Masterjam
| Masterjam | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Studio album by Rufus & Chaka | |||||
| Released | November 1979 | ||||
| Recorded | 1979 | ||||
| Genre | Funk/Soul | ||||
| Length | 39:31 | ||||
| Label |
MCA MCA 5103 | ||||
| Producer | Quincy Jones | ||||
| Rufus chronology | |||||
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| Chaka Khan chronology | |||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (B-) [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated) [3] |
| Smash Hits | 6/10[4] |
Masterjam is the eighth studio album by funk band Rufus (billed as Rufus & Chaka), their debut on the MCA Records label following their purchase and dissolution of ABC Records, released in 1979.
History
Masterjam which was produced by Quincy Jones was the band's fourth album to top Billboard's R&B Albums chart and also reached #14 on Pop. The album includes the singles "Do You Love What You Feel", their fourth #1 hit on the R&B Singles chart and also #30 on Pop, "Any Love" (US R&B #24, 1980) and "I'm Dancing for Your Love" (US R&B #43, 1980). In 1979, Chaka Khan found solo success with the release of the album, Chaka, and its parent single, "I'm Every Woman", which became her signature song years before "I Feel for You".
However, Khan wanted to remain a member of her long-standing band Rufus, a group she had joined in 1970 at seventeen as a background vocalist, and had later gained the lead vocal spot from another woman, two years later. Since their 1973 debut, Khan had led on most of the group's songs. While Ron Stockert, an earlier member, had added vocals to the debut and their follow-up, Rags to Rufus, Stockert left after complaining of their label's focus on Khan, and Tony Maiden would begin to lead on more songs as the seventies drew to a close, Khan's presence continued to boost the group.
For their first album with MCA Records, which had absorbed ABC Records a year before, the group enlisted Quincy Jones to help them with the record (Khan had recorded with Jones the year before for his album Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!). The group, while still with Khan, was now starting to record without her, while Khan was starting to express a view of going solo for good while still performing with the group onstage. Despite this, the album became a success upon its release. Following Masterjam Chaka Khan recorded her second solo album Naughty and Rufus Party 'Til You're Broke, released in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Khan reunited with the band again in 1981 for the recording of Camouflage.
Jones had also brought in the Seawind Horns for help, as well as The Brothers Johnson for additional percussion help. Rufus even does a funked-up cover of Jones's own "Body Heat".
Track listing
| Side one | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Do You Love What You Feel" | David Wolinski | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Any Love" | Wolinski, | 4:50 |
| 3. | "Heaven Bound" | Bill Meyers, Billy Durham, Lorrin Bates | 3:45 |
| 4. | "Walk the Rockway" | Tony Maiden | 4:04 |
| Side two | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 5. | "Live in Me" | Rod Temperton | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Body Heat" | Quincy Jones, Bruce Fisher, Leon Ware, Stan Richardson | 5:45 |
| 7. | "I'm Dancing for Your Love" | Wolinski, John Robinson, Patti Austin, Peggy Jones | 4:31 |
| 8. | "What Am I Missing?" | Chaka Khan, Mark Stevens | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Masterjam" | Temperton | 3:34 |
Personnel
- Chaka Khan – lead vocals, background vocals
- Tony Maiden – guitar, vocals
- Kevin Murphy – keyboards
- John "J.R." Robinson – drums, percussion
- Bobby Watson – bass
- David "Hawk" Wolinski – keyboards
- Seawind – horns
- Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Larry Hall – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Kim Hutchcroft, Larry Williams – saxophone, flute
- Bill Reichenbach Jr., Lew McCreary – trombone
- Louis Johnson, George Johnson, Richard Heath – percussion, handclapping
Production
- Quincy Jones – producer
- Bruce Swedien – audio engineer, mixing
- Jerry Hey, Bill Reichenbach Jr. – string arrangements
- Sidney Sharp – strings concertmaster
- Rufus – rhythm arrangements
- Rod Temperton – rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements
- Chaka Khan, Tony Maiden – vocal arrangements
Charts
Album
| Chart (1979) | Peak [5] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [5] |
US R&B [5] |
US Dance [5] | ||
| 1979 | "Do You Love What You Feel" | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| 1980 | "Any Love" | 102 | 24 | |
| "I'm Dancing for Your Love" | — | 43 | — | |
Later samples and covers
- "Do You Love What You Feel"
- "Rockin' and Rollin'" by Cam'ron from the album Confessions of Fire
- "Some Shit I Used to Do" by Poison Clan from the album Poisonous Mentality
- "Any Love" - covered by some dance/electronica musicians:
- Kevin Bryant (1995)
- DJ Memê Orchestra featuring Rachel Claudio (2009)
- "I'm Dancing For Your Love"
- "Never" by Tamar Braxton from the album Calling All Lovers.
See also
References
- ↑ Elias, Jason. "Masterjam". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Masterjam review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
- ↑ Shewey, Don. "Masterjam review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ↑ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (January 24 – February 6 1980): 21.
- 1 2 3 4 "US Charts > Rufus". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-19.