7 April 1981
In the 1980s, Motown was entering a new era, one that was far less sure. The label born in Michigan and fathered by Berry Gordy defined Black pop music in the 1960s. After amassing countless No. 1 hits and a constellation of stars who rivaled MGM, Gordy’s ambition and vision for his project took him from Detroit to Los Angeles in the 1970s. There, he expanded his empire from music to television and film production.
In this period of transition, Rick James’ sound embodied the label’s fractured identity, largely characterized by the innovative, assembly-line sound Motown released in the 1960s. His look and sound were marked departures for Motown, a label whose artists performed in tuxedoes and evening gowns. In 1981, James released his fifth studio LP,