectly produced songs                     ever made.             1648 01:05:42,104 --> 01:05:43,981           Pain for pleasure         1649 01:05:44,023 --> 01:05:45,608              [Ice Cube]                        It walks you through        1650 01:05:45,650 --> 01:05:47,985       a relationship that once was    1651 01:05:48,027 --> 01:05:50,488          but can't be no more.        1652 01:05:50,529 --> 01:05:54,033        It was burning too hot.                 Too much passion.          1653 01:05:54,075 --> 01:05:57,495       When you don't think Rick           can hang with Teena Marie,      1654 01:05:57,536 --> 01:05:59,080               he does.               1655 01:05:59,121 --> 01:06:01,207          You were cold as ice       1656 01:06:01,248 --> 01:06:04,126           [Teena]    Whoo            1657 01:06:04,168 --> 01:06:08,714             Don't you know,                       sugar, sugar            1658 01:06:08,756 --> 01:06:13,094       [Steven]   It was just some                   sho'nuff soul.           1659 01:06:13,135 --> 01:06:16,472       It became a big signature            record for he and Teena.       1660 01:06:16,514 --> 01:06:21,268     [Nile]   When I first heard him           doing the duet with Teena,     1661 01:06:21,310 --> 01:06:24,021                I mean,                   it was, like, off the chart.     1662 01:06:24,063 --> 01:06:26,148              He brought out                      something special          1663 01:06:26,190 --> 01:06:28,275              in the people                     that were around him.        1664 01:06:28,317 --> 01:06:32,989          He had a certain magic              in his style of production     1665 01:06:33,030 --> 01:06:34,824            that, you know,              all the great producers have--    1666 01:06:34,865 --> 01:06:36,784         the Gamble and Huffs         1667 01:06:36,826 --> 01:06:38,619            and the Princes                     and the Quincys.           1668 01:06:38,661 --> 01:06:43,541             All night long          1669 01:06:43,582 --> 01:06:47,211                  Long               1670 01:06:47,253 --> 01:06:50,464          Oh, something's got me                    so excited             1671 01:06:50,506 --> 01:06:52,550                  Baby               1672 01:06:52,591 --> 01:06:57,430           A feeling I've been                 holding back so long        1673 01:06:57,471 --> 01:06:59,181        [Rick]   Ever since I had                 established myself,         1674 01:06:59,223 --> 01:07:00,850             I had a concept                    for some girl singers.       1675 01:07:00,891 --> 01:07:02,476              'Cause I knew                     I can write for girls.       1676 01:07:02,518 --> 01:07:05,604        You know, it's easy for me           to write for them, you know.    1677 01:07:05,646 --> 01:07:08,149        I've been such an asshole              to them that, you know,       1678 01:07:08,190 --> 01:07:10,526      I can kind of reverse and know          how they feel, you know?      1679 01:07:10,568 --> 01:07:12,987      [JoJo]   He said, "I'm gonna               start a female group."       1680 01:07:13,029 --> 01:07:14,572           He said, "I want you                 to learn these songs,        1681 01:07:14,613 --> 01:07:16,282        'cause these are gonna be                 some of the songs          1682 01:07:16,323 --> 01:07:17,742          that I'm gonna use                     for the group."           1683 01:07:17,783 --> 01:07:18,909           I really didn't know                     what direction           1684 01:07:18,951 --> 01:07:20,244            he wanted to go in                      until he said,           1685 01:07:20,286 --> 01:07:22,079           "What kind of music                       do you like?            1686 01:07:22,121 --> 01:07:24,749          What would you like            this particular project to be?"  1687 01:07:24,790 --> 01:07:28,127    I said, "Something that they're       gonna play 30 years later."     1688 01:07:28,627 --> 01:07:30,921            Boy, you can just                      best believe            1689 01:07:30,963 --> 01:07:33,924            I'm the only girl                      in your life            1690 01:07:33,966 --> 01:07:36,927      [upbeat soul music playing]     1691 01:07:36,969 --> 01:07:39,180            I'll be your sugar                    in the morning           1692 01:07:39,221 --> 01:07:42,349           And the sweet stuff                  you need at night          1693 01:07:42,391 --> 01:07:44,185                [Stan]                     Rick takes the Mary Jane Girls  1694 01:07:44,226 --> 01:07:47,438           and really pours his              female side into this group.    1695 01:07:47,480 --> 01:07:49,023          We've got this demo                   of "In My House"           1696 01:07:49,065 --> 01:07:50,566           with Rick singing                    the dummy lyrics.          1697 01:07:50,608 --> 01:07:53,069    [Rick]    But you can just hide                   your key              1698 01:07:53,110 --> 01:07:56,238            [continues singing                      indistinctly]            1699 01:07:56,280 --> 01:07:58,074     [Stan]   Could have easily been               a Rick James song.         1700 01:07:58,115 --> 01:07:59,617    But he found a way to make it,    1701 01:07:59,658 --> 01:08:01,869                 "No,                     I think it's got the girls."     1702 01:08:01,911 --> 01:08:04,497         Maybe there's a falsetto           in his head that he's hearing.  1703 01:08:04,538 --> 01:08:08,084              When you need                   a little peace of mind       1704 01:08:08,125 --> 01:08:12,004       Come on over, boy, anytime   1705 01:08:12,046 --> 01:08:16,050           I'll keep you happy                   and so satisfied          1706 01:08:16,092 --> 01:08:18,052              In my house            1707 01:08:18,094 --> 01:08:20,096              In my house            1708 01:08:20,137 --> 01:08:23,599    [Stan]   Rick is taking his vibe         and orchestrating this sound.    1709 01:08:23,641 --> 01:08:26,352        [singing indistinctly]        1710 01:08:26,393 --> 01:08:28,354        Come home to every night     1711 01:08:28,395 --> 01:08:31,357           The girl that makes                   all your dreams           1712 01:08:31,398 --> 01:08:33,859        And fantasies come true      1713 01:08:33,901 --> 01:08:35,486       [David]   Rick saw himself       1714 01:08:35,528 --> 01:08:38,155             as a businessman                   as well as an artist.        1715 01:08:38,197 --> 01:08:40,658       And he wanted to develop                  different acts            1716 01:08:40,699 --> 01:08:43,160        and own different acts.              He was entrepreneurial.       1717 01:08:44,203 --> 01:08:46,122    [Jason]   The role of a producer    1718 01:08:46,163 --> 01:08:48,165           is to be able to go                 into a recording studio,      1719 01:08:48,207 --> 01:08:50,626        bring musicians together,                    record them,            1720 01:08:50,668 --> 01:08:54,088      generate an amazing energy              in that performance,         1721 01:08:54,130 --> 01:08:55,589           and then transfer                   that on to record.          1722 01:08:55,631 --> 01:08:57,716          Rick James was amazing                    at doing that.           1723 01:08:57,758 --> 01:09:00,886       But he was also really savvy              about creating hits.        1724 01:09:00,928 --> 01:09:03,180         When you're on the top      1725 01:09:03,222 --> 01:09:04,723             There's no place                   you can really go          1726 01:09:04,765 --> 01:09:08,144          But down, down, down       1727 01:09:08,185 --> 01:09:09,854      [Steven]   Motown said, "Hey,     1728 01:09:09,895 --> 01:09:11,230            who else you wanna                      produce here?"           1729 01:09:11,272 --> 01:09:13,232              So he produced                       The Temptations,          1730 01:09:13,274 --> 01:09:15,276        "Standing on the Top."                 He got them a hit.          1731 01:09:15,317 --> 01:09:17,611    He worked with Smokey Robinson.          Then he branched out.        1732 01:09:17,653 --> 01:09:19,029          [John]   Eddie Murphy                   has been in Buffalo         1733 01:09:19,071 --> 01:09:20,281            for almost a week.         1734 01:09:20,322 --> 01:09:21,657            Most of that time                       has been spent           1735 01:09:21,699 --> 01:09:23,993            inside Rick James'                    recording studio.          1736 01:09:24,034 --> 01:09:27,121         The pair plan to produce           Murphy's first singing single.  1737 01:09:27,163 --> 01:09:30,583          My girl wants to party                   all the time            1738 01:09:30,624 --> 01:09:35,588           Party all the time        1739 01:09:39,675 --> 01:09:41,135                  Yeah               1740 01:09:41,177 --> 01:09:42,970                                      1741 01:09:43,012 --> 01:09:45,347      [Ty]   Daddy was showing him           the ropes like a big brother.    1742 01:09:45,389 --> 01:09:48,184         And Eddie was like a kid                    at that time            1743 01:09:48,225 --> 01:09:50,477           and really looked up                       to my dad.             1744 01:09:50,519 --> 01:09:53,230        They had a lot of love             and respect for each other.     1745 01:09:53,272 --> 01:09:56,901  Mick Jagger--I had a great          big influence on Mick.             1746 01:09:56,942 --> 01:10:00,905  When I first met Mick,              his lip was small.                 1747 01:10:00,946 --> 01:10:03,908  And after meeting me,               he came out with this new look.    1748 01:10:03,949 --> 01:10:07,036              [laughter]              1749 01:10:07,077 --> 01:10:08,329            [Levi]   Being in                     a rock and roll band        1750 01:10:08,370 --> 01:10:10,164        is not a lot of free time.     1751 01:10:10,206 --> 01:10:12,166          Rock and roll is hard,                  going at it hard.          1752 01:10:12,208 --> 01:10:14,335           Especially funk.                  You gotta hit it hard.        1753 01:10:14,376 --> 01:10:16,754    Hit it like you're fighting it.           That's what he did.         1754 01:10:16,795 --> 01:10:19,548            soft jazz music          1755 01:10:19,590 --> 01:10:22,593                                      1756 01:10:22,635 --> 01:10:25,721          [Ty]   I think my dad                being absent from my life      1757 01:10:25,763 --> 01:10:30,267      was just--there was a void.            There was an emptiness.       1758 01:10:30,309 --> 01:10:32,728           To my knowledge,               I met him for the first time     1759 01:10:32,770 --> 01:10:35,606       when I was 13 years old.       1760 01:10:35,648 --> 01:10:37,066       [producer] But there were             years when he gave you        1761 01:10:37,107 --> 01:10:39,109      absolutely no money, right?     1762 01:10:39,151 --> 01:10:41,904     Correct. He didn't even know                 where I was.             1763 01:10:41,946 --> 01:10:44,907      [Ty]   When you have a father          that has millions of dollars,    1764 01:10:44,949 --> 01:10:47,660             like, you think                  that you should be riding      1765 01:10:47,701 --> 01:10:51,872    in the Benzes and the Rollses,        and you have all the new bags    1766 01:10:51,914 --> 01:10:54,708        and the Girbaud jeans              that everybody is wearing,      1767 01:10:54,750 --> 01:10:56,460           and the Jordache.          1768 01:10:56,502 --> 01:10:59,088               You know,                    and that wasn't the case.      1769 01:10:59,129 --> 01:11:00,965        My brother, Little Rickie,     1770 01:11:01,006 --> 01:11:02,383          he's two years younger                       than me.              1771 01:11:02,424 --> 01:11:04,468        And so he would go around,                      like,                1772 01:11:04,510 --> 01:11:07,304    bragging about who his dad was.  1773 01:11:07,346 --> 01:11:10,391        And, you know, me being            the older sister, I'm like,     1774 01:11:10,432 --> 01:11:13,477      "Stop telling people that.          Don't tell nobody else that."    1775 01:11:13,519 --> 01:11:15,312                 So...                              [laughs]               1776 01:11:15,354 --> 01:11:17,982      ...one little boy he told,            I guess his dad happened       1777 01:11:18,023 --> 01:11:20,109        to work for my father,                    as security,             1778 01:11:20,150 --> 01:11:22,945          and his dad wind up                  telling my father,          1779 01:11:22,987 --> 01:11:24,655     and my dad was probably like,    1780 01:11:24,697 --> 01:11:27,658       "Well, where are they at?            Because it probably is."       1781 01:11:27,700 --> 01:11:30,536          A private investigator                 knocked on our door,        1782 01:11:30,577 --> 01:11:34,331      and within days we were flown              to Buffalo, New York        1783 01:11:34,373 --> 01:11:35,874             to meet our dad                     for the first time.         1784 01:11:35,916 --> 01:11:37,668             When we landed,           1785 01:11:37,710 --> 01:11:40,629        he told us that he went up               to some other kids,         1786 01:11:40,671 --> 01:11:42,631            and it wasn't us,                      so it was, like,          1787 01:11:42,673 --> 01:11:45,384     this whole big ordeal about,                   you know,              1788 01:11:45,426 --> 01:11:47,803        him not really knowing               who his children were.        1789 01:11:47,845 --> 01:11:50,514           I just welcomed him                     with open arms,           1790 01:11:50,556 --> 01:11:53,309            and it was--it was                      instant love.            1791 01:11:53,350 --> 01:11:56,353             He's living this                  rock-and-roll lifestyle.      1792 01:11:56,395 --> 01:11:59,023        I could see him trying             to tone it down a tiny bit.     1793 01:11:59,064 --> 01:12:01,191        He still has to be RJ.        1794 01:12:01,233 --> 01:12:02,818         And Rick would treat                    his little boy            1795 01:12:02,860 --> 01:12:05,279       like he was a grown man.              And I got mad at Rick.        1796 01:12:05,321 --> 01:12:07,781          I said, "Rick, man,                you just met him again.       1797 01:12:07,823 --> 01:12:10,617    Why are you hollering at him?"       "Because he's doing dumb shit."  1798 01:12:10,659 --> 01:12:13,203        "Yeah. That's his job,                  to do dumb shit.           1799 01:12:13,245 --> 01:12:14,955       Your job is to make sure             he doesn't do it anymore.      1800 01:12:14,997 --> 01:12:17,166            You took them out                   of the projects, man,        1801 01:12:17,207 --> 01:12:18,709               to come out                      to this huge mansion.        1802 01:12:18,751 --> 01:12:20,711          They're, like, in awe,             and you gonna holler at him     1803 01:12:20,753 --> 01:12:23,339    because he did some stupid shit             a kid would do?           1804 01:12:23,380 --> 01:12:24,840       Come on, man. Let it go."      1805 01:12:24,882 --> 01:12:28,886     [Ty]   At times, when he would               try to be a father,         1806 01:12:28,927 --> 01:12:32,222        it would be more so, like,                "I'm gonna go out.         1807 01:12:32,264 --> 01:12:34,058          I'm gonna hang out.                  I'm gonna go party.         1808 01:12:34,099 --> 01:12:36,560    But when I get back, you better        still--stay in your room.      1809 01:12:36,602 --> 01:12:38,562         Like, don't come out                the rest of the night."       1810 01:12:38,604 --> 01:12:41,523     Like, I'm, like, "Oh my God."       Like, I would almost be scared    1811 01:12:41,565 --> 01:12:44,109     to see what was taking place              outside the doors.          1812 01:12:44,151 --> 01:12:46,403       Walking over naked girls       1813 01:12:46,445 --> 01:12:49,073      at 7:00 a.m. in the morning               was normal to me.          1814 01:12:49,114 --> 01:12:50,741      I'm like, "Oh, excuse me."      1815 01:12:50,783 --> 01:12:52,576               [laughs]               1816 01:12:54,787 --> 01:12:56,955          [Jason]   Rick James                     fashioned himself          1817 01:12:56,997 --> 01:12:59,291              into a kind of                       unique creation.          1818 01:12:59,333 --> 01:13:01,085       So there was no one else                  like Rick James           1819 01:13:01,126 --> 01:13:03,504                at all                     that existed in the scene.      1820 01:13:03,545 --> 01:13:05,547      However, there was someone              who would eventually         1821 01:13:05,589 --> 01:13:06,840          become quite close                     to Rick James,            1822 01:13:06,882 --> 01:13:08,384        in terms of his image,                and that was Prince.         1823 01:13:08,425 --> 01:13:11,428              upbeat music           1824 01:13:11,470 --> 01:13:14,181                                      1825 01:13:14,223 --> 01:13:15,766       [Rick]   My manager brought             some tapes over and said,      1826 01:13:15,808 --> 01:13:17,226         "Well, there's this kid                who's got this record.       1827 01:13:17,267 --> 01:13:19,269       'I Want to Be Your Lover.'"             And I loved that record.      1828 01:13:19,311 --> 01:13:20,437     And I saw some videos of him.    1829 01:13:20,479 --> 01:13:21,939              And, you know,                    he was cool, you know.       1830 01:13:21,980 --> 01:13:23,899                 I mean,                    I felt he resembled us a lot.    1831 01:13:23,941 --> 01:13:25,692          I ain't got no money       1832 01:13:25,734 --> 01:13:27,778                                      1833 01:13:27,820 --> 01:13:31,407            I ain't like those              other guys you hang around     1834 01:13:31,448 --> 01:13:34,118      [Jason]   In the late 1970s,                 the music industry         1835 01:13:34,159 --> 01:13:36,578           had its hopes pinned                       on Prince.             1836 01:13:36,620 --> 01:13:39,123        Prince, who was trying                  to find his legs           1837 01:13:39,164 --> 01:13:40,791    as a musician and as an artist,  1838 01:13:40,833 --> 01:13:42,918             ended up on tour                      with Rick James.          1839 01:13:42,960 --> 01:13:44,628            He actually opened                     for Rick James.           1840 01:13:44,670 --> 01:13:45,838              Oh, my God.             1841 01:13:45,879 --> 01:13:49,967         Rick had a love-hate               relationship with Prince.      1842 01:13:50,008 --> 01:13:53,804      He loved him because he loved             what Prince was about.       1843 01:13:53,846 --> 01:13:55,681          He loved the swagger.                  He loved the music.         1844 01:13:55,722 --> 01:13:58,350             He hated him                 because Prince gave him heat.    1845 01:13:58,392 --> 01:14:00,811          Rick definitely had               an attitude with Prince.       1846 01:14:00,853 --> 01:14:03,272        They just was competing                 with one another.          1847 01:14:03,313 --> 01:14:06,233    [Levi]   Rick got mad when Prince          would watch us on stage       1848 01:14:06,275 --> 01:14:07,443     and do the same goddamn shit.    1849 01:14:07,484 --> 01:14:10,070      Rick would go, "Ooh, ooh."      1850 01:14:10,112 --> 01:14:12,489    And his audience would go crazy      every time he would do that.     1851 01:14:12,531 --> 01:14:16,118       Prince would start doing                 the "Ooh, ooh"...          1852 01:14:16,160 --> 01:14:18,078               [laughs]               1853 01:14:18,120 --> 01:14:19,997    ...before Rick would come out.    1854 01:14:20,038 --> 01:14:23,167          And Rick was like,                 "Man, you can't do that       1855 01:14:23,208 --> 01:14:25,002           'Ooh, ooh' stuff.                   That's what I do."          1856 01:14:25,043 --> 01:14:27,004      And Prince was like, "Dude.     1857 01:14:27,045 --> 01:14:31,175     You don't have a monopoly on                  'Ooh, ooh.'             1858 01:14:31,216 --> 01:14:33,177        I can do what the fuck                   I want to do."            1859 01:14:33,218 --> 01:14:34,344    [Rick]   I got really pissed off.  1860 01:14:34,386 --> 01:14:36,013                And I went                      and told his managers.       1861 01:14:36,054 --> 01:14:37,931      I said, "Look, how can I go up           and do what I gotta do       1862 01:14:37,973 --> 01:14:40,434              if this dude's                  gonna be taking my shit?"      1863 01:14:40,476 --> 01:14:41,685           It all straightened                       itself out.             1864 01:14:41,727 --> 01:14:42,978       But I mean, you know, Prince    1865 01:14:43,020 --> 01:14:44,521              was giving me                       hell on the road.          1866 01:14:44,563 --> 01:14:47,691       I remember being on shows              with Rick and Prince,        1867 01:14:47,733 --> 01:14:50,861       and, you know, they would            pull plugs on each other,      1868 01:14:50,903 --> 01:14:53,739               you know,                  and get ready to go to blows.    1869 01:14:53,780 --> 01:14:55,491     I used to always say to Rick,                  you know,              1870 01:14:55,532 --> 01:14:58,619        "We all are just doing               our own kind of thing.        1871 01:14:58,660 --> 01:15:01,371            Like, you know,               Prince is Prince, you're you.    1872 01:15:01,413 --> 01:15:03,665     We all have our own identity     1873 01:15:03,707 --> 01:15:05,751             when it comes                   to the world of funk."        1874 01:15:05,792 --> 01:15:07,711          [Levi]   Prince was,                    like, what, 21, 22?         1875 01:15:07,753 --> 01:15:09,671          We can't do what a 21-                 or 22-year-old dude         1876 01:15:09,713 --> 01:15:11,298            can do anymore.                         We tried.              1877 01:15:11,340 --> 01:15:12,758    But we had a lot of, you know,    1878 01:15:12,799 --> 01:15:15,427          shots and B12 shots              and shit we'd have to take.     1879 01:15:15,469 --> 01:15:18,680     I think, whenever the master                sees an acolyte           1880 01:15:18,722 --> 01:15:20,724               who might                     be younger and hotter,        1881 01:15:20,766 --> 01:15:23,310            the master gets                     a little nervous.          1882 01:15:23,352 --> 01:15:25,187              [announcer]                      MTV. Music Television.       1883 01:15:25,229 --> 01:15:28,649       Video music, 24 hours a day.                And it's stereo.          1884 01:15:28,690 --> 01:15:30,400      [Steven]   Other than Prince,     1885 01:15:30,442 --> 01:15:32,736         Rick's biggest battle                    was with MTV.            1886 01:15:32,778 --> 01:15:34,738        [narrator]   The American            recording industry essentially  1887 01:15:34,780 --> 01:15:37,574       divides rock and roll music            into two basic categories:     1888 01:15:37,616 --> 01:15:40,369                white rock                   and Black rhythm and blues.     1889 01:15:40,410 --> 01:15:41,703            We are looking                     for a certain sound         1890 01:15:41,745 --> 01:15:43,247     and a certain point of view.     1891 01:15:43,288 --> 01:15:44,748         We are not all things                   to all people.            1892 01:15:44,790 --> 01:15:47,209    [Jason]   MTV, as an institution,             thought of itself          1893 01:15:47,251 --> 01:15:50,379              as a platform            1894 01:15:50,420 --> 01:15:53,423       that would play music videos          that would primarily appeal     1895 01:15:53,465 --> 01:15:55,634       to its desired demographic,     1896 01:15:55,676 --> 01:15:57,344         which is young white men              who are into rock music.      1897 01:15:57,386 --> 01:15:59,012           And that meant that                      Black artists            1898 01:15:59,054 --> 01:16:02,683       had very little opportunity          to present themselves on MTV.    1899 01:16:02,724 --> 01:16:05,978    In fact, they just didn't play          most Black music videos.       1900 01:16:06,019 --> 01:16:08,021     [reporter]   Consumers of both               Black and pop music         1901 01:16:08,063 --> 01:16:10,023         bought 3 million copies                 of Rick James' album        1902 01:16:10,065 --> 01:16:13,193              "Super Freak,"                  but MTV would not air it.      1903 01:16:13,235 --> 01:16:14,403     MTV doesn't play Rick James.     1904 01:16:14,444 --> 01:16:15,487            They don't play                     Michael Jackson.           1905 01:16:15,529 --> 01:16:16,613    They don't play the Commodores.  1906 01:16:16,655 --> 01:16:17,906            They don't play                    Earth, Wind & Fire.         1907 01:16:17,948 --> 01:16:19,700    They don't play Stevie Wonder.                Why is that?             1908 01:16:19,741 --> 01:16:21,535               [Steven]                      When Rick tried to get on,     1909 01:16:21,577 --> 01:16:23,287        he didn't have that muscle     1910 01:16:23,328 --> 01:16:27,583         that Warner Brothers             or Columbia Records provided.    1911 01:16:27,624 --> 01:16:29,960        And I just remember him               getting on the phone         1912 01:16:30,002 --> 01:16:33,380       and just screaming at me                    and saying,             1913 01:16:33,422 --> 01:16:37,884        "Why did you not stand                     your ground             1914 01:16:37,926 --> 01:16:41,471           and make them put          1915 01:16:41,513 --> 01:16:43,765        "Super Freak" on there?       1916 01:16:43,807 --> 01:16:47,811       So what Rick chose to do            was to take his war public.     1917 01:16:47,853 --> 01:16:49,813      We're being sat in the back         of the bus, television-style.    1918 01:16:49,855 --> 01:16:51,064     This isn't   The Wizard of Oz.     1919 01:16:51,106 --> 01:16:52,316                I mean,                   there are Black people here.     1920 01:16:52,357 --> 01:16:53,900          And we make music.          1921 01:16:53,942 --> 01:16:55,569       And we spent thousands--                a hundred thousand          1922 01:16:55,611 --> 01:16:57,738          dollars on videos.                 I mean, don't we exist?       1923 01:16:57,779 --> 01:16:59,865      In the case of Rick James,      1924 01:16:59,906 --> 01:17:03,327      the determination was made             that it was an R&B song       1925 01:17:03,368 --> 01:17:05,537              and was not                     a rock and roll song.        1926 01:17:05,579 --> 01:17:06,830       [Rick]   I was very vocal,       1927 01:17:06,872 --> 01:17:08,457          because I'm very vocal                   about injustice.          1928 01:17:08,498 --> 01:17:10,417       I've never been one to bite           my tongue, and I never will.    1929 01:17:10,459 --> 01:17:11,460         If I see something funky                  that's going on,          1930 01:17:11,501 --> 01:17:12,628          I'm gonna speak on it.       1931 01:17:12,669 --> 01:17:14,004              [reporter]                      In the past few months,       1932 01:17:14,046 --> 01:17:15,172            MTV has increased          1933 01:17:15,213 --> 01:17:17,174        the number of Black videos                   it programs             1934 01:17:17,215 --> 01:17:20,302                to include                   Michael Jackson and Prince.     1935 01:17:20,344 --> 01:17:24,681       Michael, because of this            whole thing that Rick did,      1936 01:17:24,723 --> 01:17:29,645       was able to be the person                  that MTV say,            1937 01:17:29,686 --> 01:17:31,605      "No, we do play Black music     1938 01:17:31,647 --> 01:17:33,982           because we start                 playing Michael Jackson."      1939 01:17:34,024 --> 01:17:36,693     Being Black, you see this all         the time with white people.     1940 01:17:36,735 --> 01:17:40,947         They'll pick someone              that is still kind of edgy,     1941 01:17:40,989 --> 01:17:42,199           but not too edgy.          1942 01:17:42,240 --> 01:17:43,867           You look at Michael         1943 01:17:43,909 --> 01:17:46,495          standing next to Rick,                at that point in time,       1944 01:17:46,536 --> 01:17:48,705         they're gonna gravitate                     to Michael.             1945 01:17:48,747 --> 01:17:50,040            MTV should give                     the opportunity,           1946 01:17:50,082 --> 01:17:51,792        whether they're playing                Rick James or not,          1947 01:17:51,833 --> 01:17:53,168      I think they should play--      1948 01:17:53,210 --> 01:17:54,503        there's a lot of great               Black videos out there,       1949 01:17:54,544 --> 01:17:56,046              and I think                     they should be seen.         1950 01:17:56,088 --> 01:17:57,839               In one way,                       I'm sad I spoke out.        1951 01:17:57,881 --> 01:17:59,257             In another way,                 I'm happy that I spoke out.     1952 01:17:59,299 --> 01:18:00,592        Because it didn't help me.     1953 01:18:00,634 --> 01:18:02,219         I mean, it didn't get me                 any videos played.         1954 01:18:02,260 --> 01:18:04,805            I had met with one                  of the MTV executives,       1955 01:18:04,846 --> 01:18:06,890        and we got drunk together               in New York at a club.       1956 01:18:06,932 --> 01:18:08,058       And he had told me--he said,                "Rick, you know,          1957 01:18:08,100 --> 01:18:09,768         they just got a hard-on                    for you, man."           1958 01:18:09,810 --> 01:18:11,687       And that's one of the things              that really hurt me.        1959 01:18:11,728 --> 01:18:13,563                [Nancy]                      He's not trusting Motown.      1960 01:18:13,605 --> 01:18:16,149      And I probably perpetuated                  that as well.            1961 01:18:16,191 --> 01:18:19,486      "You're not helping us out                   at Motown."             1962 01:18:19,528 --> 01:18:21,571     No one liked him after that,                   you know?              1963 01:18:21,613 --> 01:18:23,824             It was too much.          1964 01:18:23,865 --> 01:18:26,576     [Kerry]   Rick pretty much knew            that he was responsible       1965 01:18:26,618 --> 01:18:28,704        for his demise at Motown.      1966 01:18:28,745 --> 01:18:31,623        After the "Throwin' Down"                      record,               1967 01:18:31,665 --> 01:18:33,250         he had come off of tour.      1968 01:18:33,291 --> 01:18:36,670         On the   Super Freak   tour,             we made 40 million bucks.      1969 01:18:36,712 --> 01:18:40,382        On the   Throwin' Down   tour,          he only made 13 million bucks    1970 01:18:40,424 --> 01:18:43,051     because the record didn't do           as well as   Street Songs.       1971 01:18:43,093 --> 01:18:46,221        When he was delivering                his record to Motown,        1972 01:18:46,263 --> 01:18:47,764            I was with him,           1973 01:18:47,806 --> 01:18:51,893              and we went                   into Jay Lasker's office.      1974 01:18:51,935 --> 01:18:54,896           Now, Jay Lasker was                 the president of Motown.      1975 01:18:54,938 --> 01:18:57,607       The way that it was is that             he would turn in a tape       1976 01:18:57,649 --> 01:18:59,443         and he would get a check               for a million dollars.       1977 01:18:59,484 --> 01:19:01,570     He says, "Here's your tapes."    1978 01:19:01,611 --> 01:19:03,905             And then Jay                   was like--with a cigar--       1979 01:19:03,947 --> 01:19:05,741               "Okay, yeah.            1980 01:19:05,782 --> 01:19:07,951              Well, give him                 his million dollars," right?    1981 01:19:07,993 --> 01:19:11,163             So as he gets                    his million dollars,         1982 01:19:11,204 --> 01:19:14,082       he grabs the million dollars           and said, "You know what,      1983 01:19:14,124 --> 01:19:15,459           I don't give a fuck                about a million dollars."      1984 01:19:15,500 --> 01:19:17,669                 He said,                     "Sell my goddamn record!"      1985 01:19:17,711 --> 01:19:19,129       And Jay was like, "Dude."      1986 01:19:19,171 --> 01:19:21,381        He said, "No! You sell              my motherfucking record!       1987 01:19:21,423 --> 01:19:22,799             Because the fact                      of the matter is          1988 01:19:22,841 --> 01:19:25,635        I made $40 million on tour               with 'Street Songs,'        1989 01:19:25,677 --> 01:19:27,095       and I only made $13 million.    1990 01:19:27,137 --> 01:19:28,722           I don't give a fuck               about this million dollars!     1991 01:19:28,764 --> 01:19:30,056       Sell my motherfucking record    1992 01:19:30,098 --> 01:19:31,516              so I can make                   some motherfucking money!"     1993 01:19:31,558 --> 01:19:34,102             And then Rick                     pulls out cocaine,          1994 01:19:34,144 --> 01:19:36,480         puts it on the desk,                     chops it up,             1995 01:19:36,521 --> 01:19:39,024                snorts it                      in front of Jay Lasker.       1996 01:19:39,065 --> 01:19:40,400             And Jay Lasker's                    sitting back there.         1997 01:19:40,442 --> 01:19:41,735        I'm sitting next to Rick.      1998 01:19:41,777 --> 01:19:43,653             And I'm like,                     "Oh, shit," right?          1999 01:19:43,695 --> 01:19:45,989       And then Rick snorts it,       2000 01:19:46,031 --> 01:19:48,116      jumps on Jay Lasker's desk,     2001 01:19:48,158 --> 01:19:49,826          puts his dick in front                of Jay Lasker's face,        2002 01:19:49,868 --> 01:19:52,412                and says,                     "Sell my goddamn record!"      2003 01:19:52,454 --> 01:19:53,997            He takes the check         2004 01:19:54,039 --> 01:19:55,999             and he walks out                  of Jay Lasker's office.       2005 01:19:56,041 --> 01:19:59,169    And then Jay Lasker says to me,  2006 01:19:59,211 --> 01:20:00,504           "Lionel Richie."           2007 01:20:00,545 --> 01:20:01,505                 Hello               2008 01:20:01,546 --> 01:20:04,007                                      2009 01:20:04,049 --> 01:20:07,427                 Is it me                      you're looking for?         2010 01:20:07,469 --> 01:20:09,179       [Kerry]   And that was it.       2011 01:20:09,221 --> 01:20:10,847          He was done with Rick.       2012 01:20:10,889 --> 01:20:13,975            And his focus went                    on Lionel Richie.          2013 01:20:14,017 --> 01:20:15,936          And that's the reason                   that Lionel Richie         2014 01:20:15,977 --> 01:20:20,690      got all of this incredible,                 amazing push.            2015 01:20:20,732 --> 01:20:23,026      [David]   I think he suffered     2016 01:20:23,068 --> 01:20:26,029       from all the usual ailments     2017 01:20:26,071 --> 01:20:29,241               that assault                     show business people.        2018 01:20:29,282 --> 01:20:32,035          Too much adulation                     is not healthy.           2019 01:20:32,077 --> 01:20:36,832            Gets you high.                He suffered from entitlement.    2020 01:20:36,873 --> 01:20:38,333          "I've worked so hard.        2021 01:20:38,375 --> 01:20:40,210           I might as well get                    whatever I want--          2022 01:20:40,252 --> 01:20:42,254             whatever woman,                       whatever drug."           2023 01:20:42,295 --> 01:20:45,215     Show business, if you're not          emotionally well-grounded,      2024 01:20:45,257 --> 01:20:46,925           will chew you up                     and spit you out.          2025 01:20:46,967 --> 01:20:49,344        You could almost think        2026 01:20:49,386 --> 01:20:52,889             that Rick had                   multiple personalities        2027 01:20:52,931 --> 01:20:55,809        because you could talk               to any number of people       2028 01:20:55,851 --> 01:20:57,227            they would say,                 "Oh, he's very generous."      2029 01:20:57,269 --> 01:21:01,022          But now, if there was                   another situation,         2030 01:21:01,064 --> 01:21:04,401         "Rick, how about putting              our names--not my name,       2031 01:21:04,442 --> 01:21:06,653      our names--on this record?"     2032 01:21:06,695 --> 01:21:09,239          He wouldn't say no.         2033 01:21:09,281 --> 01:21:10,907        But it never happened.        2034 01:21:10,949 --> 01:21:12,200     We didn't get shit from Rick.    2035 01:21:12,242 --> 01:21:14,369             The idea was,                  "I'm gonna get you guys."      2036 01:21:14,411 --> 01:21:16,746    You know, very charismatically                   saying,               2037 01:21:16,788 --> 01:21:18,540     "I'm gonna pay you guys off,                     man.                 2038 01:21:18,582 --> 01:21:20,375        You've been beautiful.               You've been wonderful,"       2039 01:21:20,417 --> 01:21:22,836          and all this shit.                 Man, where's the money?       2040 01:21:22,878 --> 01:21:24,963            Fuck the fame.                  I want the fortune, bro.       2041 01:21:25,005 --> 01:21:27,090        The guys in other bands                    that I knew             2042 01:21:27,132 --> 01:21:29,217          were buying houses                   in Miami and shit,          2043 01:21:29,259 --> 01:21:30,594            and in Panama.            2044 01:21:30,635 --> 01:21:32,137     These motherfuckers with us,                     man--                2045 01:21:32,178 --> 01:21:33,889              just enough                      rent fucking money.         2046 01:21:33,930 --> 01:21:36,725              mellow music           2047 01:21:36,766 --> 01:21:37,976            [Jason]   I think                     it had become clear         2048 01:21:38,018 --> 01:21:39,644        that Rick James' behavior      2049 01:21:39,686 --> 01:21:41,229       was erratic, was excessive.     2050 01:21:41,271 --> 01:21:44,399           Drugs were a source                    of the reason why          2051 01:21:44,441 --> 01:21:46,651            his career stalled                      in the 1980s.            2052 01:21:46,693 --> 01:21:47,986       Drugs incapacitated him.       2053 01:21:48,028 --> 01:21:49,446             [Levi]   I did                      a whole bunch of shit,       2054 01:21:49,487 --> 01:21:51,573           but I had one thing                  that Rick didn't have.       2055 01:21:51,615 --> 01:21:53,283        I knew it came to a time,      2056 01:21:53,325 --> 01:21:54,951           "I can't be doing                   this shit no more."         2057 01:21:54,993 --> 01:21:56,620       The worst thing God ever did    2058 01:21:56,661 --> 01:21:58,705        was put cocaine in a form             where you could smoke it.      2059 01:21:58,747 --> 01:21:59,956             You don't quit.           2060 01:21:59,998 --> 01:22:01,124              When they was                       smoking that shit,         2061 01:22:01,166 --> 01:22:02,792           they did it all day                      and all night.           2062 01:22:02,834 --> 01:22:04,878      [JoJo]   I started to see him                   as a person             2063 01:22:04,920 --> 01:22:07,380          who had an addiction.        2064 01:22:07,422 --> 01:22:10,800    When someone has an addiction,           they're not rationale.        2065 01:22:10,842 --> 01:22:13,053         They're not thinking                      rationally.             2066 01:22:13,094 --> 01:22:14,721     [Oscar]   Rick was the only one    2067 01:22:14,763 --> 01:22:17,432      that really allowed that drug    2068 01:22:17,474 --> 01:22:20,226         to take over and change                 who you really are.         2069 01:22:20,268 --> 01:22:23,104      And over time, as, primarily,    2070 01:22:23,146 --> 01:22:26,483        band members saw that,               they began to peel off.       2071 01:22:26,524 --> 01:22:29,069         It kind of fell apart                gradually, you know.         2072 01:22:29,110 --> 01:22:31,321            Things started                     to kind of unravel.         2073 01:22:31,363 --> 01:22:32,989        I was the first person                      to leave.              2074 01:22:33,031 --> 01:22:35,283        It just wasn't feeling                    right for me.            2075 01:22:35,325 --> 01:22:36,952       I left before all that--                     the shit               2076 01:22:36,993 --> 01:22:38,286            started getting                   really out of pocket,        2077 01:22:38,328 --> 01:22:41,456       'cause it got to a point             where Rick was Rick now.       2078 01:22:41,498 --> 01:22:43,792             There's no more                      James Johnson, Jr.         2079 01:22:43,833 --> 01:22:45,794             That dude gone.           2080 01:22:45,835 --> 01:22:48,380       Got to the point to where      2081 01:22:48,421 --> 01:22:51,675         Rick's primary circle        2082 01:22:51,716 --> 01:22:54,135       wasn't the band anymore.       2083 01:22:54,177 --> 01:22:57,013     Everybody want to be around.            They know you get high.       2084 01:22:57,055 --> 01:22:58,890     They want to bring it to you.    2085 01:22:58,932 --> 01:23:00,475            They don't want                     the best for you.          2086 01:23:00,517 --> 01:23:02,435          And a lot of times,                 Rick used to tell me         2087 01:23:02,477 --> 01:23:04,145        he felt he was a tool.        2088 01:23:04,187 --> 01:23:07,148    Everyone wanted to come to him          to get this and get that.      2089 01:23:07,190 --> 01:23:09,859          [Rick]   I wish that                     there was somebody         2090 01:23:09,901 --> 01:23:11,695         who would go up on stage                 and be Rick James.         2091 01:23:11,736 --> 01:23:12,988      I wish that there was somebody  2092 01:23:13,029 --> 01:23:14,280           who could have lived                     my lifestyle,            2093 01:23:14,322 --> 01:23:15,657            when I was living                    all through my pain.        2094 01:23:15,699 --> 01:23:18,368      [chuckles] I would have loved                 to have that.            2095 01:23:18,410 --> 01:23:20,286           It would have taken                a lot of pressure off me.      2096 01:23:20,328 --> 01:23:22,831      One day, I had him crying.             I was mad at him, man.        2097 01:23:22,872 --> 01:23:25,458            I was so mad--                "That white bitch got you"--     2098 01:23:25,500 --> 01:23:26,960    that's what we called cocaine--            "That white bitch          2099 01:23:27,002 --> 01:23:29,212       got you fucked up, man."       2100 01:23:29,254 --> 01:23:31,047     And he would say, "Like, man,             I just can't stop."         2101 01:23:31,089 --> 01:23:33,008         I said, "Goddamn it,                     you're weak.             2102 01:23:33,049 --> 01:23:35,218             You're a weak                     motherfucker, man.          2103 01:23:35,260 --> 01:23:37,721    You can't keep doing this shit.          It's gonna kill you."        2104 01:23:37,762 --> 01:23:40,056       [Rick]   I was in a lawsuit                with Motown Records         2105 01:23:40,098 --> 01:23:41,349       for about five or six years     2106 01:23:41,391 --> 01:23:43,351          where I couldn't make                       an album.              2107 01:23:43,393 --> 01:23:45,395      And that whole period of time,  2108 01:23:45,437 --> 01:23:47,856            my drug addiction                   really just escalated.       2109 01:23:47,897 --> 01:23:50,734       I was spending six, seven--          seven, eight thousand dollars    2110 01:23:50,775 --> 01:23:54,571        a week on drugs--cocaine.              This went on for years.       2111 01:23:54,612 --> 01:23:56,239           'Cause I pretty much                 just stopped touring.        2112 01:23:56,281 --> 01:23:59,284           And I was basically                  just isolating myself.       2113 01:23:59,325 --> 01:24:03,621        I never experienced him                 smoking cocaine.           2114 01:24:03,663 --> 01:24:06,249      Like, I never saw him high.     2115 01:24:06,291 --> 01:24:09,711        So I think he wanted me                    to believe              2116 01:24:09,753 --> 01:24:11,171    that that wasn't taking place.    2117 01:24:11,212 --> 01:24:13,506    But, I mean, of course, I knew.  2118 01:24:13,548 --> 01:24:17,010    [Jason]   The moment that really           marks a change in the way      2119 01:24:17,052 --> 01:24:19,888             that we think                  about Rick James is 1990.      2120 01:24:19,929 --> 01:24:22,015               MC Hammer's                     "U Can't Touch This"        2121 01:24:22,057 --> 01:24:23,266            Can't touch this         2122 01:24:23,308 --> 01:24:24,601         [Rick]    I've only met                       MC Hammer              2123 01:24:24,642 --> 01:24:26,019           one time in my life,        2124 01:24:26,061 --> 01:24:27,562          and he was a nice guy.                 I mean, he was okay.        2125 01:24:27,604 --> 01:24:29,522             But at the time,                 a lot of rap was going on      2126 01:24:29,564 --> 01:24:31,900         that was really kind of                      off-beat,              2127 01:24:31,941 --> 01:24:33,401             very derogative                        towards women.           2128 01:24:33,443 --> 01:24:34,944             Listen up, baby,                  you look real pretty        2129 01:24:34,986 --> 01:24:36,446        Let me pull off your shirt             and suck yo titties         2130 01:24:36,488 --> 01:24:38,073        [Rick]   And I really got                     pissed off,             2131 01:24:38,114 --> 01:24:39,616           because I certainly                  didn't need the money.       2132 01:24:39,657 --> 01:24:41,367        And I told my accountants           and lawyers, "No more rappers    2133 01:24:41,409 --> 01:24:43,119            are allowed to use                any of my stuff. Nothing."     2134 01:24:43,161 --> 01:24:44,662        [Dr. Boyd]   Rick was not                a big fan of hip hop,        2135 01:24:44,704 --> 01:24:47,791          and a lot of older                Black artists at the time      2136 01:24:47,832 --> 01:24:50,794       were not fans of hip hop                 when it emerged.           2137 01:24:50,835 --> 01:24:52,295            Matter of fact,                     they were hating.          2138 01:24:52,337 --> 01:24:54,005       But I think, if you look             at the history of music,       2139 01:24:54,047 --> 01:24:57,342     whenever there's a new form,        old heads often don't like it.    2140 01:24:57,383 --> 01:24:59,969      Louis Armstrong didn't like              what Charlie Parker         2141 01:25:00,011 --> 01:25:02,097    and Dizzy Gillespie was doing.    2142 01:25:04,724 --> 01:25:06,476      [Rick]   I was driving in LA,                and I heard the DJ         2143 01:25:06,518 --> 01:25:08,520              say something                       about Rick James.          2144 01:25:08,561 --> 01:25:10,355            And then he said,                    this is number five         2145 01:25:10,396 --> 01:25:11,815        in the country pop record                   or something.            2146 01:25:11,856 --> 01:25:13,691          And he played it on--                  Nah, nah, nah, nah        2147 01:25:13,733 --> 01:25:15,235            Nah-nah, nah-nah         2148 01:25:15,276 --> 01:25:16,778         And I said, "Oh, great."               You know, "I'm back."        2149 01:25:16,820 --> 01:25:18,154       And then the record stopped                and the guy says,          2150 01:25:18,196 --> 01:25:19,823           "Can't Touch This."                          What?                2151 01:25:19,864 --> 01:25:21,241                 And then                      he really pissed me off.      2152 01:25:21,282 --> 01:25:23,827          -He says this line...                    - My-my-my-my           2153 01:25:23,868 --> 01:25:25,995         Music hits me so hard       2154 01:25:26,037 --> 01:25:27,580                [Rick]                       And I really got enflamed.     2155 01:25:27,622 --> 01:25:29,332               "His music"?                   And I remember calling up      2156 01:25:29,374 --> 01:25:30,917        my accountants and lawyers                    and said,              2157 01:25:30,959 --> 01:25:32,293            "I really thought                      I told you guys           2158 01:25:32,335 --> 01:25:33,837       not to let any more rappers                  use my stuff."           2159 01:25:33,878 --> 01:25:35,338        I was yelling--[grumbling]     2160 01:25:35,380 --> 01:25:36,840        Then they said, you know,              "You're gonna be making       2161 01:25:36,881 --> 01:25:38,925        so many million dollars."            I said, "Okay, never mind."     2162 01:25:38,967 --> 01:25:41,010          Rick James is very,                   very, very happy.          2163 01:25:41,052 --> 01:25:44,639        And because of my using       2164 01:25:44,681 --> 01:25:46,683              his music,              2165 01:25:46,724 --> 01:25:48,268     it has made him enough money     2166 01:25:48,309 --> 01:25:50,353       to buy a new Rolls-Royce                 and a new house.           2167 01:25:50,395 --> 01:25:53,022           I told you, homeboy,                you can't touch this        2168 01:25:53,064 --> 01:25:55,024        [Dr. Boyd]   Hip hop gave                    a second life            2169 01:25:55,066 --> 01:25:56,568        to a lot of Black artists.     2170 01:25:56,609 --> 01:25:59,362               MC Hammer is                   the most popular example.      2171 01:25:59,404 --> 01:26:01,156          It's corny as hell.                   But it was huge.           2172 01:26:01,197 --> 01:26:03,032         Hammer beat everybody                    to the punch.            2173 01:26:03,074 --> 01:26:05,493    To this day, if you put it on,    2174 01:26:05,535 --> 01:26:07,495             it'll get it                     cracking up in here.         2175 01:26:07,537 --> 01:26:11,749     The irony is that he probably               made more money           2176 01:26:11,791 --> 01:26:13,835       from "U Can't Touch This"      2177 01:26:13,877 --> 01:26:17,672        than, you know, he made              on the original version       2178 01:26:17,714 --> 01:26:19,424           of "Super Freak."          2179 01:26:19,465 --> 01:26:21,259       [Rick]   I decided I wanted               to do another record.        2180 01:26:21,301 --> 01:26:23,094               So I signed                      with Warner Brothers.        2181 01:26:23,136 --> 01:26:24,721          I did an album called                      "Wonderful."            2182 01:26:24,762 --> 01:26:27,056           It had a number one               R&B single, "Loosey's Rap."     2183 01:26:27,098 --> 01:26:29,559             I know a chick,                    her name is Loosey         2184 01:26:29,601 --> 01:26:31,728                                      2185 01:26:31,769 --> 01:26:33,688          She's a freaky thang       2186 01:26:33,730 --> 01:26:35,732          I was on the label                   on Warner Brothers.         2187 01:26:35,773 --> 01:26:38,359               I'm Shanté,                     and the rhyme today         2188 01:26:38,401 --> 01:26:41,070            Just rap so fresh                till I get out of breath      2189 01:26:41,112 --> 01:26:42,405             They were like,                  "Okay, well look, you need     2190 01:26:42,447 --> 01:26:44,532              to go and stay                with Rick for a little while,    2191 01:26:44,574 --> 01:26:46,910        and you guys are gonna           and work on a single together."  2192 01:26:46,951 --> 01:26:48,077         And I'm straight out                    the group home.           2193 01:26:48,119 --> 01:26:49,579        I already have a baby.        2194 01:26:49,621 --> 01:26:51,998               I'm spending                     so much time on tour,        2195 01:26:52,040 --> 01:26:53,583            I didn't even have                     a home address.           2196 01:26:53,625 --> 01:26:56,085       So I'll go to Rick James'                 house and stay.           2197 01:26:56,127 --> 01:26:58,213    A lady was also staying there,                and I take it            2198 01:26:58,254 --> 01:27:00,298       that she was Rick's wife,      2199 01:27:00,340 --> 01:27:02,884    girlfriend, live-in girlfriend,              or whatever.             2200 01:27:02,926 --> 01:27:04,719           And it's so sad,                  because I was thinking        2201 01:27:04,761 --> 01:27:07,013      about this recently--like,             I never knew her name,        2202 01:27:07,055 --> 01:27:08,431            and I was there                 for almost three months.       2203 01:27:08,473 --> 01:27:09,641    'Cause her called her "bitch."    2204 01:27:09,682 --> 01:27:11,267         "Bitch, get something                  from the store."           2205 01:27:11,309 --> 01:27:12,727          "Bitch, go get them                  something to eat."          2206 01:27:12,769 --> 01:27:14,145       "Bitch, such such such."       2207 01:27:14,187 --> 01:27:15,897            And, you know,                      she just, "Okay.           2208 01:27:15,939 --> 01:27:17,899              Okay, Rick.                            Okay."                2209 01:27:17,941 --> 01:27:21,444         You know, and I knew            I didn't want to be that bitch.  2210 01:27:23,905 --> 01:27:25,907                 [Ty]                        Daddy had numerous girls.      2211 01:27:25,949 --> 01:27:28,826        There was always somebody                 flying in and out.         2212 01:27:28,868 --> 01:27:32,455            You know, we'd go                  to the local pizza shop,      2213 01:27:32,497 --> 01:27:34,624            and girls would be                       coming back.            2214 01:27:34,666 --> 01:27:36,584             I remember Tanya          2215 01:27:36,626 --> 01:27:38,878           coming to the house                   for the first time.         2216 01:27:38,920 --> 01:27:42,090               She was 17.                   She was the same age as me.     2217 01:27:42,131 --> 01:27:43,299        He comes in the house.        2218 01:27:43,341 --> 01:27:45,134          They're pratting in                   from the airport.          2219 01:27:45,176 --> 01:27:46,594       I pulled him to the side.                "How old is she?"          2220 01:27:46,636 --> 01:27:47,887              "She's 21!"             2221 01:27:47,929 --> 01:27:50,556        I'm like, "Hmm. Okay."        2222 01:27:50,598 --> 01:27:53,810        [Tanya]   When I met him,              I didn't feel like he was      2223 01:27:53,851 --> 01:27:55,603          so much older than me.       2224 01:27:55,645 --> 01:27:59,190        He definitely did not have           the spirit of a 39-year-old.    2225 01:27:59,232 --> 01:28:01,067           He didn't look like                      a 39-year-old.           2226 01:28:01,109 --> 01:28:02,485      You know Black don't crack.     2227 01:28:02,527 --> 01:28:05,780         So he was 30, maybe.         2228 01:28:05,822 --> 01:28:09,117     And I was a precious 17, so.     2229 01:28:09,158 --> 01:28:12,453         If I would have been hip                   to who he was,           2230 01:28:12,495 --> 01:28:13,871     we would not have connected.     2231 01:28:13,913 --> 01:28:15,748       [Levi]   Rick fell in love                  with a young girl.         2232 01:28:15,790 --> 01:28:18,376        They just had a lot of sex                    and shit--             2233 01:28:18,418 --> 01:28:21,045             people, whatnot,               parties with everybody naked.    2234 01:28:21,087 --> 01:28:22,672           She was too young                  for me to be around.         2235 01:28:22,714 --> 01:28:24,465                I mean,                    she was like a baby to me.      2236 01:28:24,507 --> 01:28:27,885             They both met                    under the influence.         2237 01:28:27,927 --> 01:28:30,972    They proceeded to get together           under that same thing.        2238 01:28:31,014 --> 01:28:33,433     So I didn't think much of it.    2239 01:28:33,474 --> 01:28:35,101        [Tanya]   I came damaged,       2240 01:28:35,143 --> 01:28:38,313      and Rick saw that damage in me          because he was damaged.       2241 01:28:38,354 --> 01:28:41,524    The reason we connected so well      was because, in a safe space,    2242 01:28:41,566 --> 01:28:43,026              we could be                     vulnerable together,         2243 01:28:43,067 --> 01:28:44,610        and both of our damage                     connected,              2244 01:28:44,652 --> 01:28:48,197          because he had such                a fucking, like, image        2245 01:28:48,239 --> 01:28:50,033     that he couldn't even escape.    2246 01:28:50,074 --> 01:28:51,534           Like, he couldn't                   escape that image.          2247 01:28:51,576 --> 01:28:53,745      He could escape it with me.     2248 01:28:55,580 --> 01:28:56,622      [Rick]   I bought this house.     2249 01:28:56,664 --> 01:28:58,458            It was at the top                       of Mulholland.           2250 01:28:58,499 --> 01:29:00,251              Gorgeous home.                And really, all it was for me    2251 01:29:00,293 --> 01:29:02,628      was just a place to get high.    2252 01:29:05,673 --> 01:29:09,093        I'd go out, and come home                with 20, 30 people,         2253 01:29:09,135 --> 01:29:12,305      19 of them I never met before,         and they'd stay for days.      2254 01:29:12,347 --> 01:29:13,890       And my life was pretty dark                  at that time.            2255 01:29:13,931 --> 01:29:16,100           The house had really               turned into a crack haven.     2256 01:29:16,142 --> 01:29:18,936       A person who sniffs coke           and does things on a certain,    2257 01:29:18,978 --> 01:29:20,313         more expensive level,        2258 01:29:20,355 --> 01:29:22,357          won't have certain                   people around them.         2259 01:29:22,398 --> 01:29:24,233         But a person who will                smoke crack is liable        2260 01:29:24,275 --> 01:29:25,943      to have anybody around them     2261 01:29:25,985 --> 01:29:27,862          because it becomes                    an anybody drug.           2262 01:29:28,613 --> 01:29:30,031                [sighs]               2263 01:29:30,073 --> 01:29:33,242       It was a time that I was       2264 01:29:33,284 --> 01:29:35,870     trying to intercede a binge.     2265 01:29:35,912 --> 01:29:39,374       And my dad was on, like,                maybe--it was three         2266 01:29:39,415 --> 01:29:42,960             or four days                 that we hadn't saw his face.     2267 01:29:43,002 --> 01:29:46,089     I called Val, and I was like,          "I'm going in the room."       2268 01:29:46,130 --> 01:29:48,007       I got there to the house.      2269 01:29:48,049 --> 01:29:50,760         We got a butter knife        2270 01:29:50,802 --> 01:29:54,514      out of the kitchen drawer,               and went in there.          2271 01:29:54,555 --> 01:29:56,432        We went looking around,       2272 01:29:56,474 --> 01:30:01,020           with women hiding             in the closet or in the shower.  2273 01:30:01,062 --> 01:30:02,438      I was like, "You gotta go.      2274 01:30:02,480 --> 01:30:04,273           It's time to go.                   It's check-out time."        2275 01:30:04,315 --> 01:30:06,859                Right?                        So he's still asleep.        2276 01:30:06,901 --> 01:30:10,029       And he woke up and just--      2277 01:30:10,071 --> 01:30:13,908      it was--it was pretty bad.      2278 01:30:13,950 --> 01:30:15,284      He started throwing things.     2279 01:30:15,326 --> 01:30:16,911     Then he threw at book at me.     2280 01:30:16,953 --> 01:30:19,414         I picked the book up            and threw it right back at him.  2281 01:30:19,455 --> 01:30:21,499            He was ducking.           2282 01:30:21,541 --> 01:30:24,127     He threw, like, a candlestick                or something,            2283 01:30:24,168 --> 01:30:25,586       and it cut my foot open.       2284 01:30:25,628 --> 01:30:29,173        I had to have stitches.       2285 01:30:29,215 --> 01:30:31,467      I wound up in the hospital.     2286 01:30:31,509 --> 01:30:33,511        I didn't talk to my dad                 for eight months.          2287 01:30:33,553 --> 01:30:36,681           That was the demon.                   That was the devil.         2288 01:30:36,722 --> 01:30:39,892                 That was                   drug-possessed James Johnson.    2289 01:30:42,061 --> 01:30:44,647         Pop singer Rick James                 is being accused of         2290 01:30:44,689 --> 01:30:46,023     all kinds of terrible things,    2291 01:30:46,065 --> 01:30:48,192     and authorities are taking it               very seriously.           2292 01:30:48,234 --> 01:30:51,237    [reporter]   James is accused of         assault with a deadly weapon,    2293 01:30:51,279 --> 01:30:55,658       aggravated mayhem, torture,          and forceable oral copulation.  2294 01:30:55,700 --> 01:30:58,995         Arrested for assault               with great bodily injury       2295 01:30:59,036 --> 01:31:01,247            was Tanya Hijazi,          2296 01:31:01,289 --> 01:31:04,417             21 years of age,                      and Rick James.           2297 01:31:04,459 --> 01:31:06,169      [Robert]   The day that Rick                   got arrested,            2298 01:31:06,210 --> 01:31:07,962      I was called on that case.      2299 01:31:08,004 --> 01:31:11,924     Rick was accused of torturing          a girl with a crackpipe.       2300 01:31:14,552 --> 01:31:16,137        Hi, all these cameras.        2301 01:31:16,179 --> 01:31:17,847         [JoJo]   I was shocked.        2302 01:31:17,889 --> 01:31:21,350          That broke my heart            when I saw the report on that.    2303 01:31:21,392 --> 01:31:23,311      He looked like he was scared.    2304 01:31:23,352 --> 01:31:26,355      Well, you know, I just hope                 that phrase--            2305 01:31:26,397 --> 01:31:27,899     innocent till proven guilty--                  is true.               2306 01:31:27,940 --> 01:31:29,525          I've kind of found,               since I've been in here,       2307 01:31:29,567 --> 01:31:32,862           it's like guilty                   till proven innocent.        2308 01:31:32,904 --> 01:31:34,864        I've always been guilty          of things till proven innocent.  2309 01:31:34,906 --> 01:31:37,366          [Ty]   He was accused                    of sexual assault,         2310 01:31:37,408 --> 01:31:42,163           and the girl was                   pretty much partying         2311 01:31:42,205 --> 01:31:44,040       with them the whole time.      2312 01:31:44,081 --> 01:31:48,085        And I guess, you know,                  when it was over,          2313 01:31:48,127 --> 01:31:50,505      she had a couple of burns.      2314 01:31:50,546 --> 01:31:52,590    Like, Tanya had some burns too.  2315 01:31:52,632 --> 01:31:56,385           This is something                   that was condoned.          2316 01:31:56,427 --> 01:32:00,306    [Joseph]   Frances Alley told us          about having been a visitor     2317 01:32:00,348 --> 01:32:01,891           at Rick James' home.        2318 01:32:01,933 --> 01:32:05,520     Everything got out of control            when he suspected her        2319 01:32:05,561 --> 01:32:09,732              of stealing                  some kind of--some cocaine.     2320 01:32:09,774 --> 01:32:13,152       He tied her up to a chair               while she was nude,         2321 01:32:13,194 --> 01:32:17,907    and she said that he burned her       with a crack cocaine pipe,      2322 01:32:17,949 --> 01:32:20,576     and brought out a big butcher           knife from the kitchen,       2323 01:32:20,618 --> 01:32:22,995         after his girlfriend                     warmed it up,            2324 01:32:23,037 --> 01:32:24,747      and put it against her leg.     2325 01:32:24,789 --> 01:32:26,916     [reporter] Why would someone            make these stories up?        2326 01:32:26,958 --> 01:32:28,584              -Well, we--                   -We'll take care of that.      2327 01:32:28,626 --> 01:32:30,378     We--Mr. James is gonna fight     2328 01:32:30,419 --> 01:32:31,921         this thing in court,                   and we can't wait          2329 01:32:31,963 --> 01:32:33,631      for the truth to come out.            The truth will come out.       2330 01:32:33,673 --> 01:32:35,633     [Rick]   You don't force anyone                  to do crack.            2331 01:32:35,675 --> 01:32:37,468          You don't force them.                  People that I know,         2332 01:32:37,510 --> 01:32:39,095            that smoke crack,                       they'll go out           2333 01:32:39,136 --> 01:32:41,430          and sell their babies                  for a hit of crack.         2334 01:32:41,472 --> 01:32:42,723        And she said I forced her                    to have sex.            2335 01:32:42,765 --> 01:32:44,100            I never forced her                       to have sex.            2336 01:32:44,141 --> 01:32:45,935          I never forced a woman               in my life to have sex.       2337 01:32:45,977 --> 01:32:48,104        If anything, I gotta force              them not to have sex.        2338 01:32:48,145 --> 01:32:50,481        [Tanya]   What sprang out                  of that adversity          2339 01:32:50,523 --> 01:32:53,317           was our connection.         2340 01:32:53,359 --> 01:32:55,570             "The witch hunt                      that is happening          2341 01:32:55,611 --> 01:32:57,154          right now is serious,        2342 01:32:57,196 --> 01:33:00,283      and we need to stick together,  2343 01:33:00,324 --> 01:33:02,994          and I need to protect                       this man,              2344 01:33:03,035 --> 01:33:05,246      and he needs to protect me,     2345 01:33:05,288 --> 01:33:07,707            because this is                     some foul shit."           2346 01:33:07,748 --> 01:33:09,792      [Carmen]   I hated to see him                 catch that case,          2347 01:33:09,834 --> 01:33:12,878       because he didn't need that.          But was he capable of that?     2348 01:33:12,920 --> 01:33:15,464                Any addict                     is capable of anything.       2349 01:33:15,506 --> 01:33:18,301    You can do some subhuman stuff,     and that's just the way it is.    2350 01:33:18,342 --> 01:33:21,804     [Nile]   That didn't seem like            the person I knew at all.      2351 01:33:21,846 --> 01:33:24,599         We did our fair share            of partying, that's for sure.    2352 01:33:24,640 --> 01:33:27,393         But nothing, I mean,                 nothing of that sort.        2353 01:33:27,435 --> 01:33:28,644    [Betty]   I just worry about it.    2354 01:33:28,686 --> 01:33:30,896          That's the only thing                    I can tell you.           2355 01:33:30,938 --> 01:33:33,274    And I think I'll never give up             praying about it--          2356 01:33:33,316 --> 01:33:35,067          that he will stop,          2357 01:33:35,109 --> 01:33:37,695          or if he not doing,                 don't do it anymore.         2358 01:33:37,737 --> 01:33:39,363               [Carmen]                      When my mother was dying,      2359 01:33:39,405 --> 01:33:40,948        and me and my brother Roy      2360 01:33:40,990 --> 01:33:43,951         was calling him to come,               he was in California,        2361 01:33:43,993 --> 01:33:45,703       and we was calling him--              we was threatening him        2362 01:33:45,745 --> 01:33:47,288        we'd come and get him,        2363 01:33:47,330 --> 01:33:49,540         because she was that                     tied to him.             2364 01:33:49,582 --> 01:33:52,376         And he was out there                     getting high.            2365 01:33:52,418 --> 01:33:53,794    And we called him and told him,  2366 01:33:53,836 --> 01:33:55,338          "Hey, we gotta come                   and get your ass.          2367 01:33:55,379 --> 01:33:56,589           We're gonna come                    and get you, man."          2368 01:33:56,631 --> 01:33:58,215       And then he came on back,              and he was fucked up         2369 01:33:58,257 --> 01:34:00,343             when he came.                      Excuse my French.          2370 01:34:01,969 --> 01:34:03,679     [Rick]   When I went to Buffalo                  to see her,             2371 01:34:03,721 --> 01:34:05,598          she was already dying.               She was just hanging on.      2372 01:34:05,640 --> 01:34:08,476            She was in a coma                for like three or four days.    2373 01:34:08,517 --> 01:34:09,769            She really didn't                  want to leave, you know.      2374 01:34:09,810 --> 01:34:11,020        She didn't want to let go                    till, like,             2375 01:34:11,062 --> 01:34:13,356          she saw all her kids,                       you know.              2376 01:34:13,397 --> 01:34:15,149             And I was, like,                       the loneliest,           2377 01:34:15,191 --> 01:34:17,026        empty person in the world.     2378 01:34:17,068 --> 01:34:19,445    [Tanya]   That was the beginning                of the downfall.          2379 01:34:19,487 --> 01:34:21,197            And the depression                      was a constant           2380 01:34:21,238 --> 01:34:22,782        within, you know, that.       2381 01:34:22,823 --> 01:34:24,700     [Robert]   Even though they had              all these headlines         2382 01:34:24,742 --> 01:34:27,036          about Rick was facing                   life imprisonment,         2383 01:34:27,078 --> 01:34:30,456          they agreed to drop            all the serious felony charges,  2384 01:34:30,498 --> 01:34:34,710    and Rick was able to get a year     in drug rehab as his sentence.    2385 01:34:34,752 --> 01:34:37,713          While we were still                 wrapping up our case,        2386 01:34:37,755 --> 01:34:40,466     Rick picked up another case,                 Mary Sauger.             2387 01:34:40,508 --> 01:34:42,635    [Mary]   He basically slammed me               against the wall,          2388 01:34:42,677 --> 01:34:45,262     started strangling me, and...    2389 01:34:45,304 --> 01:34:47,890      the fists, the--everything.     2390 01:34:47,932 --> 01:34:50,017      It just went on repeatedly              for hours and hours.         2391 01:34:50,059 --> 01:34:52,019        And then at one point,             I was knocked unconscious.      2392 01:34:52,061 --> 01:34:54,772     [Rick]   I went to a hotel room            to get away for a while.      2393 01:34:54,814 --> 01:34:57,108        And Tanya joined me there.               This girl came over.        2394 01:34:57,149 --> 01:34:58,651          And two days went by,        2395 01:34:58,693 --> 01:34:59,944      and we were all pretty drunk,                  pretty high.            2396 01:34:59,985 --> 01:35:01,529            Her and Tanya got                       into a fight.            2397 01:35:01,570 --> 01:35:03,239            She smacked Tanya.                    Tanya smacked her.         2398 01:35:03,280 --> 01:35:04,740          And she kicked Tanya.        2399 01:35:04,782 --> 01:35:06,117        Well, when the girl tried                   to kick Tanya,           2400 01:35:06,158 --> 01:35:08,536           that ticked me off.                  I went into the girl.        2401 01:35:08,577 --> 01:35:10,579                  Yeah,                       I laid hands on this girl.     2402 01:35:10,621 --> 01:35:12,123               [Robert]                       The codefendant, Tanya,       2403 01:35:12,164 --> 01:35:13,666          has pled guilty today,       2404 01:35:13,708 --> 01:35:15,835       and she's serving four years                in state prison           2405 01:35:15,876 --> 01:35:18,087         when she surrenders, and            that's gonna be in a month.     2406 01:35:18,129 --> 01:35:19,880            And he's facing                    two torture charges         2407 01:35:19,922 --> 01:35:22,258            and one charge                    of aggravated mayhem.        2408 01:35:22,299 --> 01:35:25,261       Those three counts alone                are life sentences.         2409 01:35:25,302 --> 01:35:27,763    [Tanya]   There was so much shit               that hit the fan,          2410 01:35:27,805 --> 01:35:30,015             all immediately,                      all at one time.          2411 01:35:30,057 --> 01:35:32,435          And there was no time                       to think.              2412 01:35:32,476 --> 01:35:34,395       You just acted on judgment.     2413 01:35:34,437 --> 01:35:37,440            And my judgment              was to go all-in with this man    2414 01:35:37,481 --> 01:35:41,610      because I knew that he didn't           deserve what was going on.     2415 01:35:41,652 --> 01:35:43,112      [Rick]   You know, I was in,                   like, a dream.           2416 01:35:43,154 --> 01:35:44,613          I couldn't believe it.             You know, I was getting high    2417 01:35:44,655 --> 01:35:46,031      every night before the trial,    2418 01:35:46,073 --> 01:35:48,576         falling asleep at court.                    I'm snoring.            2419 01:35:48,617 --> 01:35:51,954       Because I was just in a daze            that this was happening.      2420 01:35:51,996 --> 01:35:53,247               [Carmen]                       When I was watching him,      2421 01:35:53,289 --> 01:35:54,582          when he was in court,        2422 01:35:54,623 --> 01:35:56,250            and he was nodding                     and carrying on,          2423 01:35:56,292 --> 01:35:57,752      that said a lot, basically.     2424 01:35:57,793 --> 01:36:00,463    [Steven]   That was just too much  2425 01:36:00,504 --> 01:36:02,089         for anyone to deal with.      2426 01:36:02,131 --> 01:36:04,341              And then times                      were changing too.         2427 01:36:04,383 --> 01:36:06,761       It was like, "Rick, ain't         nobody doing this shit no more.  2428 01:36:06,802 --> 01:36:08,763          Everybody grows up                     at some point.            2429 01:36:08,804 --> 01:36:11,390                I mean,                   you still doing this stuff?"     2430 01:36:11,432 --> 01:36:13,726    [Kerry]   I think it was totally             taken out of context.        2431 01:36:13,768 --> 01:36:15,895         But it was what it was.       2432 01:36:15,936 --> 01:36:17,897           What matters is that                     he's in court.           2433 01:36:17,938 --> 01:36:19,982          He's got to fight it,                    and if he loses,          2434 01:36:20,024 --> 01:36:21,609          he could be in jail               for the rest of his life.      2435 01:36:21,650 --> 01:36:23,986      We, the jury, in the above                entitled action,           2436 01:36:24,028 --> 01:36:26,489     find the defendant Rick James    2437 01:36:26,530 --> 01:36:28,824    guilty of the crime of sale...    2438 01:36:28,866 --> 01:36:31,619      [Rick]   They ended up giving             five years, four months.      2439 01:36:31,660 --> 01:36:33,496            That's when I went                    to Folsom Prison.          2440 01:36:34,079 --> 01:36:36,791           This was a serious,                   strange transition.         2441 01:36:36,832 --> 01:36:39,335       As much as I thought it was          a curse and a terrible thing,    2442 01:36:39,376 --> 01:36:41,295           it turned out to be                  a beautiful blessing.        2443 01:36:41,337 --> 01:36:43,672      I'm thankful to God to let me         have prison as an alternative,  2444 01:36:43,714 --> 01:36:45,007         as opposed to the grave,      2445 01:36:45,049 --> 01:36:47,009           'cause I was headed                      to the grave.            2446 01:36:47,051 --> 01:36:48,761                [Tanya]                        He chose to be Muslim        2447 01:36:48,803 --> 01:36:50,596          when he was in prison.       2448 01:36:50,638 --> 01:36:52,097           It didn't last long.        2449 01:36:52,139 --> 01:36:55,601            But a lot of that                  was understand himself.       2450 01:36:55,643 --> 01:36:59,104            He felt, too, like              the Rick James persona--like,    2451 01:36:59,146 --> 01:37:01,190         he's not Rick James.              He's James Ambrose Johnson.     2452 01:37:01,232 --> 01:37:02,900         [Rick]   When Tanya was                       in prison,             2453 01:37:02,942 --> 01:37:04,819         we used to write letters                to each other a lot.        2454 01:37:04,860 --> 01:37:07,279      We needed to stop doing drugs                  for our son.            2455 01:37:07,321 --> 01:37:09,615    [Tanya]   Even though we were up           against all this bullshit,     2456 01:37:09,657 --> 01:37:12,117         we were bringing life                   into the world,           2457 01:37:12,159 --> 01:37:14,078    and it was a very special time                   for us.               2458 01:37:14,119 --> 01:37:15,746             Literally, like,          2459 01:37:15,788 --> 01:37:18,958            the rose that grew                  through the concrete,        2460 01:37:18,999 --> 01:37:21,252          'cause we were facing                some really heavy shit,       2461 01:37:21,293 --> 01:37:25,464       but we were giving birth             to a magnificent spirit.       2462 01:37:25,506 --> 01:37:28,175    [Ty]   Tazman grounded him a lot.  2463 01:37:28,217 --> 01:37:32,555        He got a second chance                 at being a father.          2464 01:37:32,596 --> 01:37:35,015       Funk musician Rick James                   is a free man            2465 01:37:35,057 --> 01:37:37,351            after spending                   three years in prison.        2466 01:37:37,393 --> 01:37:39,228        The first thing James did                when he was released        2467 01:37:39,270 --> 01:37:42,147                was to hug                      his four-year-old son.       2468 01:37:42,189 --> 01:37:45,025         He says his prison time               was well-spent, though.       2469 01:37:45,067 --> 01:37:48,070             He got off drugs                    and wrote 400 songs.        2470 01:37:48,112 --> 01:37:49,697     [Rick]   There was so much pain                 inside of me.            2471 01:37:49,738 --> 01:37:52,074       And there was so many things             that I wanted to say.        2472 01:37:52,116 --> 01:37:53,868       It's like when I started,                    you know?              2473 01:37:53,909 --> 01:37:56,078       I had that hunger again.       2474 01:37:56,120 --> 01:37:57,621        Plus I was going broke,                 and I needed to--          2475 01:37:57,663 --> 01:37:58,831              [laughter]              2476 01:37:58,873 --> 01:38:00,040            I had a hard time,                        you know,              2477 01:38:00,082 --> 01:38:01,250               'cause a lot                      of record companies         2478 01:38:01,292 --> 01:38:03,085           didn't want to take                     a chance on me.           2479 01:38:03,127 --> 01:38:05,421        So I just said, "Fuck it.           I'm gonna make my own album."    2480 01:38:05,462 --> 01:38:08,132       I just wanted to go back to          the roots of what I was about.  2481 01:38:08,173 --> 01:38:11,927      Once he got out of prison,           he called me, and he said,      2482 01:38:11,969 --> 01:38:14,430            "I want to get                the original Stone City Band     2483 01:38:14,471 --> 01:38:16,557            back together.                       Come on over."            2484 01:38:16,599 --> 01:38:18,058          And I'm just like,                     "Wait a minute.           2485 01:38:18,100 --> 01:38:20,227       I have a job, you know."               He said, "No, no, no.        2486 01:38:20,269 --> 01:38:22,271      You've got to get down here                  right now."             2487 01:38:22,313 --> 01:38:23,314         And he just did that.        2488 01:38:23,355 --> 01:38:25,232         So when he says that,                    you do that.             2489 01:38:25,274 --> 01:38:26,901        Everything was business                     as usual.              2490 01:38:26,942 --> 01:38:28,986            He was normal.                       He wasn't high.           2491 01:38:29,028 --> 01:38:31,155    I thought it was a great album.            We went on tour.           2492 01:38:31,196 --> 01:38:34,575              [band plays                     "Give It To Me Baby"]        2493 01:38:34,617 --> 01:38:37,119           Give it to me baby,                  give it to me baby         2494 01:38:37,161 --> 01:38:39,538          [Kerry]   As soon as                    he got out of jail,         2495 01:38:39,580 --> 01:38:43,250        my job was to make sure                he didn't get high.         2496 01:38:43,292 --> 01:38:45,461        I put him on a few shows,             and he would go on there,      2497 01:38:45,502 --> 01:38:48,047          and people would say,              "Oh, my gosh. Rick is clean.    2498 01:38:48,088 --> 01:38:50,549      He's smart. He's intelligent.               And he was clear."         2499 01:38:50,591 --> 01:38:52,760     But during this time period,     2500 01:38:52,801 --> 01:38:56,221       my phone stopped ringing                   as a manager,            2501 01:38:56,263 --> 01:38:59,141      because people didn't want           to see a clean Rick James.      2502 01:38:59,183 --> 01:39:01,894          They wanted to see                     a Super Freak.            2503 01:39:01,936 --> 01:39:03,520              -Hey, man.                          -[both laugh]            2504 01:39:03,562 --> 01:39:04,855            Hey. What's up?           2505 01:39:04,897 --> 01:39:05,981          [record scratches]          2506 01:39:06,023 --> 01:39:08,859            Nice girls dude          2507 01:39:08,901 --> 01:39:11,195  This man lost a serious             guitar of minute.                  2508 01:39:11,236 --> 01:39:12,821               That's not the issue                           with you.  2509 01:39:12,863 --> 01:39:14,114  Okay? And that is the issue         that I'm dealing with.             2510 01:39:14,156 --> 01:39:15,366                That's not what you                        bringing up.  2511 01:39:15,407 --> 01:39:16,992                    You bringing up              a character reference.  2512 01:39:17,034 --> 01:39:19,411        -Well, are you not gay?                -Hold on. Hold on.          2513 01:39:19,453 --> 01:39:20,704                 That's got nothing                 to do with nothing.  2514 01:39:20,746 --> 01:39:22,456                   You don't ask me               my personal business.  2515 01:39:22,498 --> 01:39:24,041        But, at the same time,        2516 01:39:24,083 --> 01:39:26,460            he turned back                    into that lifestyle.         2517 01:39:28,212 --> 01:39:31,048        [Tanya]   Rick was always            the champion of the underdogs    2518 01:39:31,090 --> 01:39:33,342          but never of himself.        2519 01:39:33,384 --> 01:39:36,220           He would stay sober         2520 01:39:36,261 --> 01:39:38,973             for very short,                       sporadic times,           2521 01:39:39,014 --> 01:39:41,809           but it was until                     he could not bear          2522 01:39:41,850 --> 01:39:44,228        the depression anymore.       2523 01:39:44,269 --> 01:39:47,648    He would stay sober for a month      to three months, at the most.    2524 01:39:47,690 --> 01:39:50,859      I've never seen Rick sober           for more than three months.     2525 01:39:50,901 --> 01:39:53,195       Rick went to over 30 rehabs.    2526 01:39:53,237 --> 01:39:55,781           Rick was constantly                   trying to get clean.        2527 01:39:55,823 --> 01:39:58,701      He wanted to be his potential.  2528 01:39:58,742 --> 01:40:01,870        His addiction was the bane                of his existence.          2529 01:40:01,912 --> 01:40:04,623         He was a tortured soul.       2530 01:40:04,665 --> 01:40:08,043    Most of our marriage was spent          at Cedars-Sinai Hospital,      2531 01:40:08,085 --> 01:40:09,545             dealing with                     his health problems.         2532 01:40:09,586 --> 01:40:10,838          My husband asked me         2533 01:40:10,879 --> 01:40:12,548           to come out here                   and talk to you guys.        2534 01:40:12,589 --> 01:40:14,299          He suffered a stroke.        2535 01:40:14,341 --> 01:40:16,468        [Ty]   He had a pacemaker                      installed.             2536 01:40:16,510 --> 01:40:19,221           His doctor told him,             "You gotta stop doing drugs."    2537 01:40:19,263 --> 01:40:22,224       And he just lived the way               he wanted to live,          2538 01:40:22,266 --> 01:40:24,226        till the wheels fell off.      2539 01:40:24,268 --> 01:40:27,229         [Tanya]   His dopamine,                his adrenaline was gone,      2540 01:40:27,271 --> 01:40:30,357     and the only way it would be             brought back up again        2541 01:40:30,399 --> 01:40:31,734           was with cocaine.          2542 01:40:31,775 --> 01:40:34,069          Cocaine had stolen          2543 01:40:34,111 --> 01:40:37,698       all of his pleasure centers                  in his brain.            2544 01:40:37,740 --> 01:40:39,366     Cocaine is a hell of a drug.     2545 01:40:39,408 --> 01:40:41,618              [laughter]              2546 01:40:41,660 --> 01:40:43,370      [Jason]   In the early 2000s,     2547 01:40:43,412 --> 01:40:46,081            Rick James is not                  really thought of a lot.      2548 01:40:46,123 --> 01:40:49,084               In 2004,                    on the Dave Chappelle show,     2549 01:40:49,126 --> 01:40:51,086            there's a skit                      about Rick James.          2550 01:40:51,128 --> 01:40:53,130         Ladies and gentlemen,                  make some noise--          2551 01:40:53,172 --> 01:40:55,257           "Charlie Murphy's                True Hollywood Stories."       2552 01:40:55,299 --> 01:40:57,259     I was a huge Rick James fan.     2553 01:40:57,301 --> 01:40:59,261         That's the first person                  that I would say,          2554 01:40:59,303 --> 01:41:01,513        out of all the celebrities                   that I met,             2555 01:41:01,555 --> 01:41:03,098     that I was-I was starstruck.     2556 01:41:03,140 --> 01:41:04,183            Come on, babe.                 Just show me your titties.      2557 01:41:04,224 --> 01:41:06,101            I'm Rick James.                       Do something.            2558 01:41:06,143 --> 01:41:08,729                Mm. Mm.               2559 01:41:08,771 --> 01:41:10,439       I wish I had more hands,       2560 01:41:10,481 --> 01:41:13,525     so I could give those titties              four thumbs down.          2561 01:41:13,567 --> 01:41:16,111        What Dave Chappelle did          with the Rick James character--  2562 01:41:16,153 --> 01:41:18,781    you know, it really showed you,                  like,                2563 01:41:18,822 --> 01:41:20,616           what Rick James'                     personality was.           2564 01:41:20,657 --> 01:41:24,119    Rick James didn't give a fuck.    2565 01:41:24,161 --> 01:41:26,288          And Dave Chappelle                     embodied that.            2566 01:41:26,330 --> 01:41:27,414       -[Dave as Rick] Charlie!                 -What's up, man?           2567 01:41:27,456 --> 01:41:28,749          There's a new joke                      going around.            2568 01:41:28,791 --> 01:41:31,001          Have you heard it?                       [laughing]              2569 01:41:31,043 --> 01:41:33,670       What did the five fingers                say to the face?           2570 01:41:33,712 --> 01:41:35,005              [laughing]              2571 01:41:35,047 --> 01:41:36,965                -What?                               -Slap!                2572 01:41:37,007 --> 01:41:38,842     [audience laughter, applause]    2573 01:41:38,884 --> 01:41:40,135        I'm Rick James, bitch.        2574 01:41:40,177 --> 01:41:41,261       [Donnell]   In that moment,      2575 01:41:41,303 --> 01:41:42,805           being in the studio,                      I was like,             2576 01:41:42,846 --> 01:41:46,266     "This is a sketch that people         are gonna be talking about      2577 01:41:46,308 --> 01:41:48,143            and remembering               for the rest of their lives."    2578 01:41:48,185 --> 01:41:50,145     That sketch was so powerful,     2579 01:41:50,187 --> 01:41:52,481       it had grade school kids                getting suspended.          2580 01:41:52,523 --> 01:41:54,983       They was going to school,              lunchroom, cafeteria,        2581 01:41:55,025 --> 01:41:57,111         any chance they had--              "I'm Rick James, bitch."       2582 01:41:57,152 --> 01:41:59,488       I must be losing my mind.      2583 01:41:59,530 --> 01:42:02,491       Reminiscing about Charlie           Murphy jump kicking my ass.     2584 01:42:03,700 --> 01:42:05,119            Ain't that a B.           2585 01:42:05,160 --> 01:42:06,620        "I'm Rick James, bitch"                wasn't funny to me,         2586 01:42:06,662 --> 01:42:08,580        'cause all it made him                  was a caricature,          2587 01:42:08,622 --> 01:42:11,250      as far as I was concerned.           They made him out of a toy,     2588 01:42:11,291 --> 01:42:13,585    as opposed to a real live man,                human being.             2589 01:42:13,627 --> 01:42:15,587        A lot of that was true.       2590 01:42:15,629 --> 01:42:19,675        Rick would actually do            that--come in and talk shit.     2591 01:42:19,716 --> 01:42:21,510      That was Rick, all the way.     2592 01:42:21,552 --> 01:42:23,762           In the beginning,                    his attitude was,          2593 01:42:23,804 --> 01:42:25,264    "Oh, well that's kind of cute.    2594 01:42:25,305 --> 01:42:26,598      It doesn't matter. It's TV.                 It's comedy."            2595 01:42:26,640 --> 01:42:28,350         But then it got to be                   a whole thing.            2596 01:42:28,392 --> 01:42:30,811        He might have imagined              that he was being mocked.      2597 01:42:30,853 --> 01:42:33,564      And yet, at the same time,              he was so interested         2598 01:42:33,605 --> 01:42:37,151            in maintaining                  his own forward momentum,      2599 01:42:37,192 --> 01:42:39,653          that he took advantage                   of that mockery           2600 01:42:39,695 --> 01:42:41,363       and turned it into something            that would work for him.      2601 01:42:41,405 --> 01:42:43,031      Never mind who you thought                     I was.                2602 01:42:43,073 --> 01:42:45,075        I'm Rick James, bitch.        2603 01:42:45,117 --> 01:42:46,535         [cheers and applause]        2604 01:42:46,577 --> 01:42:48,370            [Jason]   He uses                     the very catchphrase        2605 01:42:48,412 --> 01:42:50,164        that could have been used                    against him             2606 01:42:50,205 --> 01:42:52,583            to help brand him                    in a different way.         2607 01:42:52,624 --> 01:42:55,043     That was really the source of       Rick James' renewed popularity    2608 01:42:55,085 --> 01:42:56,545          in the early 2000s.         2609 01:42:56,587 --> 01:42:58,797                  Love               2610 01:42:58,839 --> 01:43:01,675           [Teena]    Whoo            2611 01:43:01,717 --> 01:43:04,136         [cheers and applause]        2612 01:43:04,178 --> 01:43:08,348          Them and leave them        2613 01:43:08,390 --> 01:43:10,142                 Yes!                 2614 01:43:10,184 --> 01:43:12,561        That's what I used to do     2615 01:43:12,603 --> 01:43:14,354             Sing the song           2616 01:43:14,396 --> 01:43:18,859              I used to use                    and abuse them, baby        2617 01:43:18,901 --> 01:43:20,068               [Carmen]                       That music awards thing       2618 01:43:20,110 --> 01:43:21,403        he was on--he was nothing.     2619 01:43:21,445 --> 01:43:24,239           The voice was gone.                   Everything was gone.        2620 01:43:24,281 --> 01:43:25,908            He was nothing                     but a shell there.          2621 01:43:25,949 --> 01:43:27,743         That hurt. That hurt.        2622 01:43:27,784 --> 01:43:29,912     [interviewer] But most people            saw that as a great,         2623 01:43:29,953 --> 01:43:31,038              big moment.             2624 01:43:31,079 --> 01:43:33,248             Yeah, well...            2625 01:43:33,290 --> 01:43:36,043          I saw it as, like,                     the bitter end.           2626 01:43:36,084 --> 01:43:38,086           I knew something                     was gonna happen.          2627 01:43:38,128 --> 01:43:42,216              bass chords            2628 01:43:42,257 --> 01:43:44,426         [Steven]   I think that                     by that time,            2629 01:43:44,468 --> 01:43:47,638               he was bored                     with the whole thing.        2630 01:43:47,679 --> 01:43:51,600     It's kind of like anyone who        gets money or stuff or a woman.  2631 01:43:51,642 --> 01:43:53,977         You think it's going                   to change things,          2632 01:43:54,019 --> 01:43:56,438     and the change begins within.    2633 01:43:56,480 --> 01:43:58,857          And I don't think Rick                  really knew that.          2634 01:43:58,899 --> 01:44:03,654         He kept looking outward                 for some salvation.         2635 01:44:03,695 --> 01:44:06,114      And he just never found it.     2636 01:44:06,156 --> 01:44:07,991     [David]   The times I saw Rick,                  after jail,             2637 01:44:08,033 --> 01:44:09,618       I left with a broken heart.     2638 01:44:09,660 --> 01:44:12,579     I felt as though I don't know        if he can live a lot longer.     2639 01:44:14,498 --> 01:44:16,583    [reporter]   Grammy Award-winning             singer Rick James          2640 01:44:16,625 --> 01:44:19,920         found dead in his home.             Rick James was 56 years old.    2641 01:44:19,962 --> 01:44:21,296           [Levi]   My father                       called me first           2642 01:44:21,338 --> 01:44:22,798        and told me Rick was gone.     2643 01:44:22,839 --> 01:44:24,383          And man, we cried.          2644 01:44:24,424 --> 01:44:27,970               God damn,                 we cried over that phone, man.    2645 01:44:28,011 --> 01:44:29,805      And it still fucks with me.     2646 01:44:29,846 --> 01:44:32,891           I was in Florida,             and I was coming off the plane.  2647 01:44:32,933 --> 01:44:35,269    I looked up on the news screen,  2648 01:44:35,310 --> 01:44:38,313     coming from the airport, CNN,    2649 01:44:38,355 --> 01:44:41,316     and it had "Rick James dead."          They was taking his body.      2650 01:44:41,358 --> 01:44:43,402     [reporter]   He had nine drugs                  in his system.           2651 01:44:43,443 --> 01:44:46,446                  Nine.                           Among them, Xanax,         2652 01:44:46,488 --> 01:44:49,783             Valium, Vicodin,                 crystal meth, and cocaine.     2653 01:44:49,825 --> 01:44:52,035         [Tanya]   I went right                     the fuck there.           2654 01:44:52,077 --> 01:44:54,496            Like, immediately,                       I was on it.            2655 01:44:54,538 --> 01:44:57,249          Security at the place                     that he was at           2656 01:44:57,291 --> 01:45:00,210         were not letting us in.                So I hopped the gate.        2657 01:45:00,252 --> 01:45:03,297    I'm running, because the place               that he was at            2658 01:45:03,338 --> 01:45:06,174      was a little bit further in            from the security gate.       2659 01:45:06,216 --> 01:45:08,760        And security is, like,                    "Stop! Stop!"            2660 01:45:08,802 --> 01:45:11,346            And I was like,                "If you want to talk to me,     2661 01:45:11,388 --> 01:45:13,473       you better start running,           because I'm not stopping."      2662 01:45:13,515 --> 01:45:17,769     I got there, and he was dead.    2663 01:45:17,811 --> 01:45:22,691         [Ty]   I just remember                    going in the room,         2664 01:45:22,733 --> 01:45:27,195     and he was still in the bed,               where he passed.           2665 01:45:27,237 --> 01:45:30,365           And I just wanted                   to be next to him.          2666 01:45:30,407 --> 01:45:34,036           And I laid there                    for about an hour,          2667 01:45:34,077 --> 01:45:35,537        just holding his hand,        2668 01:45:35,579 --> 01:45:39,499           before they came                      to pick him up.           2669 01:45:39,541 --> 01:45:43,045      And everything was chaotic      2670 01:45:43,086 --> 01:45:45,380    outside of us, and I just said,  2671 01:45:45,422 --> 01:45:48,717           "Close the door.              I don't want anybody in here."    2672 01:45:48,759 --> 01:45:50,635        I don't think he tried                     to OD, man.             2673 01:45:50,677 --> 01:45:52,763         He loved being alive.                We had things to do.         2674 01:45:52,804 --> 01:45:54,389       We were ready to go back                   on the road.             2675 01:45:54,431 --> 01:45:56,350       That means we going back                  in the studio.            2676 01:45:56,391 --> 01:45:57,851    Come over for some fresh shit.    2677 01:45:57,893 --> 01:46:00,604      Man, we--oh, we would have         killed them the next time out.    2678 01:46:00,645 --> 01:46:03,106          We never got there.                        Almost.               2679 01:46:04,691 --> 01:46:06,360      [Stevie Wonder]   I love you,                Rick, for the time         2680 01:46:06,401 --> 01:46:08,987              that you stood                   with my brother Calvin,       2681 01:46:09,029 --> 01:46:11,156        and the fun that y'all had               and the fun we had,         2682 01:46:11,198 --> 01:46:13,283       and the songs that you heard            of mine, that you said,       2683 01:46:13,325 --> 01:46:14,826          "Nah, I don't think                  that's good enough.         2684 01:46:14,868 --> 01:46:15,994             You gotta do                  something else with that."      2685 01:46:16,036 --> 01:46:17,287              [laughter]              2686 01:46:17,329 --> 01:46:19,706        [Teena]   I will forever                       be linked              2687 01:46:19,748 --> 01:46:21,500             in the archives           2688 01:46:21,541 --> 01:46:26,004     of R&B history with this man.    2689 01:46:26,046 --> 01:46:28,507      [Tanya]    I love that people              came out to honor him        2690 01:46:28,548 --> 01:46:30,258         at the day of his death.      2691 01:46:30,300 --> 01:46:33,261    My contention is, though, with         all these powerful friends,     2692 01:46:33,303 --> 01:46:36,014     compadres, and connections--     2693 01:46:36,056 --> 01:46:38,433       when he was needing help,      2694 01:46:38,475 --> 01:46:40,769      when he was having trouble,     2695 01:46:40,811 --> 01:46:42,354       where were these people?       2696 01:46:42,396 --> 01:46:44,564     [Carmen]   Wasn't Mr. Perfect,                     by far.               2697 01:46:44,606 --> 01:46:46,024             You know, he had                     all the fallacies.         2698 01:46:46,066 --> 01:46:47,943        But he was a good guy,        2699 01:46:47,984 --> 01:46:50,028       and a very talented guy.       2700 01:46:50,070 --> 01:46:52,572             And I think that                 if he would have been able     2701 01:46:52,614 --> 01:46:55,450         to shake that demon,             would still be strong today.     2702 01:46:55,492 --> 01:46:57,869     [JoJo]   Even in the adversity,    2703 01:46:57,911 --> 01:46:59,121        I learned a lot from him,      2704 01:46:59,162 --> 01:47:01,206           and I'm grateful.                   I'm still--I mean,          2705 01:47:01,248 --> 01:47:04,918            I'm older now.                    We mature--excuse me.        2706 01:47:07,129 --> 01:47:10,173             I told JoJo,                      "If Rick were here,         2707 01:47:10,215 --> 01:47:12,926       and he asked me tomorrow,      2708 01:47:12,968 --> 01:47:14,344        'Why don't you come back?      2709 01:47:14,386 --> 01:47:16,513          We're taking the band                  back out,' I'd go."         2710 01:47:16,555 --> 01:47:19,433         thoughtful bass music       2711 01:47:19,474 --> 01:47:24,771                                      2712 01:47:29,109 --> 01:47:31,194         [indistinct chatter]         2713 01:47:31,236 --> 01:47:32,779    [Oscar]   It took a lot of work,    2714 01:47:32,821 --> 01:47:34,614             because we were                     all over the place.         2715 01:47:34,656 --> 01:47:36,825             I think because                      we really realized         2716 01:47:36,867 --> 01:47:39,244      we're getting to the point                 to where people           2717 01:47:39,286 --> 01:47:43,748      are asking for Rick's music           in a genuine sense again.      2718 01:47:43,790 --> 01:47:45,667     So we got together and said,              "Hey. Let's do it."         2719 01:47:45,709 --> 01:47:48,753            It feels great.                      I love to play.           2720 01:47:48,795 --> 01:47:51,006           You know, that's              what we're are. We're players.    2721 01:47:51,047 --> 01:47:52,841    [host]   So without further ado,                I need everybody          2722 01:47:52,883 --> 01:47:54,009          to stand to your feet,       2723 01:47:54,050 --> 01:47:56,136         so we can bring them out                  the Buffalo way.          2724 01:47:56,178 --> 01:47:58,180       Make some noise for my boys,    2725 01:47:58,221 --> 01:48:03,268           the Stone City Band!        2726 01:48:03,310 --> 01:48:05,979             [band playing                     upbeat funky music]         2727 01:48:06,021 --> 01:48:11,401                                      2728 01:48:21,620 --> 01:48:23,872    Buffalo, are you in the house?    2729 01:48:23,914 --> 01:48:26,875      Guess who's back up in here                 this evening.            2730 01:48:26,917 --> 01:48:28,668       We got the original boys.      2731 01:48:28,710 --> 01:48:30,045           Stone City Band.           2732 01:48:30,086 --> 01:48:31,505                 Whoo.                2733 01:48:40,347 --> 01:48:41,389         [singers vocalizing]         2734 01:48:41,431 --> 01:48:43,391          What y'all smoking?         2735 01:48:44,184 --> 01:48:46,061                Oh, yeah             2736 01:48:46,102 --> 01:48:48,688       I'm in love with Mary Jane   2737 01:48:48,730 --> 01:48:51,399          She's my main thing        2738 01:48:51,441 --> 01:48:54,069       She makes me feel alright     2739 01:48:54,110 --> 01:48:56,655        She makes my heart sing      2740 01:48:56,696 --> 01:48:59,074        And when I'm feeling low     2741 01:48:59,115 --> 01:49:02,035        She comes as no surprise     2742 01:49:02,077 --> 01:49:04,454       Turns me on with her love     2743 01:49:04,496 --> 01:49:09,668          Takes me to paradise       2744 01:49:11,169 --> 01:49:14,256       Do you love me Mary Jane?     2745 01:49:14,297 --> 01:49:16,716     [interviewer]   Had you become            the Rick James character?      2746 01:49:16,758 --> 01:49:18,260             [Rick]   Yeah.                  I think that was the problem,    2747 01:49:18,301 --> 01:49:20,804       was I was trying to live out           the Rick James character.      2748 01:49:20,845 --> 01:49:22,514    And if you try to hang out with     Rick James, you're in trouble.    2749 01:49:22,556 --> 01:49:24,474               Mary Jane             2750 01:49:24,516 --> 01:49:27,852        Don't you play no games      2751 01:49:27,894 --> 01:49:29,187                  Whoo               2752 01:49:29,229 --> 01:49:31,815               Mary Jane             2753 01:49:31,856 --> 01:49:34,859        I love her just the same     2754 01:49:34,901 --> 01:49:36,486               Mary Jane             2755 01:49:36,528 --> 01:49:40,156         dramatic hip hop music      2756 01:49:40,198 --> 01:49:42,367        [Taz]   I was at a party.       2757 01:49:42,409 --> 01:49:45,870             I think I might                     have been, like, 14.        2758 01:49:45,912 --> 01:49:49,624        And everybody was rapping.              And I started rapping.       2759 01:49:49,666 --> 01:49:54,421          And the whole crowd                of people spun around,        2760 01:49:54,462 --> 01:49:56,381          and all of a sudden                   I was just, like,          2761 01:49:56,423 --> 01:49:58,049     in the middle of this crowd,     2762 01:49:58,091 --> 01:50:00,427        and they're all, like,                   so mesmerized.            2763 01:50:00,468 --> 01:50:01,636    That was the first time I was,                 like "Whoa.             2764 01:50:01,678 --> 01:50:03,471        Maybe I can do this shit."     2765 01:50:03,513 --> 01:50:05,056        'Cause I saw my dad do it                    for so long.            2766 01:50:05,098 --> 01:50:07,475        No matter what you say                 about how he lived,         2767 01:50:07,517 --> 01:50:09,728         you know, drug-wise,                  sex-wise, whatever,         2768 01:50:09,769 --> 01:50:11,813      but he's a fucking legend.      2769 01:50:11,855 --> 01:50:14,149        If my dad was here today,      2770 01:50:14,190 --> 01:50:15,900            I'm sure he would,                you know what I'm saying,      2771 01:50:15,942 --> 01:50:18,862     have a million things to say:            "Do what feels right.        2772 01:50:18,903 --> 01:50:21,448        Don't correct yourself                for whoever you are.         2773 01:50:21,489 --> 01:50:23,199          Just do what feels                      right to you.            2774 01:50:23,241 --> 01:50:24,826          Do what's natural."         2775 01:50:29,372 --> 01:50:32,042           upbeat funky music        2776 01:50:32,083 --> 01:50:37,505                                      2777 01:51:40,151 --> 01:51:42,404               What's your favorite                  Rick James record?  2778 01:51:42,445 --> 01:51:44,030             "You and I."             2779 01:51:44,072 --> 01:51:46,574              [laughter]              2780 01:51:46,616 --> 01:51:48,201           Why "You and I"?           2781 01:51:48,243 --> 01:51:51,246        Why is "You and I" your            favorite Rick James record?     2782 01:51:51,287 --> 01:51:53,540     I just like the sound of it,     2783 01:51:53,581 --> 01:51:56,042        the melody, the rhythm.       2784 01:51:56,084 --> 01:51:57,627          -It makes me move.                -It makes you feel good?       2785 01:51:57,669 --> 01:52:00,422        -It makes me feel good.                    -[laughter]             2786 01:52:00,463 --> 01:52:02,090               What's your favorite                  Rick James record?  2787 01:52:02,132 --> 01:52:03,925  Oh, my favorite is                 2788 01:52:03,967 --> 01:52:06,845       -Cold--mm-do-do--Blooded.                  -Do it again.            2789 01:52:06,886 --> 01:52:08,722       -[Charisma]   Do it again.                    -[laughter]             2790 01:52:08,763 --> 01:52:10,515          -[Ty]    Do-do-doo                 -[Jasmine]    Blooded         2791 01:52:10,557 --> 01:52:12,225            Oh, it's the best.         2792 01:52:12,267 --> 01:52:13,435           -[Ty]   Oh, my God.              -[Jasmine]   I love that song.     2793 01:52:13,476 --> 01:52:15,270        It just has--oh, my gosh.      2794 01:52:15,311 --> 01:52:19,857          The beat to it. Yeah.