''Throwin' Down'' is the sixth studio album by

Rick James James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in his tee ...

, released in 1982 via the Gordy imprint of

Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

. It peaked at No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Although not as popular as '' Street Songs'', ''Throwin' Down'' is certified gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. It was nominated for an

American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

Production

Michael Walden,

Roy Ayers Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure ...

, and

Grace Slick Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing; October 30, 1939) is an American painter and retired musician whose musical career spanned four decades. She was a prominent figure in San Francisco's psychedelic music scene during the mid-1960s to the earl ...

appear on the album.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

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 ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' wrote that "the musical settings are clumsy reworkings of Parliament's funk and the Temptations' psychedelic soul." ''

The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''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. ... tchugs along with throwaway fun, staying just a notch below '' Street Songs'' in general utility."

Track listing

All tracks composed by

, except where noted. Side A #" Dance Wit' Me" 7:16 #"Money Talks" 4:50 #"Teardrops" 4:49 #"Throwdown" 3:17 Side B #" Standing on the Top" (with

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

) 3:51 #"Hard to Get" 4:07 #"Happy" (with

Teena Marie Mary Christine Brockert (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010), known professionally as Teena Marie, was an American Soul music, soul and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before ...

) 5:29 #"She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" 4:11 #"My Love" (James, Le Roi Johnson) 2:53 2014 digital remaster bonus tracks / 2014 ''Complete Motown Albums'' bonus tracks #

"Standing on the Top" (Long Version) - 9:50 # "Hard to Get" (12" Instrumental) - 4:12 # "She Blew My Mind (69 Times)" (12" Extended Mix) - 6:30 # "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 Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

, Paul Hines - drums, percussion *Nate Hughes - percussion, handclaps, backing vocals *

, Donny Keider -

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

- Duet Lead vocals on Happy. *

, 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

1982 albums Gordy Records albums Rick James albums Albums produced by Rick James {{1980s-R&B-album-stub