1984 Chaka Khan – I Feel For You
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.
After having balanced her two simultaneous careers as a member of the band Rufus and a solo performer during the years 1978 to 1983, which culminated with the release of the final Rufus & Chaka Khan album Stompin’ at the Savoy – Live after which the band dissolved, Khan recorded the album that was to make her a pop star with mainstream chart success; 1984’s “I Feel for You”.
The title track, “I Feel for You” was a cover of a 1979 Prince track, featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel on the classic Ch-ch-ch-chaka-chaka-chaka Khan rap intro and Stevie Wonder on chromatic harmonica (and also a sample from one of his first hits, “Fingertips”) and saw Khan embracing high-tech funk, rap and hip hop and stands as one of her best known songs and her biggest commercial hit, reaching #3 on the US Pop Chart (and becoming Billboard’s #5 song of the year in 1985), and was #1 US R&B, Dance, and UK singles. The song earned her a second Grammy Award in 1985 for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female.
The album reached #16 on Billboard’s Album Chart, #4 R&B and #15 in the UK. Additional hit singles were “This Is My Night” (US #60, R&B #11, Dance #1, UK #14), “Eye To Eye” (UK #16 ) and the ballad “Through The Fire,” which crossed over to the adult contemporary chart (#16) and charted at #77 in the UK. The I Feel for You album’s second ballad, “Stronger Than Before” co-written by Burt Bacharach, Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager, was released as the fifth single in certain markets.
“I Feel for You”, “This Is My Night” and “Eye To Eye” were released as extended 12″ remixes in 1984, and other mixes were created for the 1989 remix compilation Life is a Dance – The Remix Project. The 1984 mixes by Arif Mardin and Russ Titelman remain unreleased on CD.
Tracks
1 This Is My Night (Mic Murphy) 4:42
2 Stronger Than Before (Bruce Roberts, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager) 4:21
3 My Love Is Alive (Gary Wright) 4:42
4 Eye To Eye (John Sembello, Michael Sembello, Daniel Sembello, Don Freeman) 4:38
5 La Flamme (Philippe Saisse, Chaka Khan, Rhoda Roberts) 4:27
6 I Feel For You (Prince) 5:46
7 Hold Her (David Wolinski, James Newton Howard) 5:16
8 Through The Fire (Tom Keane, Cynthia Weil) 4:47
9 Caught In The Act (Joe Mardin) 3:47
10 Chinatown (Philippe Saisse, Chaka Khan, Rhoda Roberts) 4:35
Media
Musicians
1 This Is My Night
| Drums | Steve Ferrone |
| Guitar | Paul Pesco |
| Keyboards | David Frank |
| Synthesizer | David Frank |
| Synthesizer | Philippe Saisse |
2 Stronger Than Before
| Bass | Nathan East |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Dann Huff |
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Synthesizer | Robbie Buchanan |
3 My Love Is Alive
| Keyboards | John Robie |
| Synthesizer | John Robie |
4 Eye To Eye
| Drums | John Ferraro |
| Guitar (solo) | Michael Sembello |
| Guitar | Tony Maiden |
| Keyboards | Daniel Sembello |
| Keyboards | Rob Mounsey |
| Keyboards | Don Freeman |
| Synthesizer | Don Freeman |
5 La Flamme
| Keyboards | Philippe Saisse |
| Synthesizer | Philippe Saisse |
| Background Vocals | Hamish Stuart |
| Background Vocals | Mark Stevens |
6 I Feel For You
| Bass | Gary Griffin |
| Drums | Steve Ferrone |
| Guitar | Gary Griffin |
| Synthesizer | Gary Griffin |
| Keyboards | David Frank |
| Keyboards | Robbie Buchanan |
| Synthesizer | Philippe Saisse |
| Harmonica | Stevie Wonder |
7 Hold Her
| Bass | David Wolinski |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Keyboards | Steve Porcaro |
| Keyboards | James Newton-Howard |
| Keyboards | David Wolinski |
| Synthesizer | Steve Porcaro |
| Synthesizer | James Newton-Howard |
8 Through The Fire
| Bass | Nathan East |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Mike Landau |
| Keyboards | David Foster |
| Synthesizer | David Foster |
9 Caught In The Act
| Drums (programming) | Joe Mardin |
| Guitar | Neil Johnson |
| Guitar | Vadim Zilberstein |
| Keyboards | John Sepella |
| Keyboards | Keith Barnhart |
| Background Vocals | Alec Milstein |
10 Chinatown
| Keyboards | Philippe Saisse |
| Synthesizer | Philippe Saisse |
Liner Notes
Producer – Arif Mardin (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Producer – Robbie Buchanan (Track 2)
Producer – John Robie (Track 3)
Producer – Russ Titelman (Track 4)
Producer – David Wolinksi (Track 7)
Producer – James Newton Howard (Track 7)
Producer – David Foster, Humberto Gatica (Track 8)
Producer – Joe Mardin (Track 9)
Executive-Producer – Arif Mardin
Arranged By – David Frank (Track 1)
Arranged By – Arif Mardin (Tracks 2, 6)
Arranged By – Robbie Buchanan (Track 2)
Arranged By – John Robie (Track 3)
Arranged By – Philippe Saisse (Tracks 5, 10)
Arranged By – Reggie Griffin (Track 6)
Arranged By – David Foster (Track 8)
Arranged By – Joe Mardin (Track 9)
Edited By, Effects (Special Effects) – Lew Hahn, Michael O’Reilly (Track 1)
Edited By (Special Edits By) – Arif Mardin (Tracks 1, 6)
Edited By (Thousand Edits By) – John Robie (Track 3)
Engineer (Additional Recording) – Michael O’Reilly (Tracks 1, 2, 5, 9, 10)
Engineer (Additional Recording) – Gary Skardina (Track 2)
Engineer (Additional Recording) – Julie Last (Track 9)
Engineer (Assistant) – Joe Arnold (Tracks 1, 3)
Engineer (Assistant) – Bill Dooley (Tracks 2, 6, 8)
Engineer (Assistant) – Maureen Thompson, Rick Kerr (Track 1)
Engineer (Assistant) – Alex Gordon, Bill Dooley, Michael Pannone (Track 2)
Engineer (Assistant) – Bobby Warner, John Davenport (Track 5)
Engineer (Assistant) – Gene Curtis, Jan Dalehaug, Jay Rifkin, Jon Ingolsby, Kenny Florendo, Mike Allaire (Track 6)
Engineer (Recording) – Jeremy Smith (Track 2)
Engineer (Assistant) – Dan Garcia (Track 7)
Engineer (Assistant) – Rick Kerr (Tracks 7, 8)
Engineer (Assistant) – Tom Fouce (Tracks 7, 8)
Engineer (Assistant) – Bob Shames, Laura Livingston (Track 8)
Engineer (Assistant) – Andy Heermans, Mike Theodore (Tracks 5, 10)
Engineer (Additional Recording Assistant) – Mike Allaire, Phil Wagner (Track 4)
Engineer (Additional Recording) – Ed Rack, Wayne Yurgelin (Track 4)
Engineer (Additional Recording) – Lew Hahn, Michael O’Reilly (Track 7)
Engineer (Lead Vocal) – Lew Hahn, Michael O’Reilly (Track 8)
Engineer (Assistant Recording) – Gene Curtis (Track 9)
Mastered By – George Marino
Mixed By – Lew Hahn (Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10)
Mixed By (Creative Mix) – John Robie (Track 3)
Mixed By – Elliot Scheiner (Track 4)
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica (Track 8)
Mixed By – Bill Dooley, Joe Mardin, Michael O’Reilly (Track 9)
Recorded By – Lew Hahn (Tracks 1, 5, 6, 10)
Recorded By – Rod Hui (Track 3)
Recorded By – Thom Wilson (Track 4)
Recorded By – John Arrias (Track 7)
Recorded By (Additional Recording) – Gary Skardina, Jeremy Smith, Michael O’Reilly (Track 6)
Recorded By (Lead Vocal) – Arif Mardin (Track 8)
Recorded By – Humberto Gatica (Track 8)
Art Direction – Simon Levy
Design – Kav DeLuxe
Illustration – Ann Field
Phonographic Copyright (p) – WEA International Inc.
Copyright (c) – WEA International Inc.
Made By – PolyGram
