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Chaka (album)

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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. Following the release of the Chaka album, Khan reunited with Rufus for the recording of 1979's Masterjam, produced by Quincy Jones. Her second solo album Naughty followed in 1980.

Chaka
Studio album by
Chaka Khan
ReleasedOctober 12, 1978
StudioAtlantic Recording Studios (New York City)
Length43:11
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerArif Mardin
Chaka Khan chronology
Street Player
(1978) 		Chaka
(1978) 		Masterjam
(1979)
Singles from Chaka
  1. "I'm Every Woman"
    Released: September 26, 1978
  2. "Life is a Dance"
    Released: January 17, 1979

Promotion

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Two singles were released from Chaka, the first being her anthemic solo debut "I'm Every Woman," which would become one of Khan's signature tunes alongside "Ain't Nobody" (1983) and "I Feel For You" (1984).[1] The song has over the past three decades been re-released, remixed and covered a number of times, most notably by Whitney Houston in 1992 for the soundtrack album The Bodyguard, then featuring guest vocals by Khan herself and topping Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. A remix of Khan's original recording was also a Top-Ten hit in the U.K. in 1989. The remix was included on the compilation Life is a Dance - The Remix Project, the title track of which was the second single release from the Chaka album in early 1979 (US R&B number 40). The album also features the ballad "Roll Me Through The Rushes", never commercially released as a single but still receiving considerable airplay in 1979, as well as Khan's cover version of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made To Love Her", re-titled "I Was Made to Love Him".

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [2]
Christgau's Record GuideB[3]

AllMusic editor Andy Kellman called the album "a near-total break from Rufus." He found that although "I'm Every Woman" "overshadows everything else on Chaka, the album is full of outstanding performances and a broad range of strong material pulled together by Arif Mardin. It's a near-total break from Rufus. The only connections are Tony Maiden's guitar solo on a gender-switched cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her" and writing input from a few Rufus collaborators."[2] Robert Christgau wrote that "Mardin and the usual En Why studio funkies lay down a heavier bottom for Ms. Rufus than her El Lay street bottom for Ms. Rufus than her El Lay street players have in years. She's expressing herself by looking for songs, too, but while every one gives her something to say, only Ashford & Simpson's "I'm Every Woman" is up to her human potential."[3]

Commercial performance

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Chaka debuted at number 111 on the US Billboard 200 in the week of November 4, 1978, and eventually peaked at number 12 on December 16, 1978.[4] It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 14, 1978.[5]

Track listing

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Chaka track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I'm Every Woman"
4:07
2."Love Has Fallen on Me"
4:52
3."Roll Me Through the Rushes"
4:42
4."Sleep on It"
  • Andrew Kastner
  • Larry John McNally
4:21
5."Life Is a Dance"Gavin Christopher4:20
6."We Got the Love" (duet with George Benson)Benson3:27
7."Some Love"
  • Khan
  • Keith Boyd, Jr.
  • Traude Sapik
  • Mark Stevens
5:50
8."A Woman in a Man's World"
  • Kastner
  • McNally
3:56
9."The Message in the Middle of the Bottom"Lalomie Washburn4:15
10."I Was Made to Love Him"Henry Cosby, Lula Mae Hardaway, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder3:23

Personnel

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Performers and musicians

  • 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

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for Chaka
Chart (1978–2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 74
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[7] 50
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[8] 5
US Billboard 200[4] 12
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 2

Certifications

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Certifications for Chaka
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[5] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Leech, Jeanette (March 22, 2024). "I'm Every Woman: The Story". thisisdig.com. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b https://www.allmusic.com/album/r42218/review
  3. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: K". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 28, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ a b "Chaka Khan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "American album certifications – Chaka Khan – Chaka". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  6. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Chaka Khan – What Cha' Gonna Do for Me". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chaka Khan – What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  8. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 13. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Chaka Khan Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
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