Chaka Khan is the eponymous fourth solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1982.
[edit] Overview
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An excellent album from Chaka Khan, mixing tingling uptempo tunes with her characteristic soaring, glorious vocals. "Got to Be There" reached number five on the R&B charts, but it actually wasn't the album's high point. That was the marvelous "Be Bop Medley," which later led hardcore jazz purist Betty Carter to proclaim Khan the one female singer working outside the jazz arena with legitimate improvising credentials. |
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—Ron Lynn, Allmusic[3]
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Two singles were released from Chaka Khan: the Michael Jackson cover "Got to Be There" (US Pop #67, US R&B #5) and "Tearin' It Up" (US R&B #48), the latter also as a 12" single including an extended remix (- 7:21) as well as an instrumental version (- 8:07), both mixed by Larry Levan and included on Warner Music Japan's 1999 compilation Dance Classics of Chaka Khan. The album track "Slow Dancin'" was a funky ballad duet with the late Rick James. On Billboard's charts, the album reached #5 on Black Albums and #52 on Pop Albums. The "Bebop Medley" won producer Arif Mardin and Khan a Grammy Award in 1984 in the Best Vocal Arrangement For Two Or More Voices category.
Following the release of the Chaka Khan album and the greatest hits package The Very Best of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan later that same year Khan reunited with the band Rufus for one final album together, the double live/studio set Stompin' at the Savoy - Live (1983). Her next solo album I Feel for You followed in 1984.
Despite its many accolades and artistic achievements the Chaka Khan album remained unreleased on CD in both the United States and Europe, and was only available as an import from Japan,[4][5][6][7] until it was finally issued on CD in the UK in 2010 as part of a Five disc set containing Khan's first five solo albums.[8]
[edit] Track listing
- "Tearin' It Up" (Bunny Sigler, Jane Lumibao) - 6:39
- "Slow Dancin'" (featuring Rick James) (Loz Netto) - 5:22
- "Best In The West" (Dominick Bugatti, Frank Musker) - 4:00
- "Got to Be There" (Elliot Willenski) - 4:00
- Be Bop Medley: "Hot House" / "East Of Suez (Come On Sailor)" / "Epistrophy (I Wanna Play)" / "Yardbird Suite" / "Con Alma" / "Giant Steps" (Tadd Dameron) / (Lou Stein) / (Thelonious Sphere Monk) / (Charlie Parker) / (Dizzy Gillespie) / (John Coltrane) - 5:22
- "Twisted" (Colin Campsie, George McFarlane) - 4:12
- "So Not To Worry" (Mark McMillan) - 4:55
- "Pass It On (A Sure Thing) (Pasalo Esta Seguro)" (Lalomie Washburn, Tony Maiden) - 4:32
[edit] Personnel
- Chaka Khan - vocals, backing vocals
- Steve Ferrone - drums & hand claps trk: 1, drums trks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Lenny Underwood - electric piano trk: 1
- Paul Jackson Jr. - electric guitar trks: 1, 2, 3, 4
- Sammy Figueroa - percussion trks: 1, 3
- Robbie Buchanan - Moog bass synthesizer, Prophet and Jupiter synthesizers trk: 1, keyboards & synthesizers trk: 2, 4, 6, keyboards & bass synthesizers trk: 3, electric piano & synthesizers trk: 5, piano & synthesizers trks: 7, 8
- Michael Brecker - alto saxophone solo trk: 1
- Hamish Stuart - vocal ad libs trk: 1, background vocals trk: 7
- Alvin Fields - low voice trk: 1
- Rick James - vocals trk: 2
- Will Lee - bass trks: 2, 6, 8, background vocals trk: 7
- Bob Christianson - additional OBX synthesizer trk: 3, vocoder & additional synthesizers trk: 5 ("Con Alma")
- Kenny Kossek: fiddle trk: 3
- Robert Bonfiglio - harmonica trk: 3
- Eric Weissberg - steel guitar & jaw harp trk: 3; sitar trk: 5
- Hiram Bullock - guitar trks: 5, 7, 8, rhythm guitar trk: 6
- Seyhun Celik - darbuka trk: 5 ("East Of Suez")
- Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone trk: 5
- Ray Gomez - lead guitar trk: 6
- Anthony Jackson - bass trk: 7
- Dave Tofani - alto saxophone trk: 8
- Mark Stevens - tube voice trk: 8
[edit] Production
- Arif Mardin - record producer, musical arranger (rhythm) trks: 1, 2, 3, musical arranger trk: 4, musical arranger & vocal arrangement trk: 5
- Randy Brecker - musical arranger (horns) trk: 1
- Robbie Buchanan - musical arranger (bass part) trk: 1, musical arranger (rhythm) trks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8. musical arranger trks: 4, 5
- Danne Lemelle - musical arranger (horns) trk: 2
- Chaka Khan - vocal arrangement & special lyrics trk: 5
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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| With Rufus |
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| Studio albums |
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| Compilations |
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| Related articles |
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