Ain't Nobody
Encyclopedia
"Ain't Nobody" is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan
. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy
. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. It has become one of Khan's signature songs.
Rufus keyboardist David "Hawk" Wolinski
wrote the song around a repeating synthesizer loop backed by a LinnDrum
drum machine. Legendary producer Quincy Jones
(who had previously worked with Rufus) wanted Wolinski to give "Ain't Nobody" to Michael Jackson
for the album that would become the blockbuster, Thriller
, but Wolinski had already promised it to producer Russ Titelman
, who ultimately had the band record it as a vocal showcase for Khan.
The song was also included in the soundtrack of the movie Breakin'
.
recorded the song for her album Tougher Than Love. It was released as a single, reaching #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on the UK charts.
The most successful cover of "Ain't Nobody" was by rapper LL Cool J
, who recorded an interpolation of the song for the soundtrack to the 1996 film Beavis and Butthead Do America. Released as the soundtrack's second single, this version reached #1 on the UK charts. In the US, the song peaked at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Hot Rap Singles Chart and #27 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.
The song was also a hit in the UK for Gwen Dickey and KWS
(reaching #21), Jaki Graham
(#44), and The Course
(#8).
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band's live album Stompin' at the Savoy
Stompin' at the Savoy - Live
Stompin' at the Savoy – Live is an album by American R&B/funk band Rufus, , released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1983....
. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. It has become one of Khan's signature songs.
Rufus keyboardist David "Hawk" Wolinski
Hawk Wolinski
David J. "Hawk" Wolinski is an American keyboardist, songwriter and record producer probably best known for his work with the funk band Rufus and their lead singer Chaka Khan....
wrote the song around a repeating synthesizer loop backed by a LinnDrum
LinnDrum
The LinnDrum is a drum machine manufactured by Linn Electronics. It was released in 1982 as a successor to the Linn LM-1. The LinnDrum has 15 drum sounds sampled from real drums, a sequencer for programming rhythm patterns and five trigger inputs....
drum machine. Legendary producer Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
(who had previously worked with Rufus) wanted Wolinski to give "Ain't Nobody" to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
for the album that would become the blockbuster, Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
, but Wolinski had already promised it to producer Russ Titelman
Russ Titelman
Russ Titelman is an American record producer and songwriter. He has to date won three Grammy Awards. He earned his first producing the Steve Winwood song "Higher Love", and his second and third for Eric Clapton's Journeyman and Unplugged albums...
, who ultimately had the band record it as a vocal showcase for Khan.
The song was also included in the soundtrack of the movie Breakin'
Breakin'
Breakin', released as Breakdance: The Movie in some countries, is a 1984 breakdancing-themed film directed by Joel Silberg. The film setting was inspired by a German documentary entitled Breakin' and Enterin set in the Los Angeles multi-racial hip hop club Radiotron, based out of Macarthur Park in...
.
Chart versions
In 1995, Diana KingDiana King
Diana King is a reggae fusion singer-songwriter who specifically performed a mixture and fusion of R&B, reggae, pop and dancehall...
recorded the song for her album Tougher Than Love. It was released as a single, reaching #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #13 on the UK charts.
The most successful cover of "Ain't Nobody" was by rapper LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, who recorded an interpolation of the song for the soundtrack to the 1996 film Beavis and Butthead Do America. Released as the soundtrack's second single, this version reached #1 on the UK charts. In the US, the song peaked at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Hot Rap Singles Chart and #27 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.
The song was also a hit in the UK for Gwen Dickey and KWS
KWS (Band)
KWS are a British pop/rave act from Nottingham, England consisting of instrumentalists/record producers Chris King and Winston Williams and vocalist Delroy St...
(reaching #21), Jaki Graham
Jaki Graham
Jaki Graham is an English singer. Her biggest international success was reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1994, with her cover version of Chaka Khan's hit, "Ain't Nobody"....
(#44), and The Course
The Course
The Course were a dance music act from the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. It consisted of DJ/producer Vincent Hendriks and vocalists Dewi Lopulalan and Irma Derby. They achieved their biggest commercial success in 1997....
(#8).
Other versions
- House music pioneer Frankie KnucklesFrankie KnucklesFrankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
remixed the record for Life Is a Dance – The Remix Project (the first-ever double album of outside remixes of a single artist's catalogue) in 1988. - A cover version of the song by Kelly PriceKelly PriceKelly Price is an American R&B and soul singer, formerly on the Def Soul label.-Life and music career:Kelly Cherelle Price was born in Queens, New York. She was first discovered by Mariah Carey in February 1992 and subsequently introduced to Sony Columbia's then CEO Tommy Mottola...
was featured in the soundtrack of the 2003 film Bringing Down the HouseBringing Down the House (soundtrack)Bringing Down the House is the soundtrack to the 2003 film, Bringing Down the House. It was released on March 4, 2003 through Hollywood Records and mainly consisted of hip hop...
. - Keyboardist Jeff LorberJeff LorberJeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....
had a major Smooth JazzSmooth jazzSmooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
radio hit with his instrumental version of "Ain't Nobody" in 2005. - A lyrical cover by DanielDaniel BedingfieldDaniel John Bedingfield is a British singer-songwriter. He is the brother of pop singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle.-Music career:...
and Natasha BedingfieldNatasha BedingfieldNatasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...
appeared on the B-side for the latter's fourth European single, "I Bruise EasilyI Bruise Easily"I Bruise Easily" is a pop song written by Natasha Bedingfield, Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins and Paul Herman for Bedingfield's debut album Unwritten . In the song, Bedingfield describes how relationships affect people, even when they have come to an end. The track was released as the album's...
". - Irish band The WallsThe WallsThe Walls are an Irish rock band. They were formed in 1998 by two ex-members of The Stunning.-Members:* Steve Wall* Joe Wall* Carl Harms * Rory Doyle...
recorded a cover version of the song for the Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1 is an Irish charity album featuring a variety of artists performing acoustic cover versions of popular songs. It was released in 2003 by RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd. The songs on the album were recorded live and acoustic on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM.The...
charity album. - George MichaelGeorge MichaelGeorge Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
performed "Ain't Nobody" during his performance in the Rock in RioRock in RioRock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
concert, as well as several shows during his 1991 Cover to Cover tour. - In 2003, the British pop-group Liberty XLiberty XLiberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
samples Ain't Nobody for his song Being NobodyBeing NobodyBeing Nobody is a 2003 song by British pop-group Liberty X, released as the debut single from the group's second album, Being Somebody. The song was produced by Richard X, and was released under the name of Richard X vs. Liberty X...
. - KT TunstallKT TunstallKate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
recorded a version of the track as the B-side for the single "Saving My FaceSaving My Face"Saving My Face" is a song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for the Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic...
". - 2 Skinnee J's2 Skinnee J's2 Skinnee J's is the name of a musical band characterized as nerdcore hip hop. The band was founded in 1991 by Special J , Rabbi J-Slim , Joey Viturbo , Sammy B , DJ Casper , and Andy Action . With numerous line-up changes, the band was active through the 1990s until 2003, when they officially...
recorded a version titled "The Best" on their album SuperMercado!SuperMercado!SuperMercado! is the major-label debut for the band 2 Skinnee J's. A music video was made for the single, "Riot Nrrrd."-Track listing:#"Pluto" - 3:20#"Wild Kingdom" - 3:49#"The Best" - 4:03#"Ball Point Man" - 3:00#"In The Clutches Of The Diabolical Sgt...
. - In 2009, Angie StoneAngie StoneAngie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
performed the song at the 2009 Soul Train Music AwardsSoul Train Music AwardsThe Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
. - Danish band AlphabeatAlphabeatAlphabeat are a Danish pop band from Silkeborg, fronted by singers Stine Bramsen and Anders SG and signed to Polydor Records. Their single "Fascination" was a major hit in Denmark during the summer of 2007 and a significant hit in the United Kingdom in 2008...
covered the song as a bonus track for the 2010 international release of their second album, The Beat Is...The Spell (Alphabeat album)The Spell is the second studio album by Danish pop group Alphabeat. It was released in Denmark on 26 October 2009 by Copenhagen Records. Alphabeat stated their second album moved away from the pop roots of their debut album, Alphabeat, in favour of popular dance acts of the 1990s such as Snap! and... - British singer Delilah interpolated lyrics and melodies from the song in her 2011 single GoGo (Delilah song)"Go" is the debut single recorded by British singer Delilah. The song was released as a digital download single on 6 September 2011 in the United Kingdom from her upcoming debut album...
. - A cover version of the song by Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
is featured on her 10th studio album My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)My Life II... The Journey Continues is the tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. Titled as the sequel to her 1994 album My Life, the album was released on November 21, 2011.-Background:... - A hip-hop version performed by Brandon T. JacksonBrandon T. JacksonBrandon Timothy Jackson is an American stand-up comedian, actor, rapper, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his supporting roles in Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Lottery Ticket, and a leading role in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.-Early...
and Jessica LucasJessica LucasJessica Lucas is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in Melrose Place, She's the Man and Cloverfield.-Early life:...
is featured in the film Big Mommas.
See also
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1983 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)