From the 1983 album "Cold Blooded" "Ebony Eyes (Rick James song)", a 1983 hit R&B single recorded by Rick James and Smokey Robinson for the Gordy (Motown) label. It was first featured on the album Cold Blooded. The song was produced and arranged by Rick James, and was recently featured on the television show Everybody Hates Chris. The band Silk covered the song on one of their Love Session album. Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson, Jr) (February 1, 1948 August 6, 2004) was an American musician. He was one of the most popular artists on the Motown label during the late 1970s and early 1980s. James labeled his style of music "punk-funk", a combination of both punk rock and funk; as time went on, James was given the unofficial title "The King of Punk-Funk". In addition to his music, he gained notoriety for his wild lifestyle: later in life, James' drug abuse led to widely publicized legal problems.