Mary Jane Girls
The Mary Jane Girls were a popular American R&B, soul and funk girl group who were cultivated by the legendary Rick James. The group consisted of 4 females with distinctive looks and matching personalities. Lead singer Joane "Jojo" was known as the Street Chick, Kim "Maxi" Wuletich the Leather Wearing Dominatrix, Candice "Candi" Ghant the Diva/Glamour Girl & the Valley Girl Ann "Cheri" Bailey.
Formed in 1979 as James' permanent backup singers, James soon got them to the recording studio on their own. Their first album released in 1983, Candy Man, unleashed the classic funk jam, "All Night Long", and the equally funky "Candy Man". With James at the helm again. During the early recording phases of their sophmore LP, Bailey announced she was departing from the group due to personal reasons, and was quickly replaced by Yvette "Corvette" Marine. And in 1985 they released their second album Only Four You. The group scored their biggest hit yet with the first single lifted off the album, the unforgettable sex romp "In My House". It peaked at #7 on the "Billboard Hot 100" that fall and topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. The group saw 2 more minor hits with Wild And Crazy Love & the cover of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons hit "Walk Like A Man". Which was featured on the soundtrack for 1986's blockbuster hit "A Fine Mess"
A third album was supposed to be released in 1986 but because of James' troubles with drugs, Motown and his dissolvement of his Stone City Band, the album was shelved. By the time 1987 had ended, the group had broken up.
Despite that, the MJGs found new success for having their songs sampled by hip-hop and modern R&B acts, most famously by singer Mary J. Blige, who sampled the group's "All Night Long" for her song, "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" starting off her 1994 album, My Life. Rapper LL Cool J had sampled the same song four years prior for his hit, "Around the Way Girl". In 1997, some members of the group reunited with Rick James as he brought back the Stone City Band to record his album, Urban Rapsody and go out on tour. There were talks of a reunion, cut short when James died in his sleep in 2004.