Rufus (Rufus album)

Last updated
Rufus
Rufus - Rufus (1973).jpg
Studio album by
Rufus
ReleasedJuly 18, 1973
Recorded1972–1973
StudioQuantum Studios
(Torrance, California)
Genre
Length42:40
Label ABC
Producer Bob Monaco
Rufus chronology
Rufus
(1973)		 Rags to Rufus
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Rufus is the debut album by American R&B and funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1973 fronted by singers Chaka Khan and Ron Stockert. The album is notable for an upbeat rock/soul sound that would be replaced by a more heavy direction into funk and jazzy-styled recordings.

Contents

History

Rufus was formed in 1969 by Kevin Murphy and Al Ciner from the background of two rival bands in Chicago. The band was a group in transition by the time they signed their deal with ABC in 1972 after a brief period with Epic. The biggest change in the group occurred that year when Paulette McWilliams, the group's original frontwoman, opted to leave the group and had friend Chaka Khan, who had provided background vocals as a session singer for the band, replace her as the sole frontwoman.

Though not entirely focused on Khan's talents – the band's artistic direction was led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Ron Stockert – Khan added something missing from the group, a diverse vocalist. Khan was able to perform both in lower and higher octaves and was equipped to singing the group's rockier numbers as she had singing slower ballads. The nineteen-year-old Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens and changed her name to Chaka (which was a name given to her by a Yoruba Baba at 13 years old which means "Fire"). The debut album was recorded throughout 1972 and was released in the spring of 1973.

The album reached #44 on Billboard's R&B Album and #175 on Pop and included the single releases "Feel Good" (R&B #45) and "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" (#40). Shortly after this album's release and struggling with the group's slow climb to success, Stockert would leave the band during sessions of the group's next album, Rags to Rufus . By then, Khan's role would be updated and as the group became successful in later years, most of the focus of the band would lay solely on Khan's shoulders.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Slip 'n Slide"Ron Stockert3:47
2."Keep It Coming" Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson 3:12
3."There's No Tellin'"Stockert4:51
4."Maybe Your Baby" Stevie Wonder 4:14
5."I Finally Found You"Stockert3:57
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Feel Good" Al Ciner 4:09
7."Satisfied"Jeff Thomas3:27
8."Haulin' Coal"Stockert5:00
9."Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" Allen Toussaint 2:42
10."Love the One You're With"/"Sit Yourself Down" (Medley) Stephen Stills 6:21

Personnel

Rufus

with:

Production

Charts

Album

Chart (1973)Peak
[3]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 175
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 44

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions
US
[3] 		US
R&B
[3]
1973"Slip 'n Slide"110—
"Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)"—40
"Feel Good"—45

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaka Khan</span> American singer (born 1953)

Yvette Marie Stevens, better known by her stage name Chaka Khan, is an American singer. Known as the "Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. With the band she recorded the notable hits "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Do You Love What You Feel" and the platinum-certified "Ain't Nobody". Her debut solo album featured the number-one R&B hit "I'm Every Woman". Khan scored another R&B charts hit with "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" before becoming the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with her 1984 cover of Prince's "I Feel for You". More of Khan's hits include "Through the Fire" and a 1986 collaboration with Steve Winwood that produced a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, "Higher Love".

Rufus is an American funk band from Chicago best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits during their career including "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Do You Love What You Feel", and "Ain't Nobody". Rufus and Chaka Khan were one of the most popular and influential funk bands of the 1970s; they had four consecutive number-one R&B albums, ten top 40 pop hits, and five number-one R&B singles among other accolades.

<i>I Feel for You</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Chaka Khan

I Feel for You is the fifth solo studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tell Me Something Good</span> 1974 single by Rufus

"Tell Me Something Good" is a song by Rufus included on their 1974 album "Rags to Rufus," written by Stevie Wonder and released in 1974. This was the first and only hit credited to Rufus, as once singer Chaka Khan's voice became the focus of the group, they changed their name to "Rufus featuring Chaka Khan" for their next album. The single was a hit in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at number one on the Cash Box Top 100. It was among the earliest hits to use the guitar talk box, by Tony Maiden.

<i>Rags to Rufus</i> 1974 studio album by Rufus

Rags To Rufus is the gold-selling second studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1974. It reached number 4 on both the Pop and Black Albums charts. It is notable for the hit singles "Tell Me Something Good", written by Stevie Wonder, and "You Got the Love", written by lead vocalist Chaka Khan and Ray Parker Jr. In 1975, "Tell Me Something Good" earned the band its first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

<i>Naughty</i> (Chaka Khan album) 1980 studio album by Chaka Khan

Naughty is the second solo album by American R&B and funk singer Chaka Khan, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1980.

<i>Chaka Khan</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan is the fourth solo album by American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on the Warner Bros. Records label on November 17, 1982. Khan worked with frequent collaborator Arif Mardin on the album, who would produce all the tracks on Chaka Khan. The "Be Bop Medley" won the pair Grammy Award for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices at the 26th awards ceremony.

<i>Stompin at the Savoy – Live</i> 1983 live album by Rufus and Chaka Khan

Stompin' at the Savoy – Live is an album by American R&B/funk band Rufus with singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1983.

<i>Rufusized</i> 1974 studio album by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Rufusized is the gold-selling third studio album by funk band Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan, on the ABC Records label in 1974, their second album release that year. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard album chart the week ending March 1, 1975.

<i>Rufus featuring Chaka Khan</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan is the gold-selling fourth studio album by the funk band Rufus and Chaka Khan, released on the ABC Records label in 1975. It remained on top of the R&B album chart for six consecutive weeks.

<i>Ask Rufus</i> 1977 studio album by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Ask Rufus is the platinum-selling fifth studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1977. The album spent three weeks atop the Billboard R&B Albums Chart in 1977. In 2020, it was ranked number 499 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

<i>Street Player</i> 1978 studio album by Rufus & Chaka Khan

Street Player is the sixth studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1978. Street Player was the band's third album to top Billboard's R&B Albums chart and also reached number 14 on Pop. The album includes the singles "Stay" and "Blue Love".

<i>Numbers</i> (Rufus album) 1979 studio album by Rufus

Numbers is the seventh studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1979. It was the band's first album without Chaka Khan on lead vocals. Instead, band members Tony Maiden and David "Hawk" Wolinski shared lead vocal duties, with additional female leads by Helen Lowe and Maxayne. The album reached #15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart, #81 on Pop and included the single release "Keep It Together ".

<i>Masterjam</i> 1979 studio album by Rufus & Chaka

Masterjam is the platinum-selling eighth studio album by funk band Rufus. Released in 1979, it was their debut on the MCA Records label following their purchase and dissolution of ABC Records.

<i>Party Til Youre Broke</i> 1981 studio album by Rufus

Party 'Til You're Broke is the ninth studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the MCA Records label in 1981. Party 'Til You're Broke which was the band's second album not to be fronted by Chaka Khan reached number 24 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart and number 73 on Pop and included the singles "Tonight We Love" and "Hold on to a Friend", making Party 'Til You're Broke the most successful Khan-less album from Rufus.

<i>Camouflage</i> (Rufus album) 1981 studio album by Rufus with Chaka Khan

Camouflage is the tenth studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the MCA Records label in 1981. Camouflage peaked at number 15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart and stalled at number 98 on Pop. The album includes the singles "Sharing the Love" and "Better Together".

<i>Seal in Red</i> 1983 studio album by Rufus

Seal in Red is the eleventh and final studio album by funk band Rufus, their debut on the Warner Bros. Records label, released in 1983. Seal in Red, which was the band's third album to be recorded without Chaka Khan, peaked at number 49 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart and included the single "Take It to the Top".

<i>The Very Best of Rufus with Chaka Khan</i> 1982 greatest hits album by Rufus with Chaka Khan

The Very Best of Rufus with Chaka Khan is a greatest hits album by funk band Rufus and singer Chaka Khan, originally released on the MCA Records label in 1982. The collection comprises ten of the group's biggest hits on the ABC/MCA labels, including "You Got the Love", "Sweet Thing", "At Midnight ", "Do You Love What You Feel", "Tell Me Something Good", "Stay", "Hollywood" and "Dance Wit Me".

"Swing Down Sweet Chariot" is an American spiritual song. It tells the story of Ezekiel's vision of the chariot. The title and lyrics are very similar to the spiritual song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", and is thought to be an adaptation of said song. Composer and lyricist Wallis Willis is credited with composing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot".

"Once You Get Started" is a horn-driven funk number written by musician Gavin Christopher, and recorded and released by the band Rufus featuring Chaka Khan in late 1974. The song is led mostly by Khan, though fellow group member Tony Maiden contributed lead vocals for the song's second verse. It helped to make their third album Rufusized go platinum. "Once You Get Started", peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975, giving the group their second top ten single and third top forty single overall. The song also hit number-four on the Hot Soul Singles chart as well as number six on the Record World, Disco File Top 20 chart.

References

  1. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Rufus". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  2. ↑ Gersten, Russell (1983). "Rufus". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide . Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p.  438. ISBN   0394721071.
  3. 1 2 3 "US Charts > Rufus". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-10-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.