It is 1983. You’ve got Smokey Robinson, the man Bob Dylan famously called America’s "greatest living poet," a guy who basically built the foundation of Motown with silk and heartbreak. Then you’ve got Rick James. The "Super Freak" himself. A man whose idea of a quiet night involved things that would make a rock star blush and who once allegedly kidnapped a person (though that came later).
On paper, they shouldn't even be in the same room. Smokey is the elder statesman, the Vice President of the label, the guy in the sharp suit. Rick is the wild child in braids and spandex, smelling of weed and chaos.
Yet, they gave us "Ebony Eyes."
If you grew up in a Black household, or just lived through the 80s, that song is a permanent fixture in your brain. But the relationship between Smokey Robinson and Rick James wasn't just a one-off studio session. It was a weird, drug-fueled, deeply respectful, and bizarrely long-running friendship that started way before anyone was wearing glittery jumpsuits.
The Secret History: When Rick Met Smokey (1966)
Most people think these two met when Rick became a star in the late 70s. Nope.
Back in 1966, Rick James was going by the name Ricky James Matthews. He was AWOL from the US Navy and hiding out in Toronto. He started a band called The Mynah Birds. Get this: the band featured a young, skinny kid named Neil Young.
✨ Don't miss: Cuba Gooding Jr OJ: Why the Performance Everyone Hated Was Actually Genius
They actually got signed to Motown. Rick James literally auditioned for Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy in Detroit while he was a fugitive. Smokey saw something in him even then. The Mynah Birds recorded some tracks, but the whole thing blew up when the Navy finally caught up with Rick and hauled him off to the brig.
Smokey didn't forget him, though. He saw the talent through the "wild man" persona.
The "Ebony Eyes" Sessions: Highs and Lows
Fast forward to 1983. Rick James is at the height of his "Punk Funk" powers, but he’s also deep into the lifestyle that would eventually break him. He’s recording the Cold Blooded album and he writes this beautiful, classic R&B ballad. It’s not a funk song. It’s a Smokey song.
Smokey has been pretty open about what it was like hanging out with Rick back then. In a 2023 interview with VladTV, Smokey admitted that being high was basically a "prerequisite" to hanging out with Rick.
"Rick was my brother," Smokey said. "We hung out all the time."
🔗 Read more: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
But there was a line. Smokey famously struggled with his own demons later, but during the "Ebony Eyes" era, he was the stable one. He’d smoke a little weed with Rick, but he stayed away from the "hard stuff" (the cocaine) that Rick was famously consumed by. There's something kind of touching about the "Poet" sitting in a haze-filled room, watching the "Super Freak" spiral, and still managing to lay down one of the smoothest vocal takes in history.
Why the Song Actually Works
Usually, when you put a legend and a newcomer together, one of them gets overshadowed. Not here.
- The Contrast: Smokey starts the song. He’s the "teacher." He’s got that effortless, airy falsetto.
- The Build: Then Rick comes in. Rick isn't a "great" singer in the technical sense—he’s a performer. His voice is grittier, more desperate.
- The Narrative: It’s a conversation between two men about a woman they’re both mesmerized by. It feels authentic because their friendship was authentic.
That Ridiculous Music Video
We have to talk about the video. Honestly, it’s one of the most "80s" things ever captured on film.
The plot—if you can call it that—involves Smokey and Rick surviving a plane crash. Their plane is literally named Ebony Eyes. They end up on a deserted island, wearing rags, looking like they’ve been through it.
But then, because it’s Rick James, they find a trunk. Does the trunk have food? Water? A radio? No. It has perfectly pressed, bright white 1980s suits.
💡 You might also like: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
They change into the suits, shoot some flares, and suddenly a yacht appears with two beautiful women to rescue them. It makes zero sense. It’s campy. It’s over the top. It’s Rick James in a nutshell. Smokey, for his part, looks like he’s just happy to be there, playing along with his crazy little brother’s fantasy.
The Legacy of the "Super Freak" and the "Poet"
Rick James passed away in 2004, and Smokey is still out here at 85 (as of 2025/2026), looking better than most 40-year-olds and still releasing music like Gasms.
When people talk about Rick James now, they usually talk about the Dave Chappelle sketches or the "I'm Rick James, b****" memes. They talk about the prison time and the drugs. But Smokey always defends him. He remembers the guy who would "give you the shirt off his back," the guy who had a "heart of gold" but just couldn't outrun his own shadow.
Their collaboration on "Ebony Eyes" wasn't just a business move for Motown. It was a bridge between the "old" Motown of the 60s and the "new" urban sound of the 80s.
What You Should Do Now
If you want to actually appreciate what these two did, don't just stream the radio edit.
- Watch the full 8-minute mini-movie video. It’s on YouTube. Look for the version where they're shaving on the island with a parrot nearby. It’s unintentional comedy gold.
- Listen to the Cold Blooded album. People forget Rick was a genius producer. He played almost everything.
- Check out Smokey's "Quiet Storm" era. If you like the vibe of "Ebony Eyes," that's where Smokey really perfected that late-night, "grown folks" music.
Basically, Smokey Robinson and Rick James showed that you don't have to be the same kind of person to make something timeless. You just have to respect the craft. Rick respected Smokey as his idol; Smokey respected Rick as a force of nature.
Stop thinking of them as opposites. In the studio, they were just two guys from Detroit (and Toronto) trying to find the perfect melody for a girl with ebony eyes.