First Look: Ton Ton
In the tradition of DJ/journalist Bobbito Garcia, CL names the tracks and Chaka states the facts.
At a time when some of soul and R&B’s biggest names have passed away, the music world is blessed to have legends like Chaka Khan still alive and working. The Grammy-winning singer has lent her booming voice to countless hits — both as a member of the band Rufus and as a solo artist. And even faced with her own health challenges, including a recent stint in rehab due to an addiction to pain medication, she still regularly performs at venues around the world. Case in point: Khan is set to hit the stage in Atlanta this Fri., Aug. 5. But before she takes her mark behind the mic, we took a walk down memory lane with her — in the tradition of DJ/journalist Bobbito Garcia’s famed, 1990s-era Vibe magazine column, “Soundcheck” — rattling off a few of her most beloved songs and getting her thoughts, anecdotes, and memories about the tunes. In other words, we name the tracks and Chaka states the facts.
“Clouds” — I was living in New York at the time. I had the best freaking band on the planet playing on those recordings in the ’80s. And I had the best producer on the planet at that time, Arif Mardin, and we were just going full-steam ahead. And I just recall being at the studio freaking out over how beautifully everyone in the band gelled together. How we all gelled together.
“Papillon” — That was during that time in the ’80s when we were popping, and a lot of songs I did back then were submitted by songwriters. … When Arif put the word out that we were looking for songs, we’d get a box full of cassettes. We’d listen to the songs, and we could tell by the first verse whether we wanted it or not. At that time, I was doing a lot of stuff by songwriters Ashford and Simpson, like “Clouds” and “I’m Every Woman;” I would have to do their stuff. But there were a lot of other writers I loved, like Greg Diamond who wrote “Papilion.” The song had an old-fashioned ring to it, and I fell in love with its old-fashioned melody.
“I Feel For You” — When Arif and I were in the studio recording “I Feel For You” … we did the song and then went home. The next day when I came back, Arif said: “I’ve got a surprise for you.” I said: “Oh, shoot!” I hate surprises. I walk into the studio, and I hear rapper Melle Mel saying my name over and over again. And I said, “How am I going to live with that?” Arif said to me, when I was floored and embarrassed, “Look, it’s gonna be a hit.” Now, whenever I meet somebody or somebody recognizes me, they give me that “Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan.” But I have to say, it was a landmark song because it was one of the first songs to put rap and R&B together.
“You’ve Got the Love” — Yeah, that was Rufus. I’d just moved to LA, and Rufus and I were doing really well. We were a new group trying to put down some anchors, and I think we did a pretty good job.
Chaka Khan plays Atlanta this Friday, August 5. $37-$107. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. www.cobbenergycentre.com.