I did not know all of that background about Rick James and the U.S. Navy but I was aware of his heavy drug usage. I was only imparting information that I had read many years ago although, of course, I knew that people before him had been doing “Funk”. I was simply wondering if Rick James was somehow in the background, promoting the sound and was responsbile for the sound. Maybe what I had read actually credited James with “Punk Funk”.
Thank you for all of the background information. ;-)
No Hu-hu my FRiend. I just pass on information and often seriously biased personal opinions. Obviously my opinion of Rick James is jaundiced. He made a passing contribution to music to be sure, but had fundamental problems that ultimately detroyed him and most of his posse. Outside of “Give It To Me Baby” and “Super Freak”, I feel Rick James was a one-trick pony.
George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Eddie Hazel stand head and shoulders above him as the founders and movers of P-Funk (Punk Funk is a bit of a misnomer). Parliament-Funkadelic, P-Funk Allstars, Bootsy’s Rubber Band all owe more to the influences of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Maceo Parker (an eventual member of Parliment), Sun Ra, Frank Zappa and even Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Sly Stone and the Coasters than Rick James imho.