Chaka Khan - C.K 1988

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

 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. 

 

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". 

 

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.