Chaka Khan (album)

Chaka Khan
Studio album by Chaka Khan
Released November 17, 1982
Recorded 1982
Genre Rhythm and blues, funk, soul
Length 39:02
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Arif Mardin
Chaka Khan chronology

Echoes of an Era
(1982)		 Chaka Khan
(1982)		 The Very Best of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (with Rufus)
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau B+ [2]

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.

Overview

“ 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. ”

—Ron Lynn, Allmusic[3]

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 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, Khan reunited with the band Rufus later that year 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]

Track listing

  1. "Tearin' It Up" (Bunny Sigler, Jane Lumibao) - 6:39
  2. "Slow Dancin'" (featuring Rick James) (Loz Netto) - 5:22
  3. "Best In The West" (Dominick Bugatti, Frank Musker) - 4:00
  4. "Got to Be There" (Elliot Willenski) - 4:00
  5. 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
  6. "Twisted" (Colin Campsie, George McFarlane) - 4:12
  7. "So Not To Worry" (Mark McMillen) - 4:55
  8. "Pass It On (A Sure Thing) (Pasalo Esta Seguro)" (Lalomie Washburn, Tony Maiden) - 4:32

Personnel

Production

Preceded by
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (Jennifer Holliday, 1983)		 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
1984 		Succeeded by
"I Feel for You" (Chaka Khan, 1985)

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10811/review
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Chaka Khan review". Robert Christgau.com. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  3. ↑ Lynn, Ron. "Chaka Khan (Review)". Allmusic.
  4. ↑ Discogs.com entry
  5. ↑ Discogs.com entry
  6. ↑ Discogs.com entry
  7. ↑ Discogs.com entry
  8. ↑ "Chaka Khan: Original Album Series" Amazon.co.uk

External links