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Throwin' Down
Studio album by Rick James
Released	May 13, 1982
Recorded	1981–1982
Studio	Record Plant (Sausalito), Motown/Hitsville U.S.A. Studios (Hollywood)
Genre	Funk, soul, R&B
Length	40:43
Label	Gordy
Producer	Rick James
Rick James chronology
Street Songs (1981) Throwin' Down (1982) Cold Blooded (1983)
Singles from Throwin' Down
"Dance Wit' Me" Released: April 22, 1982 "Hard To Get" Released: 1982

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	B+
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

Throwin' Down is the 6th studio album by Rick James, released in 1982 via the Gordy imprint of Motown Records. It peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. Although not as popular as Street Songs, Throwin' Down is certified gold by the RIAA. It was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

Production

Michael Walden, Roy Ayers, and Grace Slick appear on the album.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau wrote: "Stealing his licks from G. Clinton & Co. (or maybe himself, who cares anymore?), he's the nearest thing to a pop musician in the rock and roll sense that today's black charts—not to mention today's white charts—can offer." The Washington Post wrote that "the musical settings are clumsy reworkings of Parliament's funk and the Temptations' psychedelic soul." The Boston Phoenix said that the album "is the sort of follow-up record you'd expect from a journeyman rocker who’s just stumbled into the Top 10 with a hot single. ... chugs along with throwaway fun, staying just a notch below Street Songs in general utility."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Rick James, except where noted.

Side A

1. "Dance Wit' Me" 7:16
2. "Money Talks" 4:50
3. "Teardrops" 4:49
4. "Throwdown" 3:17

Side B

1. "Standing on the Top" (with The Temptations) 3:51
2. "Hard to Get" 4:07
3. "Happy" (with Teena Marie) 5:29
4. "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" 4:11
5. "My Love" (James, Le Roi Johnson) 2:53

2014 digital remaster bonus tracks / 2014 Complete Motown Albums bonus tracks

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

Personnel

• Rick James - vocals, guitars, bass guitar, harmonica, keyboards, synthesizers, Linn Drum programming, percussion
• Daniel LeMelle - flute, saxophone, trumpet, string synthesizers, backing vocals
• Levi Ruffin, Jr. - electric and acoustic piano, synthesizers, backing vocals
• John McFee, Tom McDermott - guitars
• Erskine Williams - piano
• Oscar Alston - bass guitar, backing vocals
• Lanise Hughes, Narada Michael Walden, Paul Hines - drums, percussion
• Nate Hughes - percussion, handclaps, backing vocals
• Roy Ayers, Donny Keider - vibraphone
• Teena Marie - Duet Lead vocals on Happy.
• Grace Slick, Jean Carn, Julia Tillman Waters, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Maxine Willard Waters, Patti Brooks, Tabby Johnson, Diane Nixon, Jeri Fields - backing vocals
• Moses Johnson, JoAnne McDuffe, Lisa Sarna - handclaps, backing vocals
• Aaron Dublin, "Bi"g John Main, "Jennifer", Ronald Byrd - handclaps
• Karat Faye - Engineer @ Record Plant L.A.

Certifications

References

1. "Throwin' Down - Rick James | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
2. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Rick James". www.robertchristgau.com.
3. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 571.
4. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 358–359.
5. "Rick James | Biography & History". AllMusic.
6. Thompson, Dave (May 14, 2001). Funk. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306298 – via Google Books.
7. "Rick James". Billboard.
8. Benjaminson, Peter (March 1, 2017). Super Freak: The Life of Rick James. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 9781613749609 – via Google Books.
9. "The Rhythm & The Blues". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 29, 1982 – via Google Books.
10. "Less Than Funk, and a Bit More". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
11. Moses, Mark (6 July 1982). "Standing on the top: Rick James tears it up". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
12. "American album certifications – Rick James – Throwin' Down". Recording Industry Association of America.

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