Whether
she's bending a note, perfectly soaring above or below a melody, sliding
into a peerless funk groove or reaching out to us with aching clarity on one
word--make that one syllable--there's a perfection and a precision to the
music of Chaka Khan that, 25 years after her recording debut, is still
without comparison.
For female vocalists, Chaka Khan has provided the standard to follow,
crossing with ease the borders between rhythm & blues, jazz, pop, fusion and
funk to become not just one of the premier vocalists of our time, but one of
the few female singers who can legitimately lay claim to the term "Diva".
Now, for the first time ever, the songs that have made Chaka Khan a legend -
plus five brand-new tracks - can be heard on one album: Epiphany: The Best
of Chaka Khan, on Reprise/Warner.
While the catchword in the title may mean "a great or sudden revelation,"
the path that led to this Epiphany was not so clear cut. "I'd thought about
it many times," says Chaka, "and I've always gotten it from a lot of people
- friends, colleagues, fans - that I should do a ‘Best Of' album. But I
really didn't know where to start. My biggest problem was that I had such a
huge gang of songs from the past 25 years."
For Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, that massive list was whittled down to
11 classic cuts and five recently recorded bonus tracks, including the new
single, "Never Miss The Water," which teams Chaka with critically acclaimed
musician Me'shell Ndegeocello.
"I think that anyone would want to know when buying a greatest hits album
that they're going to get these songs," says Chaka. "But we wanted to make
it really special, and, since I've been working on these new tunes, we
decided to add them in."
The road to divadom can be a roller coaster ride, and the ascent of Chaka
Khan has been no less intense. Born Yvette Marie Stevens and hailing from
the south side of Chicago, Chaka began her singing career at the tender age
of 11, forming a group called the Crystalettes. At, 13, she was christened
Chaka, which means fire, by an African shaman, and by 15, she was performing
in local clubs under that name. (She acquired Khan after a brief marriage.)
At 18, she found herself in Los Angeles, fronting a group of fledgling
musicians by the name of Rufus. Chaka brought to the ensemble a vocal range
that can only be described as primal--her impassioned and perfectly pitched
contralto was in a class by itself. The proof of the powerful voice was
apparent in the band's 1974 debut, which netted a Grammy for "Tell Me
Something Good." Written especially for Chaka by Stevie Wonder, the track
appears on Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan in a smokin' live version with
Rufus.
In the years to come, Chaka and Rufus would prove to be one of the most
popular and influential groups in music, effortlessly bridging the gap
between pop, rock and soul. In just five years, they notched 11 chart albums
and nine Top 40 hits, including "Sweet Thing," "Once You Get Started" and
"You Got The Love." The girl who had set out to become a singer had found
stardom.
It was inevitable that one day Chaka would step out on her own, and when she
did the results were nothing short of spectacular. Her solo debut in 1978
yielded the smash hit, "I'm Every Woman," while her follow-up album
two-years later, Naughty, weighed in with "Papillon"-- a cut destined to
become a live-performance favorite. Both of these classic tracks are
included on Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan. (Listen closely and you can
hear Luther Vandross and Cissy Houston singing back-up on "Papillon".)
Blazing into the 80's, Chaka's "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me", released in
1981, yielded a huge hit with the title-track single. Also on the record, "I
Know You, I Live You" and the genre-splicing "And The Melody Lingers On
(Night In Tunisia)," which features be-bop progenitors Dizzy Gillespie and
Charlie Parker. The year 1983 saw a reunion of sorts as Chaka rejoined Rufus
to record Rufus and Chaka Khan Live: Stompin' at the Savoy, producing the
watershed cut, "Ain't Nobody." Penned by the group's Hawk Wolinski and
recorded as a studio
track, the song still enjoys a special place in Chaka's repertoire. "I've
got to say," she admits, "Ain't Nobody' is one of my favorite songs. It's a
song I'll be singing probably for the rest of my life."
Also represented in the collection is 1984's I Feel For You, which spawned
an across-the-board smash and a Grammy for the title track, which was
composed by Prince and featured Stevie Wonder and rapper Melle Mel in guest
roles. Also from that album is "Through the Fire," a Chaka classic that
transcends the boundaries of radio play lists even today.
In an evocative nod to her musical mentor, Billie Holiday, Chaka has also
included "The End Of A Love Affair" (from Holiday's "Spain" LP). Produced by
veteran Russ Titelman, Chaka first recorded it in 1988 for her C.K. release.
Rounding out the list of previously released material on Epiphany: The Best
of Chaka Khan is the moving, almost folk-tinged "Love Me Still." "My songs
are not just about a lost soul," Chaka says. "They're about love as
strength. I think that when a person loves someone, they should love them in
a way that's good for that person. Love in a way that's helpful. It's
important to me that my songs have real life applications." "Love Me Still,"
which was co-written and performed by Chaka with Bruce Hornsby for the
motion picture Clockers, is an exquisite example of just how commandingly
the artist turns her philosophy to lyrics.
Of the new material, David Gamson, who produced "Love Me Still," provided
the catalyst for the album's first single, "Never Miss The Water," a dynamic
collaboration between Chaka and Me'shell N'degeocello. "She played bass on
almost everything he did with other artists," says Chaka, "and they were
writing a lot together. I liked her immediately when we met. Of course, I
just fall in love with any chick who's playing an instrument and doing her
music--that is just so wonderful to see. When I got into her music and saw
what she was about it was like , ‘Yes, this is a marriage made in heaven.'
She's got another way of talking, and that moved me."
Also produced by Gamson with Andre Betts is Chaka's standout version of
"Everywhere," written by Christine McVie as a Fleetwood Mac single. "David
and I discussed the fact that I should do at least one cover song, and this
was the first one that popped into my head," explains Chaka. It's one of the
songs I carry with me, inside of me, inside of me. If I did happen to break
into a song in the shower, this might be it. We decided to take it a little
reggae, because it just seemed so natural."
Given her stature as a gut-wrenching soul singer, isn't Fleetwood Mac rather
an odd choice for inspiration? "I love Fleetwood Mac," Chaka asserts. "I
listen to Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, The Doors - I listen to a lot of
rock. It's one of my main loves. I eventually want to do some rock." (Given
her boundless talent, it should come as no surprise that Chaka fits so
easily into other musical genres. Earlier this year, she won the coveted
Capital Listeners' Radio Poll Award (British equivalent to Tony) for Best
Actress for her role as Sister Carrie in the London-based musical, Mama I
Want To Sing, - a role that not only had this Catholic girl belting gospel
songs but acting as well.
To complete the lineup are three more new songs: "Your Love is All I Know,"
"Every Little Thing" and "Something Deep" -- the latter two co-written by
Chaka herself. Of songwriting she says, "When I know I have to write a song
I'll do anything else. But once I get into it, I don't want to stop. It kind
of reminds me of schoolwork or something - but I love to write, and I've
been doing quite a bit of it lately."
And what of the magical process that occurs I the studio when Chaka enters
to sing her vocal, an occurrence she has in the past described as something
close to a religious experience? It might surprise some to know that a
little bit of ignorance goes a long a way in capturing the magnificence of
Chaka Khan's voice. Explains the singer: "Spontaneity has always been a good
thing for me. When I'm recording, I listen to the demo as little as
possible, so I can go in with a little bit of ignorance as to what the song
has to offer. I look at it as an overall map, and I work out the little road
maps and streets once I get in the studio. It doesn't take long. I just sort
of throw my head back, open my ears and go for it. The quicker I do it, the
better I feel. I like to keep a human quality there."
The dictionary defines Epiphany as "the manifestation of a supernatural or
divine entity." In the case of The Best of Chaka Khan, it's a very human one
as well.
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