Page "Rick James" Paragraph 6

James and Palmer soon formed a new Mynah Birds lineup with guitarists Tom Morgan and Xavier Taylor, and drummer Rick Mason.

In early 1966, the Mynah Birds auditioned for the Motown label in Detroit.

Morgan was unhappy with the label's attitude towards the musicians and left, with Neil Young taking his place.

With Young on board, the Mynah Birds returned to Motown to record an album, but their manager pocketed the advance money the label had given the band.

The band fired their manager, who in turn told the label that James was actually a seaman who had gone AWOL.

Motown told him to give himself up to the FBI, and the Mynah Birds ' album was shelved.

James spent a year in a naval prison, after which he briefly returned to Toronto.

During the summer of 1967, he formed a new version of The Mynah Birds ( sometimes spelled " Myna Byrds ") with Neil Merryweather.

The band returned to Detroit and recorded a new version of James and Neil Young's " It's My Time ", but the band broke up soon afterwards.

During early 1968, James returned to Motown and became a songwriter and producer, writing under an assumed name and working with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Canadian band Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers and The Spinners.