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I Feel for You

 
Album Review: I Feel for You

  • Artist: Chaka Khan
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1984
  • Total Time: 46:51
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

When Chaka Khan recorded her fifth solo album, I Feel for You, in 1984, she knew that R&B had changed a lot since the 1970s. Horn-powered funk bands, strings-laden Philadelphia soul, and orchestral disco were out of vogue, and the urban contemporary audiences of 1984 were into a more high-tech, heavily electronic style of R&B. Many artists who had been huge in the 1970s found that they no longer appealed to black radio programmers, who had abandoned them and turned their attention to electro-funksters and Prince disciples. But Chaka Khan had no problem keeping up with the times; I Feel for You made it clear that she could easily be relevant to the urban contemporary scene of 1984. No one would mistake I Feel for You for a Rufus project from 1975 -- it's way too high-tech -- and yet, everything on the album is unmistakably Chaka Khan. That is true of up-tempo items like "Love Is Alive" (an interesting remake of Gary Wright's 1976 hit) and "La Flamme," as well as the ballad "Through the Fire," which was a big hit on urban radio but crossed over to adult contemporary stations in a major way. "This Is My Night" (which was written and produced by the System) also became an urban radio hit, but the album is best known for Khan's unlikely remake of Prince's "I Feel for You." When Prince first recorded "I Feel for You" in 1979, it wasn't a hit; Khan's version, however, soared to number one on Billboard's R&B singles chart. Khan had a very different take on the song than Prince; while his original version was subtle and restrained, Khan went for exuberance and added a strong hip-hop flavor. Excellent from start to finish, this album went down in history as both a creative and a commercial success. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
This Is My Night (Lyrics) Mic Murphy, David Frank Chaka Khan (4:38)
Stronger Than Before (Lyrics) Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Bruce Roberts Chaka Khan (4:21)
My Love Is Alive (Lyrics) Gary Wright Chaka Khan (4:42)
Eye to Eye (Lyrics) Michael Sembello, Don Freeman, Danny Sembello, John Sembello Chaka Khan (4:38)
La Flamme Philippe Saisse, Rhoda Roberts Chaka Khan (4:27)
I Feel for You (Lyrics) Prince Chaka Khan (5:44)
Hold Her (Lyrics) James Newton Howard, David Wolinski "Hawk" Chaka Khan (5:14)
Through the Fire (Lyrics) David Foster, Tommy Keane, Cynthia Weil Chaka Khan (4:45)
Caught in the Act Joe Mardin, Alec Milstein Chaka Khan (3:45)
Chinatown Chaka Khan, Philippe Saisse, Rhoda Roberts Chaka Khan (4:37)

Credits

Mic Murphy (Vocals (Background)), Paul Pesco (Guitar), James Newton Howard (Synthesizer), James Newton Howard (Keyboards), Rob Mounsey (Synthesizer), David Foster (Synthesizer), David Foster (Keyboards), Michael Sembello (Guitar), Michael Sembello (Guitar (Rhythm)), Michael Sembello (Vocals (Background)), Robbie Buchanan (Synthesizer), Robbie Buchanan (Keyboards), Robbie Buchanan (Programming), Chaka Khan (Vocals), Chaka Khan (Vocals (Background)), Chaka Khan (Main Performer), Bill-Dog Dooley (Mixing), Nathan East (Bass), Steve Ferrone (Drums), David Frank (Synthesizer), David Frank (Keyboards), David Frank (Programming), Reggie Griffin (Synthesizer), Reggie Griffin (Bass), Reggie Griffin (Guitar), Reggie Griffin (Keyboards), Reggie Griffin (Programming), Dann Huff (Guitar), Steve Lukather (Guitar), Tony Maiden (Guitar (Rhythm)), Arif Mardin (Producer), Joe Mardin (Drums), Grandmaster Melle Mel (Rap), Alec Milstein (Vocals (Background)), John Robie (Synthesizer), John Robie (Keyboards), John Robie (Programming), John "J.R." Robinson (Drums), Marcus Ryle (Programming), Philippe Saisse (Synthesizer), Philippe Saisse (Arranger), Philippe Saisse (Keyboards), Philippe Saisse (Programming), Cruz Baca Sembello (Vocals (Background)), Danny Sembello (Synthesizer), Danny Sembello (Keyboards), Craig Siegel (Programming), Hamish Stuart (Vocals (Background)), Stevie Wonder (Harmonica), Mark Stevens (Vocals (Background)), Keith Barnhart (Synthesizer), Keith Barnhart (Keyboards), Vadim Zilbershtein (Guitar), Hawk (Bass)
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Wikipedia: I Feel for You (album)
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I Feel For You
Studio album by Chaka Khan
Released October 1, 1984
Recorded 1983
Genre Funk, Hip Hop, Electronica, soul, Rhythm and blues, Pop
Length 46:51
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Arif Mardin
Professional reviews
Chaka Khan chronology
Chaka Khan
(1982)
I Feel For You
(1984)
Destiny
(1986)
Rufus & Chaka Khan chronology
Stompin' at the Savoy - Live
(1983)

I Feel for You is the Platinum certified sixth solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1984.

Contents

Overview

Excellent from start to finish, this album went down in history as both a creative and a commercial success.

—Alex Henderson, Allmusic[1]

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 sample-heavy 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 harmonica (and also a sample from one of his first hits, "Fingertips Part 2") 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, #1 on both US R&B and US Dance as well as topping the UK singles chart - and it also earned her a second consecutive Grammy Award in 1985 for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, following "Ain't Nobody" with Rufus. Further hit singles from the album which reached #16 on Billboard's Pop Chart, #4 on R&B and also #15 on the UK albums chart were "This Is My Night" (US #60, R&B #11, US Dance #1, UK #14), "Eye To Eye" (UK #16 ) and the ballad "Through The Fire," which also reached the US R&B top ten, setting a then-record for most consecutive weeks on the Billboard R&B chart. It also rose to #60 on the Pop chart during a 19-week run on the Hot 100, and crossed over to the adult contemporary chart (US Pop #60, US R&B #15, US AC #16, UK #77). "Through the Fire" has since been sampled by Kanye West for his 2003 hit single "Through the Wire". on his debut album The College Dropout The I Feel for You album's second ballad, "Stronger Than Before" co-written by Burt Bacharach, Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager, released as the fifth single in certain territories, was later covered by among others Dionne Warwick.

"I Feel for You", "This Is My Night" and "Eye To Eye" were all released as extended 12" remixes in 1984 - these are not to be confused with the re-produced ones that later appeared on the 1989 remix compilation Life is a Dance - The Remix Project. The 1984 mixes by Arif Mardin and Russ Titelman remain unreleased on CD.

1985 saw Khan releasing two non-album singles, "(Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street" from the movie Krush Groove (US R&B #18, UK #80) and "Own The Night", featured in the first series of Miami Vice (US Pop #57, US R&B #66).

The I Feel for You album was transferred from vinyl to CD in 1984 and remains in print.

Track listing

  1. "This Is My Night" (Frank, Murphy) - 4:38
  2. "Stronger Than Before" (Bacharach, Roberts, Sager) - 4:21
  3. "My Love Is Alive" (Wright) - 4:42
  4. "Eye to Eye" (Freeman, Sembello, Sembello, Sembello) - 4:38
  5. "La Flamme" (Roberts, Saisse) - 4:27
  6. "I Feel for You" (Prince) - 5:44
  7. "Hold Her" (Newton-Howard, Wolinski) - 5:14
  8. "Through the Fire" (Foster, Keane, Weil) - 4:45
  9. "Caught in the Act" (Mardin, Milstein) - 3:45
  10. "Chinatown" (Khan, Roberts, Saisse) - 4:37

Personnel

Production

Non-album tracks and remixes

  • "I Feel for You" (Extended Remix, remixed by Arif Mardin) - 7:12
  • "This Is My Night" (Extended Version a.k.a. Dance Remix, remixed by Arif Mardin, Lew Hahn & Michael O'Reilly) - 6:12
  • "Eye To Eye" (Extended Remix, remixed by Russ Titelman) - 6:35
  • "(Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street" (Produced by Russ Titelman) - 4:10
  • "(Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street" (Extended Dance Mix, remixed by Russ Titelman) - 6:01
  • "(Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street" (Instrumental) - 5:15
  • "Own The Night" (Produced by Arif Mardin) - 4:27
  • "Own The Night" (Extended Version, remix by Joe Mardin, Joshua & Michael O'Reilly) - 6:20
  • "Own The Night" (Instrumental) - 4:27


Preceded by
"Sugar Walls" by Sheena Easton
"This is My Night" U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
March 2, 1985
Succeeded by
"New Attitude"/"Axel F" by Patti LaBelle/Harold Faltermeyer

References


 
 
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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