RICK JAMES - GIVE IT TO ME BABY / SUPER FREAK

GIVE IT TO ME BABY

Publicació: 20 de febrer de 1981

Llistes: Regne Unit: #47   EUA: #40

"Give It to Me Baby" és una cançó escrita pel cantant nord-americà Rick James. Va ser llançada com el primer single del cinquè àlbum de James, “Street Songs”, per davant de "Super Freak" que semblava que seria l’escollida. Part de les veus de suport van ser cantades pel membre de Temptations Melvin Franklin, que era l'oncle de Rick.

Rick James va tornar a casa embriagat i va demanar una mica d'aquest "funk that sweet that funky Stuff”, es a dir, volia sucar. La resposta de la seva dona va ser: "Què dius?" En James va explicar: "La vaig escriure perquè havia tornat a casa una nit i la meva dona era al llit, jo volia sexe, però estava massa borratxo. Així que em vaig asseure al piano i vaig escriure la cançó".

Igual que "Super Freak", és el so funky el que porta la melodia per damunt del missatge. James va explicar a la revista Musician: "'Give It To Me Baby' va ser una altra cançó ximple. De fet, la majoria de les meves cançons que són èxits són ximples. La major part de les meves coses serioses estan als àlbums".

El vídeo "Give It To Me Baby" és sorprenentment literal, mostrant a James fent el que explica al dormitori. No s'havia de prendre seriosament. El director Saxton va dir a Billboard: "La cançó és una cançó sexy i crec que la vam tractar d'una manera humorística". En el moment en què MTV es va llançar l'1 d'agost de 1981, la cançó ja havia passat cinc setmanes al número 1 de la llista de R&B i recentment havia arribat a la llista de pop, però no hi havia manera que es reproduís a la xarxa, com llavors passava amb la música soul. MTV era un canal de rock i gairebé res d'artistes negres. "Super Freak" tenia més possibilitats però MTV també la va rebutjar.

La cançó va entrar al Billboard Hot 100, passant dues setmanes al número 40 i cinc setmanes al número 1 de la llista R&B. Altres dos temes de "Street Songs", "Super Freak" i "Ghetto Life", van encapçalar les llistes de ball dels EUA durant tres setmanes l'estiu de 1981. La cançó va tenir encara més èxit entre el públic de R&B i als clubs de ball.

SUPER FREAK

Publicació: agost de 1981

Llistes: EUA: #16

"Super Freak" és un single de 1981 produït i interpretat pel cantant nord-americà Rick James. La cançó, coescrita per James i Alonzo Miller, es va publicar per primera vegada en el cinquè àlbum de James, "Street Songs", i es va convertir en una de les seves cançons de referència. "Super Freak" va ser el major èxit pop de Rick James, arribant al número 16 als Estats Units. Va tenir un èxit modest al Hot 100, però va tenir quatre èxits número 1 a les llistes de R&B i es va assegurar ser una llegenda com a productor prolífic i innovador del funk. Aquesta cançó comptava amb veus de suport de The Temptations, cosa que James assenyala a la cançó quan crida: "Temptations sing".

"Super Freak" tracta d'una noia que és molt aventurera sexualment, especialment amb els membres d'una banda. Un "freak" és un argot per a algú disposat a provar diversos fetitxes, per tant, un "Super Freak" provarà gairebé qualsevol cosa. Amb els anys, la paraula "freak" es va fer molt popular a les lletres de hip-hop i R&B. És una paraula versàtil que es pot utilitzar tant com a verb ("Freak Me") i com a substantiu ("The Freaks Come Out At Night"). L'ús de la paraula va assolir el seu màxim a mitjans dels anys 90 amb la frase "Get your freak on” (Agafa el teu monstre). James era famós per la seva inclinació cap al comportament estrany, que en ocasions el va posar en problemes amb la llei, com quan ell i la seva xicota van ser arrestats per segrestar una altra noia per fer sexe.

MC Hammer va samplejar la famosa línia de baix per al seu èxit "U Can't Touch This". James va presentar una demanda contra Hammer, que va acabar amb un acord extrajudicial que li va donar a James un crèdit com a compositor de la cançó. Això va donar lloc a l'únic premi Grammy de James quan "U Can't Touch This" va guanyar el 1991 a la millor cançó de R&B.

GIVE IT TO ME BABY

Released : February 20, 1981

Charted:  UK: #47   US: #40 

"Give It to Me Baby" is a song written by American singer Rick James. This was released as the first single from James' fifth album, Street Songs, beating out "Super Freak" for the honor. Part of the background vocals were sung by Temptations member Melvin Franklin, who was Rick’s uncle.

Rick James comes home intoxicated and plead for some of that "funk that sweet that funky stuff." Her reply: "Say what?!" James explained: "I wrote it because I had come home one night and my old lady was in bed and I wanted to mess around, but I was too drunk. So I sat at the piano and wrote the song." 

Like "Super Freak," it's the funky sound that carries the tune, and certainly not the message. James explained to Musician magazine, "'Give It To Me Baby' was another silly song. Matter of fact, most of my songs that are hit records are silly. Most of my serious stuff is stuck on albums."

The "Give It To Me Baby" video is surprisingly literal, showing James making his play in the bedroom. It was not to be taken seriously. Saxton told Billboard: "The song is a sexy song and I think we treated it in a humorous way." By the time MTV launched on August 1, 1981, the song had already spent five weeks at #1 on the R&B chart and had recently peaked on the Pop chart, but there was no way it was getting airplay on the network, which fancied itself a rock channel and played almost nothing from black artists. "Super Freak" had a better chance of getting some spins, but MTV rejected that one too.

The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100, spending two weeks at #40 and five weeks at #1 on the R&B chart. Two other “Street Songs” tracks, "Super Freak" and "Ghetto Life", topped the US dance charts for three weeks in the summer of 1981. The song proved even more successful with R&B and dance club audiences. 

SUPER FREAK

Released : August 1981

Charted:  US: #16 

"Super Freak" is a 1981 single produced and performed by American singer Rick James. The song, co-written by James and Alonzo Miller, was first released on James' fifth album, “Street Songs” and became one of James' signature songs. "Super Freak" was the biggest pop hit for Rick James, reaching #16 in the US. He had just modest success on the Hot 100 but had four #1 R&B hits and secured a legend as a prolific producer and innovator of funk. This track featured backup vocals by The Temptations, something James points out in the song when he screams: "Temptations sing".

This song is about a girl who is very adventurous sexually, especially with members of a band. A "freak" is slang for someone willing to try various fetishes, thus a "Super Freak" will try just about anything. Over the years, the word "freak" became very popular in hip-hop and R&B lyrics. It's a versatile word that can be used as both a verb ("Freak Me") and a noun ("The Freaks Come Out At Night"). Use of the word peaked in the mid-'90s with the phrase, "Get your freak on." James was famous for his penchant toward "freakish" behavior, which got him in trouble with the law when he and his girlfriend were arrested for kidnapping another girl for sex.

MC Hammer sampled the famous bass line for his biggest hit, "U Can't Touch This." James filed suit against Hammer, which ended in an out-of-court settlement giving James a songwriting credit on the track. This resulted in James' only Grammy Award when "U Can't Touch This" won in 1991 for Best R&B Song.

 

THE SUPREMES - WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO / BABY LOVE 

WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO

Publicació: 17 de juny de 1964

Llistes: Regne Unit: #3    EUA: #1 (2 setmanes)

Aquest va ser el primer número 1 de The Supremes i la seva primera cançó a les llistes al Regne Unit. The Supremes van tenir més èxits número 1 als Estats Units als anys 60 que qualsevol altre artista, però no van ser fabricants d'èxits instantanis. Després de vuit senzills que no havien aconseguit res, The Supremes es van guanyar el sobrenom de "No-Hit Supremes" a les oficines de Motown. El grup no es va impressionar quan se'ls va oferir una cançó per gravar que The Marvelettes, el millor grup de noies de Motown en aquell moment, ja havien rebutjat, però el cap de la discogràfica Berry Gordy va insistir que la gravessin. The Supremes van pensar que "Where Did Our Love Go" era infantil, i després de gravar-la no els va agradar com va quedar, sense saber que seria el seu primer gran èxit.

The Supremes odiaven la cançó però no estaven en condicions de rebutjar-la en aquell moment, així que la van haver de gravar. Mary Wilson va recordar a la revista Billboard en una entrevista del 2014: "Estàvem una mica enfadades. No era com una cançó de Martha & the Vandellas. Li vam dir a Holland-Dozier-Holland que ens fessin un èxit. Si no teníem una cançó d’èxit els nostres pares ens volien fer anar a la universitat. Vaig anar a l'Eddie i vaig plorar. Li vaig dir: "No ho entens, hem d'aconseguir un èxit ara mateix". Va dir: "No us preocupeu, confieu en nosaltres, això serà una bomba. Una de les coses que no ens va agradar va ser que Flo i jo només havíem de cantar: 'Baby, baby'. Estàvem acostumades a fer patrons harmònics complexos, però en aquesta cançó no vam fer res".

Diana Ross canta la paraula "baby" 14 vegades com a veu principal, però la paraula es repeteix amb molta freqüència a les veus de suport, que arriben a la cinquena frase, "You came into my heart so tendrely", i es mantenen durant tota la cançó, repetint "baby" un total de 54 vegades, per a un total de 68 en els 2:32 que dura la cançó. Són molts babys, sobretot quan aquesta paraula no surt al títol. L'equip Holland-Dozier-Holland va prendre nota: la següent cançó que van escriure per a The Supremes va ser "Baby love", un altre èxit que va arribar al número 1.

Segons Lamont Dozier, una de les seves ruptures va inspirar la lletra. Es va separar d'una noia que "volia més de mi que una aventura casual", i no estava preparat per assumir el compromís. Tocant al piano, va trobar la frase "Where Did Our Love Go” (on va anar el nostre amor). Dozier va dir: "Em va sorprendre pensar en com una cosa tan forta com l'amor podia ser tan fràgil i marxar així.. puf!. És com, on va anar el nostre amor?"

El grup britànic Soft Cell va fer una versió d’aquesta cançó i la va publicar com a cara B del seu senzill "Tainted Love". La versió maxisingle era una barreja de les dues cançons que va tenir un gran èxit internacional.

BABY LOVE

Publicació: 17 de setembre de 1964

Llistes: Regne Unit: #1 (2 setmanes)  EUA: #1 (4 setmanes)

"Baby Love" es va llançar mentre "Where Did Our Love Go" encara estava a les llistes. Els seus tres senzills següents, "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" i "Back in My Arms Again" van arribar al primer lloc a Estats Units. Les cinc cançons van ser escrites per l'equip Holland-Dozier-Holland. Segons Lamont Dozier, aquesta cançó parlava de "el meu primer amor que mai no vaig superar". Dozier diu que moltes de les cançons que va escriure amb Motown es van inspirar en ella.

La percussió stomping realment era forta, igual com també es va fer a "Where Did Our Love Go". Combinada amb aplaudiments i ressò, es va convertir en el so característic dels primers enregistraments de The Supremes.

Motown va donar una gran empenta a aquesta cançó al Regne Unit, on The Supremes van ser enviades de gira a partir del 7 d'octubre de 1964. El 15 d'octubre van interpretar la cançó al popular programa Top Of The Pops, i prop del final de la gira van fer una aparició amb Paul McCartney i Ringo Starr. El 25 de novembre, la cançó va assolir el número 1 a les llistes del Regne Unit, convertint The Supremes en el primer grup de Motown i el primer grup de noies a arribar al número 1 en aquest territori. Va ser el seu únic número 1 del Regne Unit, ja que la resta de la seva carrera es va centrar a Amèrica. Aleshores, el segon artista de Motown que va aconseguir el número 1 al Regne Unit van ser The Four Tops amb "Reach out I'll be there" el 1966.

The Supremes es va convertir en el primer grup de Motown que va tenir més d'un single número u a Estats Units i, a finals de la dècada, tindrien més singles que arribarien al primer lloc que qualsevol altre grup de Motown o grup de música pop nord-americà, amb 12, un rècord que segueixen mantenint.

THE SUPREMES - WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO

Released : June 17, 1964

Charted:  UK: #3    US: #1 (2 weeks)

This was the first #1 hit for The Supremes and their first song to chart in the UK. The Supremes had more US #1 hits in the '60s than any other artist, but they weren't instant hitmakers. After eight singles that hadn't achieved much, The Supremes earned the nickname "No-Hit Supremes" at the Motown offices. The group was not impressed when they were offered a song to record that The Marvelettes, the top girl group at Motown at that point, had already rejected, but label head Berry Gordy insisted they record it. The Supremes thought "Where Did Our Love Go" was childish, and after recording it they didn't like the way it turned out, little knowing it was going to be their first big hit.

The Supremes hated the song but were in no position at that time to turn it down, so they had to record it. Mary Wilson recalled to Billboard magazine in a 2014 interview: "We were a little pissed. It wasn't like a Martha & the Vandellas song. We told Holland-Dozier-Holland to bring on the hits. If we didn't get a hit, our parents were going to make us go to college. I went to Eddie and I cried. I told him, 'You don't understand, we've got to get a hit record right now.' He said, 'Don't worry, trust us, this is going to be a smash. One of the things we didn't like about it was that Flo and I just had to sing, 'Baby, baby.' We were used to doing intricate harmonic patterns but on this song we didn't do anything."

Diana Ross sings the word "baby" 14 times in her lead vocal, but that word is repeated far often in the backing vocals. The backing vocals come in on the fifth line, "You came into my heart so tenderly," and stay throughout the song, repeating the word "baby" a total of 54 times, for a total of 68 in the 2:32 run time. That's a lot of babys, especially since that word isn't in the title. The Holland-Dozier-Holland team took note - the next song they wrote for The Supremes was “Baby love”, another #1 hit.

According to Lamont Dozier, one of his breakups inspired the lyric. He split from a girl who "wanted more from me than a casual fling," and he wasn't ready to make the commitment. Playing on the piano, he found the phrase "where did our love go." Said Dozier: "It hit me thinking about how something so strong as love could be so fragile and then go poof, just like that. It's like, where did our love go?"

British group Soft Cell covered this song, publishing it as the B-side of their single “Tainted Love”. The 12” version was a mashup of the two songs which was a great international success. 

THE SUPREMES - BABY LOVE

Released : September 17, 1964

Charted:  UK: #1 (2 weeks)   US: #1 (4 weeks)

"Baby Love" was released while "Where Did Our Love Go" was still on the charts. Their next three singles, "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again" all reached the top spot. All five songs were written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team. According to Lamont Dozier, this song was about ‘my first love who I never really got over’. Dozier says many of the songs he wrote with Motown were inspired by her.

The stomping percussion really did involve stomping, which was also done on "Where Did Our Love Go". Combined with hand claps and echo, it became a signature sound of early Supremes recordings.

Motown gave this song a big push in the UK, where The Supremes were sent to tour starting on October 7, 1964. On October 15, they performed the song on the popular program Top Of The Pops, and near the end of the tour made an appearance with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. On November 25, the song hit #1 on the UK chart, making The Supremes the first Motown group and the first girl group to reach #1 in that territory. It was their only UK #1, as the rest of their career was focused on America. Then second Motown act to hit #1 in the UK was The Four Tops with “Reach out I’ll be there" in 1966.

The Supremes became the first Motown act to have more than one American number-one single, and by the end of the decade, would have more singles hitting the top slot than any other Motown act, or American pop music group, with 12, a record they continue to hold.