Teena Marie’s “Déjá Vu” is on her 1979 debut album, Wild and Peaceful. While Rick James, who discovered Marie, is credited with writing the song, it was her poem that he adapted into lyrics. The song about her having lived different lives on earth as rich, poor, young, old, and in the form of a gazelle was ethereal. Marie’s take on being an “old soul” was a different beast entirely from Dionne Warwick’s “Déjà Vu,“ also released in 1979. Where the Isaac Hayes and Adrienne Anderson composition for Warwick was a polished, Grammy-winning pop ballad about romantic connection, Marie’s was a much heavier, deep, soulful journey that leaned into the funk and the spiritual, supported by the powerhouse backing vocals of the legendary Maxine Waters.
James’ talent as a producer and arranger provided a serene, tide-like arrangement opening with delicate guitar plucks and a wistful, breathy flute that eventually settles into a warm, mellow saxophone and the sound of water coming ashore. Marie sang with such undeniable soul that she initially bypassed the industry’s racial barriers; Motown famously kept her face off the album cover for fear she wouldn’t be accepted by Black audiences. However, the music spoke first: Wild and Peaceful climbed to #18 on the Black Albums chart, an incredible feat for a newcomer. By the time listeners saw her, the “mystery” didn’t matter—the culture had already claimed her. Known as the Ivory Queen of Soul, Teena Marie set a standard for authenticity that every white soul singer since has had to measure up to. An expanded edition of Wild and Peaceful was released in 2005.
In 2026, Teena Marie would have celebrated her 70th birthday. To honor the milestone, a special live tribute tour titled “Remembering Teena Marie” has been launched, featuring vocalists like Sulene Fleming and the Square Biz Band performing her biggest hits and deep cuts like “Déjà Vu.” Marie’s daughter, Alia Rose, has a biopic and book in the works. In 2021, John Morales, who worked on some of Marie’s original music, was given access to the early studio tapes and put together the compilation, John Morales Presents Teena Marie: Love Songs & Funky Beats. Released through BBE Music, it gives a modern take on her Motown era.
