It's odd that this is the song he is still known for, since it wasn't his biggest pop hit. ('You and I", from his first album in 1978, made the top 20, but it's not as frequently played.) Yet it is representative of the obsession with women that dominates a lot of his lyrics. (What else can you say about "17", a tune about being in love with a minor?).
But he took his music seriously- his songs all have excellent orchestrations, very deep playing and solid, inventive usage of background vocals behind them that shows he had his finger on the pulse of his audience (making up for the fact that his label, Motown, had mostly lost touch with theirs). And certainly "Super Freak" and many of his other songs were blessed with great saxophone solos by Danny LeMelle, Rick's equivalent of Maceo Parker in James Brown's band.
The whole "Street Songs" album is worth a listen for some of its more obscure tracks as well as the hits- "Mr. Policeman", an attack on racist cops, is still pretty potent stuff...
Thanks for that information, David. As I was writing the piece, I was wondering if I'd heard any other songs by him. I almost certainly have, but can't recall anything. I'll look for "Street Songs" on YouTube.
It's odd that this is the song he is still known for, since it wasn't his biggest pop hit. ('You and I", from his first album in 1978, made the top 20, but it's not as frequently played.) Yet it is representative of the obsession with women that dominates a lot of his lyrics. (What else can you say about "17", a tune about being in love with a minor?).
But he took his music seriously- his songs all have excellent orchestrations, very deep playing and solid, inventive usage of background vocals behind them that shows he had his finger on the pulse of his audience (making up for the fact that his label, Motown, had mostly lost touch with theirs). And certainly "Super Freak" and many of his other songs were blessed with great saxophone solos by Danny LeMelle, Rick's equivalent of Maceo Parker in James Brown's band.
The whole "Street Songs" album is worth a listen for some of its more obscure tracks as well as the hits- "Mr. Policeman", an attack on racist cops, is still pretty potent stuff...
Thanks for that information, David. As I was writing the piece, I was wondering if I'd heard any other songs by him. I almost certainly have, but can't recall anything. I'll look for "Street Songs" on YouTube.
One of the songs that defined the beginning of the wild and crazy 80s era for me.