Taka Boom (born Yvonne Stevens; October 8, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) [1] is an American R&B and dance music singer, and is the younger sister of singer Chaka Khan and Mark Stevens of Aurra. She sang background vocals for several Parliament albums in the 1970s. Taka Boom is sometimes credited as Takka Boom and is known for her work with DJ/producer Dave Lee, especially in a range of hits under the Joey Negro name. Boom was also a later member of the Norman Whitfield group The Undisputed Truth, and led them on their 1976 disco hit "You + Me = Love". [1]
In 2002, Taka Boom collaborated with the British electronic music group amillionsons on a cover of the song "Misti Blu," providing vocals alongside her siblings Chaka Khan and Mark Stevens. [2] In 2024, the collaboration was revisited with the release of "Misti Blu Two," featuring Taka Boom, Chaka Khan, and Mark Stevens. [3]
Year | Album | Label | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US [4] | US R&B [4] | |||
1979 | Taka Boom | Ariola International | 171 | 48 |
1983 | Boomerang | Mercury | — | — |
1985 | Middle of the Night | Mirage/Atco | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] | US Hot 100 [6] [7] | US Dance [6] [7] | US R&B [6] [7] | ||
1976 | "You + Me = Love" (with The Undisputed Truth) | 43 | 48 | 5 | 37 |
"Let's Go Down to the Disco" (with The Undisputed Truth) | — | — | 40 | 68 | |
1979 | "Red Hot" | — | — | 19 | 70 |
"Night Dancin'" | — | 74 | — | 20 | |
"Bring It Back" | — | — | 55 | — | |
1983 | "To Hell with Him" | — | — | — | — |
"Ride Like the Wind" | — | — | — | — | |
1984 | "The Stars Are Out" | — | — | — | — |
1985 | "Middle of the Night" | 77 | — | — | 63 |
"Climate for Love" | — | — | — | — | |
1997 | "Clouds" (with The Source) | — | — | — | — |
1998 | "Can't Get High Without U" (with Joey Negro) | — | — | 1 | — |
2000 | "Must Be the Music" (with Joey Negro) | 8 | — | — | — |
"Saturday" (with Joey Negro) | 41 | — | — | — | |
2001 | "Just Can't Get Enough (No No No)" (with Eye to Eye) | 36 | — | — | — |
"Surrender" (with Prospect Park) | — | — | — | — | |
2002 | "Misti Blu" (with amillionsons) | 39 | — | — | — |
2005 | "Make a Move on Me" (with Joey Negro) | 11 | — | 1 | — |
2006 | "When Love Is Fading" (with Solsonik) | — | — | — | — |
2008 | "We Existed" (with Glimpse) | — | — | — | — |
2024 | "Misti Blu Two feat. Taka Boom, Chaka Khan, Mark Stevens" | — | — | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
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."
Gregory Oliver Diamond was an American pianist, drummer, songwriter, and producer who was active in the jazz and disco music scenes of the 1970s.
"Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns. It was originally recorded by The Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Brothers for their album Twist & Shout in 1962. The song has been covered by several artists, including the Beatles, Salt-N-Pepa, The Astronauts and Chaka Demus & Pliers, who experienced chart success with their versions.
The Undisputed Truth was an American Motown recording act assembled by record producer Norman Whitfield to experiment with his psychedelic soul production techniques. Joe "Pep" Harris served as main lead singer, with Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans on additional leads and background vocals.
David Russell Lee is an English DJ and music producer, formerly known by the stage name Joey Negro, which he retired in July 2020 following the George Floyd protests.
"This Ole House" is an American popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954. Rosemary Clooney's version reached the top of the popular music charts in both the US and the UK in 1954. The song again topped the UK chart in 1981 in a recording by Shakin' Stevens.
"I Feel for You" is a song written by American musician Prince that originally appeared on his 1979 self-titled album. The most successful and best-known version was recorded by R&B singer Chaka Khan and appeared on her 1984 album of the same name. It became the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for Khan.
Jonathan "Johnny" Kemp was a Bahamian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a songwriter in late 1979 and is perhaps best known for his solo work, including his single "Just Got Paid" (1988), which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1989.
Joyce Melissa Morgan is an American R&B/Soul singer–songwriter. Morgan had a string of urban contemporary hits from the mid–1980s to the mid–1990s. Most notable include her cover version of Prince's "Do Me, Baby" (1985), "Do You Still Love Me" (1986) and "Still in Love with You" (1992).
"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan, released in September 1978 by Warner Bros. as her debut solo single from her first album, Chaka (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album, Masterjam, was released in late 1979.
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.
Penny Ford, also known as Pennye Ford, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. She rose to fame in the 1980s after signing a recording contract with Total Experience Records and releasing her debut solo album, Pennye. It spawned the singles "Change Your Wicked Way" and "Dangerous", which were produced and written by Ford.
The Source was originally an alias for the English songwriting team of Anthony B. Stephens, Arnecia Michelle Harris and John Bellamy.
"Missing You" is a song by American singers Brandy, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Canadian R&B musician Tamia. The song was used to promote the 1996 film Set It Off. It was written and produced by Gordon Chambers and Barry J. Eastmond and released as the lead single from the soundtrack album of the film on August 6, 1996, through East West Records. The song features a string arrangement conducted by Eastmond.
"Sweet Thing" is a song performed by American funk and R&B band Rufus with vocals by band member Chaka Khan. As a single, it peaked number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Mary J. Blige recorded her version, which charted in the United States and New Zealand in 1993.
"I'll Be Good to You" is a 1976 hit song by R&B duo the Brothers Johnson. George Johnson, one of the two Johnson brothers in the band, wrote the song after deciding to commit to a relationship with one woman, instead of dating several at a time. While George was recording a demo for the song, family friend Senora Sam came by and added some lyrics. Brothers Johnson producer and mentor Quincy Jones heard the song, liked it, and convinced George to sing lead on the finished track. Released from their debut album, Look Out for #1, it was a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot Singles Charts, peaking at number three, and a number one song on the Billboard R&B Charts during the summer of 1976. The single was later certified gold by the RIAA.
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.
American R&B/soul singer Chaka Khan has released thirteen albums during her solo career. Her first solo single was "I'm Every Woman", also released in 1978. She has released a total of 46 solo singles throughout her career. Khan has placed four albums in the top twenty of the Billboard albums chart, scored one top 10 and four additional top-40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. On the Billboard R&B Songs chart, Khan hit the top 10 ten times including five number ones (including two as a featured artist. On Billboard's Dance Club Chart, Khan had six number ones and another number one as a featured artist. On the UK Singles Chart, she has scored three top 10s, eight additional top 40 singles.
"Never Miss the Water" is a 1995 recording written by Gerry DeVeaux and Charlie Mole, and performed by American singer Chaka Khan. It features vocals by Meshell Ndegeocello and had previously been unreleased. The song was included in Khan's 1996 greatest hits album Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1 and went to #36 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. On the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, "Never Miss the Water" was Chaka Khan's sixth number one, and was her last until she again reached the summit with "Disrespectful" in 2007.
"You + Me = Love" is a 1976 disco song recorded by The Undisputed Truth for Norman Whitfield's Whitfield Records.