Chaka Khan - What Cha´ Gonna Do For Me (1981) (vinyl Lp) - €10,00

What Cha' Gonna Do for Me is the third solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1981.

As a vocalist, Chaka Khan is the one of the very few who often doesn't need great material to prosper. Thankfully, on What Cha' Gonna Do for Me that isn't the case. 

Teaming again with Arif Mardin, slowly but surely the two began to craft an even more successful and innovative sound. This effort not only bests the work before it, but it is Mardin's most fulfilling production since 1974's Average White Band. 

The cover of "We Can Work It Out" gets a brash and funky Stevie Wonder-style arrangement, with Gregory Phillanganes doing great synth work. The biggest hit here is the melodic title track and has Khan's patented mix of sexiness and intelligent phrasing. 

The best song here, "I Know You, I Live You," displays the brilliant bass and drum team of Anthony Jackson and Steve Ferrone, whose innovation all but rendered Rufus obsolete. 

Their pounding yet refined sound is also on "We've Got Each Other," a hooky and propulsive duet with Khan's brother Mark Stevens. The ambitious and much loved "And the Melody Still Lingers On (Night in Tunisia)" had Mardin and Khan creating pithy lyrics that paid homage to '40s jazz legends as well as all other subsequent musical geniuses. 

The track features a clavitar solo from Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, and an "excerpted" solo break from Charlie Parker. Throughout What Cha' Gonna Do for Me, Mardin seems to get amazing vocals from Khan and has he certainly had fun playing with her voice. 

What Cha' Gonna Do for Me is arguably the best effort of their partnership.

Three singles were released from What Cha' Gonna Do: the Beatles cover "We Can Work It Out" (US R&B #34), the McCrarys cover "Any Old Sunday" (#68) and the album's title track which became a number one hit on Billboard R&B Singles chart. 

On Billboard's charts, the album reached #3 on Black Albums, #33 on Jazz Albums, and #17 on Pop Albums. 

This would be Chaka's highest-charting album until her 1980s-era breakthrough I Feel For You. 

Its popularity among jazz audiences was likely due to the inclusion of the Dizzy Gillespie composition "Night In Tunisia" with a guest appearance by Gillespie himself as well as what today would be called a 'sample' of Charlie Parker's legendary four bar alto break from his 1946 recording of the title. Khan's vocal interpretation also features lyrics written by the singer herself. 

This album was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1981.

The instrumental intro to "Fate" has been sampled by a host of dance acts all through the 1990s and 2000s, most notably by Stardust on their 1998 hit single "Music Sounds Better With You" and a section of "I Know You I Live You" also features on "Bad Habit" by ATFC & Onephatdeeva feat. Lisa Milett.

Side A         
A1.  We Can Work It Out - 3:41 
A2.  What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me - 3:52 
A3.  I Know You, I Live You - 4:28 
A4.  Any Old Sunday - 3:36 
A5.  We Got Each Other - 3:54 

Side B
B1.  And The Melody Still Lingers On (Night In Tunisia) - 5:01 
B2.  Night Moods - 4:18 
B3.  Heed The Warning - 4:32 
B4.  Father He Said - 3:51 
B5.  Fate - 3:18 
B6.  I Know You, I Live You (Reprise) - 1:18

Personnel

• Chaka Khan – vocals, background vocals
• Steve Ferrone – drums all tracks except 1, 6
• Anthony Jackson – bass all tracks except 1, 6
• David Williams – guitar all tracks except 1, 6
• Hamish Stuart – guitar all tracks except 1, 6
• Larry Williams – keyboards, flute, saxophone, synthesizer all tracks except 1, 6

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Los Angeles
• Published By – Maclen Music, Inc.
• Published By – Average Music
• Published By – Ackee Music, Inc.
• Published By – Longdog Music
• Published By – Chaka Khan Music
• Published By – Deniz Music Inc.
• Published By – Island Music
• Published By – Restless Music 
• Published By – Youngstown Music
• Published By – Intersong Music
• Published By – MCA Music
• Published By – Chappell Music
• Published By – ATV Music Corp.
• Published By – Campashé Music
• Published By – Blackwood Music Inc.
• Recorded At – Mountain Studios
• Recorded At – Atlantic Studios
• Recorded At – Sunset Sound
• Recorded At – The Automatt
• Mastered At – Sterling Sound
• Lacquer Cut At – Sterling Sound

Credits

• Art Direction – Richard Seireeni
• Bass – Anthony Jackson (tracks: A2 to A5, B2 to B6)
• Coordinator [Production Coordination In Los Angeles] – Frank DeCaro
• Coordinator [Production Coordination In New York] – Chrissy Allerdings
• Drums – Steve Ferrone (tracks: A2 to A5, B2 to B6)
• Engineer [Assisting Engineer (Chief Engineer), Mountain Studios] – David Richards
• Engineer [Assisting Engineer, Atlantic Studios] – Bob Warner, Michael O'Reilly
• Engineer [Assisting Engineer, Sunset Sound] – David Leonard
• Engineer [Assisting Engineer, The Automatt] – Wayne Lewis
• Guitar – David Williams (tracks: A2 to A5, B2 to B6), Hamish Stuart (tracks: A2 to A5, B2 to B6)
• Illustration [Additional Illustration] – Tim Wild 
• Keyboards, Flute, Saxophone, Synthesizer – Larry Williams (tracks: A2 to A5, B2 to B6)
• Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Chaka Khan (tracks: A1 to A5, B2 to B6)
• Liner Notes – Arif Mardin
• Management – Jack Nelson
• Mastered By [Mastering Engineer] – George Marino
• Photography By – Gordon Munro 
• Producer – Arif Mardin
• Recorded By, Mixed By – Lew Hahn (tracks: A2 to A5, B2 to B6)

Recorded at Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland
Additional recording at Atlantic Studios, New York; Sunset Sound, Los Angeles; The Automatt,
San Francisco
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York

Notes
Release: 1981

Format:  LP, Vinyl
Genre:  Soul, Funk 
Label:  Warner Bros. Records
Catalog#  WB 56888

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)
Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00