Chaka is the debut solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1978.
Still very much an integral part of Rufus, Chaka Khan set the charts on fire with her debut solo release. The first single was the R&B chart-topper "I'm Every Woman," an Ashford & Simpson track with Khan lighting up the lyric with her tantalizing vocals. Although Khan had much credibility from her association with Rufus, this album demonstrated that the dynamic vocalist could hold her own ground alone.
Two singles were released from Chaka, the first being her anthemic solo debut "I'm Every Woman", one of Khan's signature tunes alongside "Ain't Nobody" (1983) and "I Feel For You" (1984). The song has over the past three decades been re-released, remixed and covered a number of times, most notably by Whitney Houston in 1992 for the soundtrack album The Bodyguard, then featuring guest vocals by Khan herself and topping Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. A remix of Khan's original recording was also a Top Ten hit in the U.K. in 1989. The remix was included on the compilation Life is a Dance - The Remix Project, the title track of which was the second single release from the Chaka album in early 1979 (US R&B #40). The album also features the ballad "Roll Me Through the Rushes", never commercially released as a single but still receiving considerable airplay in 1979, as well as Khan's cover version of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made To Love Her", re-titled "I Was Made to Love Him".
Following the release of the Chaka album Khan reunited with Rufus for the recording of 1979's Masterjam, produced by Quincy Jones. Her second solo album Naughty followed in 1980.
The Chaka album was re-released on CD in the United States by the Warner Music Group in 1998.
Chaka Khan - lead vocals, backing vocalsGene Orloff - concert masterSteve Ferrone - drumsWill Lee - bass guitar & backing vocals tracks 1, 5, bass track 3, backing vocals tracks 4, 10Hamish Stuart - guitar & backing vocals tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, backing vocals track 3, guitar tracks 6, 8, 10, bass track 9Phil Upchurch - guitar tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, bass track 6Andrew Kastner - Guitar tracks 4,8Richard Tee - piano tracks 1, 2, 7, 8, electric piano track 4, clavinet track 5, piano & clavinet track 10Cissy Houston - backing vocals tracks 1, 2, 3David Lasley - backing vocals tracks 2, 3Anthony Jackson - bass tracks 2, 4, 10George Young - alto saxophone tracks 2, 5, 6Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone tracks 2, 5, 6Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, tenor saxophone solo tracks 7, 9Barry Rogers - trombone tracks 2, 5, 6Randy Brecker - trumpet tracks 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, trumpet & flugelhorn track 7Rick Marotta - drums track 3Leon Pendarvis - electric piano track 3Brook Tillotson - french horn tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 9Jim Buffington - french horn tracks 3, 4Cornell Dupree - guitar track 3Gene Bianco - harp track 3Alan Gorrie - backing vocals tracks 3, 5Ken Bichel - synthesizer (S.R.M.) tracks 4, 6, 8Raphael Cruz - congas track 6, track 9Arthur Jenkins - electric piano track 6, clavinet track 9Eddie Daniels - flute track 6Phil Bodner - flute track 6George Marge - alto flute track 6George Benson - vocals track 6Mark Stevens - bass track 7, backing vocals track 10John Clark - french horn track 7, 8, 9Onnie McIntyre - guitar tracks 7, 9Airto Moreira - percussion track 7David Sanborn - alto saxophone tracks 7, 8Sammy Figueroa - percussion track 8Paul Faulise - bass trombone track 8, 9Jesse Levy - cello track 9Kermit Moore - cello track 9Richard Bock - cello track 9Terri Gonzales - backing vocals track 10Tony Maiden - guitar solo track 10Luther Vandross - backing vocals track 3F. Buldrini - stringsE. Bianco - stringsG. Marge - stringsG. Lumia - stringsH. Kohon - stringsJ. Levy - stringsJ. Malin - stringsJ. Abramowitz - stringsJ. Barber - stringsK. Moore - stringsM. Morgenstern - stringsM. Takayama - stringsP. Winter - stringsR. Iandiorio - stringsR. Bock - stringsR. Sortomme - stringsS. Allen - stringsT. Israel - stringsArif Mardin - record producer, musical arranger brass, strings, woodwindChaka Khan - musical arranger track 5James Douglass - sound engineerBill Dooley - assistant sound engineerMichael O'Reilly - assistant sound engineerRandy Mason - assistant sound engineerSheridan Eldridge - assistant sound engineerAnthony D'Amico - assistant sound engineerLew Hahn - additional recording engineer, remixGene Paul - additional recording engineerRecorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, New YorkAdditional recording at Cherokee Recording Studios, Los Angeles