Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1

History

After an at the time 23-year-long career in the music business which spanned over seventeen studio albums (nine solo, eight with the band Rufus) and a combined total of some fifty entries on Billboard's R&B singles chart, Epiphany was the first best of retrospective to be released, then summarising her recorded output in ten tracks; eight solo hits such as "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You", "I Know You, I Live You" and "Through The Fire", combined with two recordings from the Rufus era, "Ain't Nobody" and "Tell Me Something Good".

The Epiphany compilation is however mainly notable for including six tracks from what was originally intended to be Khan's tenth solo album, Dare You To Love Me, recorded between the years 1993 and 1995. Titles from the postponed and eventually cancelled album featured on the Epiphany compilation include "Love Me Still" (co-written by Bruce Hornsby, first released on the soundtrack to the 1995 Spike Lee movie Clockers), Khan's reggae-tinged cover version of Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere", the duet "Never Miss the Water" with Me'shell Ndegéocello, "Somethin' Deep", "Your Love Is All I Know" and "Every Little Thing". A seventh title, "It Ain't Easy Lovin' Me", was released as an exclusive bonus track on the Japanese edition of Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan: Vol. 1.

Another seven recordings from the Dare You To Love Me sessions have surfaced on movie soundtracks, compilations or other artists' albums; "Miles Blowin'" (a tribute to the late Miles Davis, included on the Sugar Hill soundtrack, 1994), "Free Yourself" (on the To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar soundtrack, 1995), "Don't Take Back Your Love" (on Gerry DeVeaux's album Devoted Songs, 1996), Khan's recording of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine" (on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, 1996), "Pain" (co-written by Prince, on the soundtrack to TV sitcom Living Single, 1997), "You And I Are One" and "Power" (both on the 1998 Zebra Records compilation A Song A Day). Three further recordings from the Dare You To Love Me sessions, including the title track, officially remain unreleased.

The Epiphany compilation was promoted by the single release "Never Miss The Water" which included house and drum & bass remixes by Frankie Knuckles, Stylus Production and Candy Station. The single, issued on the Reprise Records label, became a #1 hit on Billboard's Dance Chart and also reached #36 on R&B. "Your Love Is All I Know", "Every Little Thing" and "Everywhere" were also released as singles in certain territories, such as the UK, Germany and Japan.

Until February 2008, the compilation was certified Gold by RIAA, selling 796,000 units according to Neilsen Soundscan.

Track listing

1. "Ain't Nobody" (Written by David "Hawk" Wolinski) 4:41
2. From Rufus & Chaka Khan's 1983 album Stompin' at the Savoy - Live
3. "Papillon (a.k.a. Hot Butterfly)" (Gregg Diamond) - 4:08
4. From the 1980 album Naughty
5. "Tell Me Something Good" (Live) (Stevie Wonder) - 3:35
6. From Rufus & Chaka Khan's 1983 album Stompin' at the Savoy - Live. Original studio version appears on Rufus' 1974 album Rags to Rufus
7. "I Feel for You" (Feat. Stevie Wonder & Melle Mel) (Prince) - 5:46
8. From the 1984 album I Feel for You
9. "I Know You, I Live You" (Khan, Arif Mardin) - 4:28
10. From the 1981 album What Cha' Gonna Do for Me
11. "I'm Every Woman" (Ashford & Simpson) - 4:08
12. From the 1978 album Chaka
13. "Love Me Still" (Khan, Bruce Hornsby) - 3:28
14. 1995 recording, first released on movie soundtrack Clockers
15. "The End of a Love Affair" (Edward Redding) - 5:13
16. From the 1988 album CK
17. "Dedicated in loving memory to Ella Fitzgerald"
18. "And the Melody Still Lingers On (A Night in Tunisia)" (Feat. Dizzy Gillespie) (Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli, Khan, Mardin) - 5:00
19. From the 1981 album What Cha' Gonna Do for Me
20. "Through the Fire" (David Foster, Tom Keane, Cynthia Weil) - 4:47
21. From the 1984 album I Feel for You
22. "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" (Hamish Stuart, Ned Doheny) - 3:53
23. From the 1981 album What Cha' Gonna Do for Me
24. "Everywhere" (Christine McVie) - 4:52
25. Previously unreleased recording, 1995
26. "Never Miss the Water" (featuring Me'shell Ndegéocello) (Gerry DeVeaux, Charlie Mole) - 4:46
27. Previously unreleased recording, 1995
28. "Somethin' Deep" (Khan, Kipper Jones, Keith Crouch) - 4:58
29. Previously unreleased recording, 1995
30. "Your Love Is All I Know" (Jud Friedman, Allan Rich, Chris Walker) - 4:35
31. Previously unreleased recording, 1993
32. "Every Little Thing" (DeVeaux, David Gamson, Khan, Dave Thomas) - 5:12
33. Previously unreleased recording, 1993
34. "It Ain't Easy Lovin' Me" (Gamson, Olivier Leiber, Khan, Allen Cato) - 4:26
35. Bonus track Japanese edition. Previously unreleased recording, 1995

Personnel & production 1993-1995 recordings

"Love Me Still" (1995)

"Everywhere" (1995)

"Never Miss The Water" (1995)

"Somethin' Deep" (1995)

"Your Love Is All I Know" (1993)

"Every Little Thing" (1993)

Non-album tracks and remixes