Chaka Khan (album)

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. 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 "Be Bop 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,   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.

Personnel

 * Chaka Khan - vocals, backing vocals
 * Steve Ferrone - drums & hand claps track: 1, drums tracks: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
 * Lenny Underwood - electric piano track: 1
 * Paul Jackson Jr. - electric guitar tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4
 * Sammy Figueroa - percussion tracks: 1, 3
 * Robbie Buchanan - Moog bass synthesizer, Prophet and Jupiter synthesizers track: 1, keyboards & synthesizers track: 2, 4, 6, keyboards & bass synthesizers track: 3, electric piano & synthesizers track: 5, piano & synthesizers tracks: 7, 8
 * Michael Brecker - alto saxophone solo track: 1
 * Hamish Stuart - vocal ad libs track: 1, background vocals track: 7
 * Alvin Fields - low voice track: 1
 * Rick James - vocals track: 2
 * Will Lee - bass tracks: 2, 6, 8, background vocals track: 7
 * Bob Christianson - additional OBX synthesizer tracks: 3, 4, vocoder & additional synthesizers track: 5 ("Con Alma")
 * Kenny Kosek - fiddle track: 3
 * Robert Bonfiglio - harmonica track: 3
 * Eric Weissberg - steel guitar & jaw harp track: 3; sitar track: 5
 * Hiram Bullock - guitar tracks: 5, 7, 8, rhythm guitar track: 6
 * Seyhun Çelik - darbuka track: 5 ("East Of Suez")
 * Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone track: 5
 * Ray Gomez - lead guitar track: 6
 * Anthony Jackson - bass track: 7
 * Dave Tofani - alto saxophone track: 8
 * Mark Stevens - tube voice track: 8

Production

 * Arif Mardin - record producer, musical arranger (rhythm) tracks: 1, 2, 3, musical arranger track: 4, musical arranger & vocal arrangement track: 5
 * Randy Brecker - musical arranger (horns) track: 1
 * Robbie Buchanan - musical arranger (bass part) track: 1, musical arranger (rhythm) tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8. musical arranger tracks: 4, 5
 * Danne Lemelle - musical arranger (horns) track: 2
 * Chaka Khan - vocal arrangement & special lyrics track: 5