ck
Studio album by
Chaka Khan
ReleasedNovember 22, 1988
RecordedJanuary–September 1988
GenreR&B
Length49:26
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerRuss Titelman
David Frank
Chaka Khan
Prince
Chris Jasper
Chaka Khan chronology
Destiny
(1986)		 ck
(1988)		 Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project
(1989)
Singles from ck
  1. "It's My Party"
    Released: 1988
  2. "Baby Me"
    Released: 1989
  3. "Soul Talkin'"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

ck is the seventh studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1988.

Background

ck was Khan's first album not to be recorded with Arif Mardin, instead it had with the exception of two tracks Russ Titelman at the helm as producer, with whom she had collaborated on hits like "Ain't Nobody" (1983), "Eye to Eye" from 1984's platinum-selling I Feel for You as well as "Tight Fit" from her previous album Destiny. Musically ck combined a variety of genres such as soul, R&B, funk, pop as well as two jazz titles and altogether the set was more laid-back, less hip-hop influenced and production-wise not as complex and synth-driven as I Feel for You and Destiny.

Content

ck opens with Khan's cover of Stevie Wonder's 1970 hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", again featuring the composer himself on harmonica, like on the 1984 hit single "I Feel for You".

One of the two tracks not to be produced by Russ Titelman was the funky and improvisational "Sticky Wicked", Khan's first proper collaboration with Prince after having covered his "I Feel for You" and turning it into a million-selling hit single. ck also includes a second Prince composition, a cover version of Sheena Easton's "Eternity" (produced by David Frank and Khan herself), and some ten years later Khan and Prince were to team up for a full-length album together, Come 2 My House.

ck includes one track written and co-produced by Chris Jasper, former member of the Isley Brothers, who was also responsible for writing and producing much of the Isley material from 1973 through 1984 before the Isley Brothers' breakup. Jasper can also be heard singing backing vocals with Khan on "Make It Last".

ck also features two recordings of jazz classics that since have become mainstays in Khan's live repertoire, "The End of a Love Affair", a tribute to Billie Holiday who first recorded the song on her 1958 album Lady in Satin, and Alec Wilder's "I'll Be Around", the latter with a guest appearance by trumpeter Miles Davis, who also features on the Prince track "Sticky Wicked".

Singles

Three singles were released from ck: Womack & Womack's Latino-flavoured "It's My Party" which reached number five on Billboard's R&B Singles chart, "Soul Talkin'" and "Baby Me" which reached Top 20 on the R&B chart, peaking at number 12. The ck album itself also charted higher than the preceding Destiny, reaching number 17 on the R&B Albums chart.

One title from the ck sessions was only released as a single B-side, "Everybody Needs Some Love" written by former Rufus member David "Hawk" Wolinski, producer Russ Titelman and Khan herself.

Track listing

  1. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" (Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright, Lula Mae Hardaway, Lee Garrett) - 4:45
  2. "Soul Talkin'" (Brenda Russell) - 4:15
  3. "It's My Party" (Womack & Womack) - 5:11
  4. "Eternity" (Prince) - 4:03
  5. "Sticky Wicked" (Prince) - 6:54
  6. "The End of a Love Affair" (Edward Redding) - 5:11
  7. "Baby Me" (Holly Knight, Billy Steinberg) - 4:04
  8. "Make It Last" (Chris Jasper, Margie Jasper) - 4:48
  9. "Where Are You Tonite" (Gary Haase, Chaka Khan) - 4:53
  10. "I'll Be Around" (Alec Wilder) - 5:21

Personnel

Production

Non-album tracks and remixes

  • "Everybody Needs Some Love" (B-side of single "Baby Me", produced by Russ Titelman) – 4:26
  • "It's My Party" (New Party Mix) – 8:40
  • "It's My Party" (Club Instrumental) – 5:05
  • "It's My Party" (Club Edit) – 5:10
  • "It's My Party" (Dance Dub) – 5:18
  • "Soul Talkin'" (Serious Soul Mix, remixed by Paul Simpson) – 6:14
  • "Soul Talkin'" (Serious Soul Edit) – 4:25
  • "Baby Me" (2 CK's And A Baby Mix) – 6:35
  • "Baby Me" (Big Baby Mix-Extended Mix) – 4:21
  • "Baby Me" (Nursery Mix) – 4:25

Charts

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[2] 115
US Billboard 200[3] 125
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[4] 17

References

  1. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r17054/review
  2. ↑ "ARIA chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022". ARIA. Retrieved December 2, 2023 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  3. ↑ "Chaka Khan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Chaka Khan Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
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