Chaka Khan - Chaka (1978) (vinyl Lp) - €5,00

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"Chaka" is the debut solo album by American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on October 12, 1978, through Warner Bros. Records. 

After experiencing a heap of commercial and artistic success fronting the funk-soul band, Rufus, during the early-to-late ’70s, Chicago-born Khan (real name Yvette Marie Stevens) broke loose and signed a lucrative deal with Warner Bros in 1978. 

This was her much-anticipated debut album for the then Burbank-based ‘Looney Tune’ label and it’s just been revived by UK reissue label bbr. 

It undoubtedly remains one of the best long players in Chaka’s extensive canon and perhaps the reason for that is the vision and skill of producer, Arif Mardin, who corralled the talents of New York’s finest session players (though the core rhythm section is comprised of Average White Band members) and also found some superlative material for the singer. 

His arrangements, too – which include charts for strings, brass and woodwind – are well-executed and bring the best out of Chaka’s magisterial vocals.

The album’s lead-off cut, the Ashford and Simpson-penned ‘I’m Every Woman’ was the album’s big hit back in ’78 and quickly became adopted by Chaka as her signature song (even though Whitney Houston tried to appropriate it when she made the ‘Bodyguard’ movie in 1992). 

With its pulsating strings, driving disco-inflected beat and Chaka’s hi-octane vocals, it still sounds superb today. 

But the album wasn’t a one-track wonder. 

In fact, it boasts a lot of stylistic variety – ranging from the plaintive gospel-hued ballad, ‘Roll Me Through The Rushes,’ and the dramatic ‘Love Has Fallen On Me’ – driven by Richard Tee’s rolling piano figures – to the brassy, let-your-hair-down, bell-bottomed funk of ‘Life Is A Dance,’ and the catchy pop-soul of ‘A Woman In A Man’s World.’ 

Best of all is the sleek, widescreen disco-groove of ‘Some Love,’ co-penned by the singer with her brother (and bass player on the cut), Mark Stevens, and featuring a Michael Brecker sax solo. 

Often overlooked, ‘Some Love’ is actually one of Chaka’s best ever tracks with a vocal performance that can only be described as spine-chilling with its stratospheric febrile athleticism. 

George Benson provides a vocal cameo on the infectious ‘We Got The Love’ while ‘Sleep On It’ is another great cut. 

In fact, the album doesn’t have any perceptible weak links and concludes with a fiery version of Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Was Made To Love Him,’ which Chaka, of course, makes her own.

Side one

1.  I’m Every Woman - 4:05

2.  Love Has Fallen on Me - 4:52

3.  Roll Me Through the Rushes - 4:42

4.  Sleep on It - 4:21

5.  Life Is a Dance - 4:20

Side two

1.  We Got the Love - 3:27

2.  Some Love - 5:50

3.  A Woman in a Man’s World - 3:56

4.  The Message in the Middle of the Bottom - 4:15

5.  I Was Made to Love Him - 3:23

 

Personnel

• Jonathan Abramowitz – strings
• Susan Allen – strings
• Julien Barber – strings
• George Benson – lead vocalist
• Bianco – harp, strings
• Ken Bichel – synthesizer (S.R.M.) (tracks 4, 6, 8)
• Richard Bock – cello, strings
• Phil Bodner – flutes
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 5, 6)
• Randy Brecker – flugelhorn, trumpet (tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
• Frederick Buldrini – strings
• Jim Buffington – French horn (tracks 3, 4)
• John Clark – French horn (tracks 7, 8, 9)
• Raphael Cruz – congas
• Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone (tracks 2, 5, 6)
• Eddie Daniels – flutes
• Cornell Dupree – guitar
• Paul Faulise – bass trombone
• Steve Ferrone – drums
• Sammy Figueroa – percussion
• Terri Gonzalez – backing vocalist
• Alan Gorrie – backing vocalist
• Cissy Houston – backing vocalist
• Regis Iandiorio – strings
• Theodore Israel – strings
• Anthony Jackson – bass (tracks 2, 4, 10)
• Arthur Jenkins – electric piano
• Andrew Kastner – guitar
• Chaka Khan – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Harold Kohon – strings
• David Lasley – backing vocalist
• Will Lee – backing vocalist, bass guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5)
• Jesse Levy – cello, strings
• Guy Lumia – strings
• Tony Maiden – guitar
• Joe Malin – strings
• George Marge – alte flute, strings
• Rick Marotta – drums
• Onnie McIntyre – guitar
• Marvin Morgenstern – strings
• Kermit Moore – cello, strings
• Airto Moreira – guitar
• Gene Orloff – concertmaster
• Leon Pendarvis – electric piano
• Barry Rogers – trombone (tracks 2, 5, 6)
• David Sanborn – alto saxophone
• Richard Sortomme – strings
• Mark Stevens – backing vocalist, bass
• Hamish Stuart – backing vocalist
• Hamish Stuart – backing vocalist, guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10)
• Mitsue Takayama – strings
• Richard Tee – clavinet, piano (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
• Brooks Tillotson – French horn (tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 9)
• Phil Upchurch – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10)
• Luther Vandross – backing vocalist
• Pat Winter – strings
• George Young – alto saxophone (tracks 2, 5, 6)

Technical

• Arif Mardin – producer, arranger, brass, strings, woodwind
• Chaka Khan – musical arranger (track 5)
• James Douglass – sound engineer
• Bill Dooley – assistant sound engineer
• Michael O'Reilly – assistant sound engineer
• Randy Mason – assistant sound engineer
• Sheridan Eldridge – assistant sound engineer
• Anthony D'Amico – assistant sound engineer
• Lew Hahn – additional recording engineer, remix
• Gene Paul – additional recording engineer

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Recorded At – Atlantic Studios
• Recorded At – Cherokee Studios
• Lacquer Cut At – Atlantic Studios
• Pressed By – Goldisc Recording Products, Inc

Notes

Release: 1978

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Soul

Label:  Warner Bros.

Catalog#  BSK 3245

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Beschadigd / Links Inkeeping (G)

Prijs: €5,00