What Cha' Gonna Do for Me (Chaka Khan album)
Encyclopedia
What Cha' Gonna Do for Me is the Gold certified third solo album by American
R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan
, released on the Warner Bros. Records
label in 1981.
" (US R&B #34), the McCrarys cover "Any Old Sunday
" (#68) and the album's title track which became a number one hit on Billboard
R&B Singles chart. On Billboard's charts, the album reached #3 on Black Albums, #33 on Jazz Albums, and #17 on Pop Albums. This would be Chaka's highest charting album until her 80's-era breakthrough I Feel For You
. Its popularity among jazz audiences was likely due to the inclusion of the Dizzy Gillespie
composition "Night In Tunisia" with a guest appearance by Gillespie himself as well as what today would be called a 'sample' of Charlie Parker
's legendary four bar alto
break from his 1946 recording of the title. Khan's vocal interpretation also features lyrics written by the singer herself. This album was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1981.
Two tracks from the What Cha Gonna Do For Me sessions were only released as B-sides of singles; "Only Once" and "Lover's Touch", both remain unreleased on CD.
The instrumental intro to "Fate" has been sampled by a host of dance acts all through the 1990s and 2000s, most notably by Stardust on their 1998 hit single "Music Sounds Better With You
" and a section of "I Know You I Live You" also features on "Bad Habit" by Onephatdeeva feat. Lisa Milett.
For reasons unknown, What Cha' Gonna Do For Me has only been re-issued on CD in both Europe and Japan. The album has yet to see a CD release in the United States, but did become domestically available digitally shortly after Khan won multiple Grammys for her 2007 album Funk This
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, released on the Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
label in 1981.
Overview
Three singles were released from What Cha' Gonna Do: the Beatles cover "We Can Work It OutWe Can Work It Out
"We Can Work It Out" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a "double A-sided" single with "Day Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release...
" (US R&B #34), the McCrarys cover "Any Old Sunday
Any Ol' Sunday
"Any Ol' Sunday" is a song written by Alfred McCrary and Linda McCrary of the family group, The McCrarys and released on their 1980 Capitol Records album, Just for You. A cover version by Chaka Khan was released as a single the following year as "Any Old Sunday" on the Warner Brothers album, What...
" (#68) and the album's title track which became a number one hit on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B Singles chart. On Billboard's charts, the album reached #3 on Black Albums, #33 on Jazz Albums, and #17 on Pop Albums. This would be Chaka's highest charting album until her 80's-era breakthrough I Feel For You
I Feel For You (album)
I Feel for You is the Platinum certified fifth solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1984.-Overview:...
. Its popularity among jazz audiences was likely due to the inclusion of the Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
composition "Night In Tunisia" with a guest appearance by Gillespie himself as well as what today would be called a 'sample' of Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
's legendary four bar alto
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
break from his 1946 recording of the title. Khan's vocal interpretation also features lyrics written by the singer herself. This album was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1981.
Two tracks from the What Cha Gonna Do For Me sessions were only released as B-sides of singles; "Only Once" and "Lover's Touch", both remain unreleased on CD.
The instrumental intro to "Fate" has been sampled by a host of dance acts all through the 1990s and 2000s, most notably by Stardust on their 1998 hit single "Music Sounds Better With You
Music Sounds Better with You
"Music Sounds Better with You" is a 1998 single by French house music band Stardust. The vocal performance of the song was provided by Benjamin Diamond of the band. The song uses a sample of the song "Fate" by Chaka Khan, which appeared on her 1981 album What Cha' Gonna Do for Me...
" and a section of "I Know You I Live You" also features on "Bad Habit" by Onephatdeeva feat. Lisa Milett.
For reasons unknown, What Cha' Gonna Do For Me has only been re-issued on CD in both Europe and Japan. The album has yet to see a CD release in the United States, but did become domestically available digitally shortly after Khan won multiple Grammys for her 2007 album Funk This
Funk This
Funk This is the eleventh studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Chaka Khan. The album was released September 25, 2007 on Burgundy Records and received two Grammy Awards...
.
Track listing
- "We Can Work It OutWe Can Work It Out"We Can Work It Out" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a "double A-sided" single with "Day Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) - 3:43 - "What Cha' Gonna Do for MeWhat Cha' Gonna Do for Me (song)"What Cha' Gonna Do For Me" is the title track of Chaka Khan's third solo-album from 1981. The single was written by Ned Doheny and Hamish Stuart and was the second of four number-one singles on the R&B chart for Khan and was at the top spot for two weeks. The single was also her second entry on...
(Doheny, Stuart) - 3:54 - "I Know You, I Live You" (Khan, Mardin) - 4:29
- "Any Old SundayAny Ol' Sunday"Any Ol' Sunday" is a song written by Alfred McCrary and Linda McCrary of the family group, The McCrarys and released on their 1980 Capitol Records album, Just for You. A cover version by Chaka Khan was released as a single the following year as "Any Old Sunday" on the Warner Brothers album, What...
" (Fraser, Ironstone, McCrary, McCrary) - 3:37 - "We Got Each Other" (Baboff, Khan, Lederman) - 3:56
- "And the Melody Still Lingers On (Night in Tunisia)A Night in Tunisia"A Night in Tunisia" is a musical composition written by Dizzy Gillespie in 1942 while he was playing with the Earl Hines Band. It has become a jazz standard....
" (Gillespie, Khan, Mardin, Paparelli) - 5:04 - "Night Moods" (Jerry RagovoyJerry RagovoyJordan "Jerry" Ragovoy was an American songwriter and record producer.His best-known composition "Time Is on My Side" was made famous by The Rolling Stones, although it had been recorded earlier by Kai Winding and Irma Thomas...
) - 4:21 - "Heed the Warning" (Chase, Jacobson, Khan, Stevens) - 4:32
- "Father He Said" (Ash, Campagna) - 3:52
- "Fate" (Bugatti, Musker) - 3:14
- "I Know You, I Live You" (Reprise) (Khan, Mardin) - 1:22
Personnel
- Chaka Khan - Percussion, Vocals, Background Vocals
- Michael BreckerMichael BreckerMichael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
- Reeds, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Brass, Soloist - Randy BreckerRandy BreckerRandal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...
- Reeds, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Brass - Hiram BullockHiram BullockHiram Law Bullock was an American jazz funk and jazz fusion guitarist.He was born in Osaka, Japan to African American parents serving in the U.S. Military. At the age of two he returned to Baltimore, Maryland with his parents, and quickly showed a prodigious musical talent...
- Guitar, Soloist - Bob Christianson - Synthesizer
- Frank DeCaro - Production Coordination
- Louis del Gatto - Reeds, Saxophone, Brass
- David FosterDavid FosterDavid Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
- Synthesizer, Mini Moog, Prophet 5 - Ronnie Foster - Electric Piano
- Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
- Trumpet - Gary Grant - Reeds, Trumpet, Brass, Overdubs
- Lewis Hahn - Engineer, Mixing
- Larry Hall - Reeds, Trumpet, Overdubs
- Herbie HancockHerbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
- Keyboards, Bells, Oberheim, Soloist, Breakdown, Clavitar - Jerry HeyJerry HeyJerry Hey is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Thriller and the distinctive flugelhorn solo on Dan Fogelberg's hit Longer....
- Trumpet - Kim Hutchcroft - Reeds, Saxophone, Brass, Overdubs
- David Leonard - Assistant Engineer
- Wayne Lewis - Assistant Engineer
- Arif MardinArif MardinArif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
- Strings, Arranger, Producer, Liner Notes, String Arrangements - George Marino - Mastering, Mastering Engineer
- Michael O'Reilly - Assistant Engineer
- Gene Orloff - Concert Master
- Gary Panter - Photo Illustration
- Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
- Keyboards, Rhythm Arrangements, Mini Moog - Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Reeds, Trombone, Brass, Overdubs
- David Richards - Synthesizer, Assistant Engineer
- Barry Rodgers - Reeds, Brass, Trombone
- Richard Seireeni - Art Direction
- Jeremy Smith - Engineer
- Lew Soloff - Reeds, Trumpet, Brass
- Mark Stevens - Bass, Vocals
- Hamish StuartHamish StuartHamish Stuart is a guitarist, bassist, singer, composer and record producer.- Biography :Stuart had recorded a couple of singles with his first band, the Dream Police, before he was invited to join the recently formed Average White Band in June 1972.A member of AWB from 1972 to 1982, he went on to...
- Bass, Guitar, Vocals - Richard TeeRichard TeeRichard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
- Keyboards, Clavinet - Bobby Warner - Assistant Engineer
- Tim Wild - Illustrations
- Michael SembelloMichael SembelloMichael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:Sembello was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied with jazz great Pat Martino and began his career as a professional musician by becoming a session musician, working increasingly with...
- Guitar - David E. Williams - Guitar
- Larry E. Williams - Synthesizer, Flute, Reeds, Keyboards, Saxophone, Brass, Overdubs, Horn Arrangements
- Anthony Jackson - Bass
- Abraham LaborielAbraham LaborielAbraham Laboriel, Sr. is a Mexican bassist of Garifuna descent who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player Magazine described him as "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and...
- Bass - Steve FerroneSteve FerroneSteven "Steve" Ferrone is a British drummer.He was a member of the Average White Band, and has recorded and performed with numerous other high-profile acts, including Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scritti Politti...
, Raymond Lee Pounds, Casey Scheuerell - Drums - Errol "Crusher" Bennett, Paulinho Da CostaPaulinho Da CostaPaulinho da Costa is a Brazilian percussionist born in Rio de Janeiro, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Playing over two hundred percussion instruments, he has participated in thousands of recording sessions, Grammy Award-winning albums, hit songs, soundtracks, radio...
, Chaka Khan _ Percussion
Non-album tracks and remixes
- "Lover's Touch" — B-side of single "What Cha' Gonna Do For Me" (WBS 49692) (Taylor) - 4:31
- "Only Once" — B-side of single "We Can Work It Out" (WBS 49759) (Ruff, Ruff, Kaplan) - 3:55
External links
- What Cha' Gonna Do for Me at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...