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Early original handwritten song lyrics by Rick James for the song ‘Below the Funk (Pass the J),’ the eighth track on his fifth studio album, Street Songs, which was released in 1981 on Gordy Records. The lyrics, unsigned, are handwritten in pencil on both sides of an off-white 8.5 x 11 sheet of notebook paper. The lyrics read, in part (spelling retained): “I was born in a city they call Buffalo / Zero degrees below is too damn cold and funky / Mama raised me on the numbers rackett / With eight kids and no father / She said she couldn't hacket / On the eastside where I started / singing on the corners hanging / out with all the hoodlums (pass the joint) / now the love I find in the city is / such a crying pity…Pass the joint / Pass the joint I think I want to / talk
bout the place I was born / I was torn said pass the joint / give me one mo hit I ain't finished / with it I got some more to say.” In fine condition.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Lisa Sarna, an original member of Rick James and the Stone City Band during the late 1970s and early 1980s, who states: “During our studio sessions at the Record Plant in Sausalito, Rick would often ask me to rewrite lyrics so that Motown executives could understand his handwriting. I kept these handwritten versions as reference materials in case the label had questions about the songs. Recording ‘Street Songs’ was one of my most exciting and favorite albums. So many artists I had grown up listening to were in the studio with Rick and Stone City Band. Stevie Wonder, The Water Sisters, Narada Michael Walden, The Temptations and other artists sang background vocals with us or played on different songs throughout the album. ‘Below the Funk’ lyrics were a personal look into Rick’s early years in Buffalo, New York and one of my favorite songs.”
From the personal collection of Lisa Sarna, an original member of Rick James and the Stone City Band, who worked as one of James' backup singers, a group coined ‘The Colored Girls.’ Sarna’s distinct voice can be heard on several notable tracks and albums, in particular as the ‘Say What’ girl on the track, ‘Give It to Me Baby.’ Her contributions extend to albums such as Street Songs, Fire It Up, Urban Rhapsody, Throwin’ Down, In & Out, Garden of Love, Bustin’ Out, Temptations Reunion, Teena Marie’s Wild & Peaceful, and Laura Branigan.
