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{{About|the American funk band|the Estonian pop band|Ruffus|the Australian indie dance music group| |
{{short description|American funk band}} |
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{{About|the American funk band|the Estonian pop band|Ruffus|the Australian indie dance music group|Rüfüs Du Sol}} |
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{{ |
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} |
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{{Infobox musical artist |
{{Infobox musical artist |
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|name = Rufus |
| name = Rufus |
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|background = group_or_band |
| background = group_or_band |
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| image = |
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|image = File:Rufus_with_Chaka_Khan_circa_late_1970's.jpg |
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| caption = |
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|caption = Circa late 1970s: left to right - (top row) Bobby Watson, John "J.R." Robinson, Tony Maiden, (bottom row) Kevin Murphy, Chaka Khan, Dave "Hawk" Wolinski. |
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|alias = Smoke<br>Ask Rufus<br>Rufus featuring Chaka Khan<br>Rufus & Chaka Khan<br>Rufus & Chaka<br>Rufus with Chaka Khan |
| alias = Smoke<br>Ask Rufus<br>Rufus featuring Chaka Khan<br>Rufus & Chaka Khan<br>Rufus & Chaka<br>Rufus with Chaka Khan |
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|origin = [[Chicago |
| origin = [[Chicago, Illinois]], United States |
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| genre = {{Flatlist| |
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|genre = [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]], [[funk]], [[smooth soul]], [[quiet storm]], [[disco]] |
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* [[Funk]] |
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|years_active = 1970–1983 |
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* [[Soul music|soul]] |
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|label = [[Epic Records|Epic]], [[ABC Records|ABC]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] |
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* [[disco]]}} |
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|past_members = [[#Line-ups|See line-ups]] |
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| years_active = 1970–1983, 2008–present |
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| label = [[Epic Records|Epic]], [[ABC Records|ABC]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] |
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| past_members = See [[#Members|list of members]] |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Rufus''' |
'''Rufus''' is an American [[funk]] [[musical ensemble|band]] from [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] best known for launching the career of lead singer [[Chaka Khan]].<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|last1=Huey|first1=Steve|title=Rufus Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rufus-mn0000302685/biography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> They had several [[hit record|hit]]s during their career, including "[[Tell Me Something Good]]", "[[Sweet Thing (Chaka Khan song)|Sweet Thing]]", "[[Do You Love What You Feel]]", and "[[Ain't Nobody]]". Rufus and Chaka Khan were one of the most popular and influential funk bands of the 1970s; they had four consecutive number-one [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] albums, ten top 40 pop hits, and five number-one R&B singles among other accolades.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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{{Moresources|section|date=June 2023}} |
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===Origins=== |
===Origins=== |
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In |
In 1968, [[the American Breed]] ([[Gary Loizzo]], guitar/vocals; Al Ciner, guitar; Charles "Chuck" Colbert, bass; and Lee Graziano, drums) had a top ten hit with the classic-rock single "[[Bend Me, Shape Me]]". After their success, Colbert and Graziano (without Loizzo, who pursued a successful production career) created a new group adding later-day American Breed members [[Kevin Murphy (musician)|Kevin Murphy]] (keyboards) and [[Paulette McWilliams]] (vocals) as well as James Stella (vocals), and Vern Pilder (guitar) from the bar band Circus.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> They re-emerged in 1969 with the name Smoke.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> In 1970, after switching their management to Bob Monaco and Bill Traut, the group's name was changed again to Ask Rufus,<ref name="LarkinSM"/> taken from the title of the advice column in ''[[Mechanix Illustrated]]''. At that point, Ciner came back replacing Pilder and [[Willie Weeks]] was added on bass after Colbert left.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> In 1971, the band signed a contract with [[Epic Records]] and recorded an album which was not released; then Epic dropped their contract in early 1972. Weeks was replaced by Dennis Belfield, James Stella by keyboardist/vocalist Ron Stockert, and Lee Graziano by Andre Fischer. |
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Paulette McWilliams and [[Chaka Khan]] had met and they became the best of friends through their spouses Howard Towles and Hassan Khan. Khan attended most Ask Rufus gigs when they performed in Chicago. When McWilliams decided that she was leaving Ask Rufus, she told them she had the perfect singer to replace her; she also asked Khan if she was interested. After the band hesitantly agreed, McWilliams remained for a few weeks to teach Khan the material. McWilliams got Khan a gig with the group Lyfe, formed by Chicago's [[Cash McCall (musician)|Cash McCall]]. Khan had been performing at the Pumpkin Room on the south side of Chicago, with a local group, Lock and Chain which was led by drummer Scotty Harris. |
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In 1971, the band signed a contract with [[Epic Records]] recording an album that wasn't released after which Epic dropped their contract in early 1972. Willie Weeks was in turn replaced by Dennis Belfield, |
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James Stella was replaced by keyboardist and vocalist Ron Stockert, Lee Graziano was replaced by Andre Fischer (former drummer with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler), Paulette McWilliams and [[Chaka Khan]] had met and became the best of friends through their spouses Howard Towles and Hassan Khan. Chaka would come to most of Ask Rufus gigs when they were performing in Chicago. When Paulette decided she was leaving Ask Rufus, she went to the band and told them she had the perfect singer to replace her; she had also asked Chaka if she was interested. After the band members hesitantly submitted, Paulette remained with Ask Rufus for a few more weeks to teach Chaka all of their material. Paulette also got Chaka a gig with the group formed by Chicago's [[Cash McCall (musician)|Cash McCall]] called Lyfe. Chaka had been performing at the Pumpkin Room on the south side of Chicago, with a local Chicago group called Lock and Chain, led by drummer Scotty Harris. |
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===Early career=== |
===Early career=== |
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Bob Monaco was part of a booking company known as Ashley Famous |
Bob Monaco was part of a booking company known as Ashley Famous with Jim Golden. They booked Ask Rufus, with Paulette McWilliams and also the [[Rotary Connection]] with [[Minnie Riperton]]. Monaco was responsible for helping get Ask Rufus their deal on [[ABC Records|ABC Dunhill]]. Monaco returned to [[Los Angeles]], convinced the label to give him a demo budget and then quickly returned to Chicago where the group recorded eleven songs in two days at Marty Feldman's Paragon Studios. After they took the demo tapes to ABC Dunhill in 1973, the group was immediately asked to sign a long-term recording contract.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> |
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A few weeks before Monaco saw Rufus perform, the group had already caught the attention of musician [[Ike Turner]] who flew them to Los Angeles to record at his studio [[Bolic Sound]] in [[Inglewood, California]]. Turner wanted Khan to become an [[The Ikettes|Ikette]]; she declined saying that she was "really happy with Rufus. But Ike's attention was certainly a boost."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/chakathroughfire00chak/page/63|title=Chaka! Through The Fire|last=Khan, Chaka|publisher=Rodale|others=Bolden, Tonya|year=2003|isbn=1579548261|location=Emmaus, PA|pages=[https://archive.org/details/chakathroughfire00chak/page/63 63]|oclc=52412052}}</ref> The group returned to Los Angeles shortly after that to record ''[[Rufus (Rufus album)|Rufus]]'' at Quantum Recording Studios in [[Torrance, California]]; it was released in 1973. Although the songs "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" and "Feel Good" (both featuring Khan) brought the group some attention from R&B radio stations, the album itself had minimal sales and the Stockert-led "Slip & Slide" failed to catch major attention from pop radio. The group quickly re-entered the same studio to record their follow-up album ''[[Rags to Rufus]]''.<ref name="AllMusic" /> |
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Khan, who at eighteen was still a minor, had to have her mother sign along with her, even though as a married woman (newly wed to Hassan Khan, a bassist of one of her former bands), she could have done the deed herself. The group then drove to Los Angeles and recorded their first "Rufus" album at Quantum Recording Studios in Torrance, California, released in 1973. |
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Ciner and Belfield left the group shortly thereafter along with Stockert who was replaced by keyboardist Nate Morgan, based in Los Angeles. Additionally, Tony Maiden and bassist Bobby Watson, who was also from Los Angeles, were recruited by drummer Andre Fischer. The trio's addition to Rufus added a unique sound to the group, bringing a stronger funk and jazz influence to complement Khan's now emerging powerful lead vocals. |
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While the songs "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" and "Feel Good" (both featuring Khan) brought the group some attention from R&B radio stations, the album itself had minimal sales, and the Stockert-led "Slip & Slide" failed to catch major attention from pop radio. |
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The group quickly re-entered the same studio to record their follow-up album ''[[Rags to Rufus]]'' that included the [[Stevie Wonder]] song "[[Tell Me Something Good]]", [[Ray Parker Jr.]]'s and Khan's "[[You Got The Love]]" and Dennis Belfield's "In Love We Grow", along with "Smokin' Room". Ciner and Belfield would leave the group shortly thereafter along with Stockert, who was replaced by Los Angeles-based keyboardist Nate Morgan. Additionally, Tony Maiden and bassist Bobby Watson, also from Los Angeles, were recruited by drummer Andre Fischer and asked to join the group as well. Maiden's, Watson's and Morgan's addition to Rufus added a unique sound to the group, bringing a stronger funk and jazz influence to complement Chaka's now emerging powerful lead vocals. |
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===Success, stardom and tension=== |
===Success, stardom and tension=== |
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''Rags to Rufus'' was released in 1974 and two of its |
''Rags to Rufus'' was released in 1974 and two of its singles—the [[Stevie Wonder]]-penned "[[Tell Me Something Good]]" and the Parker-Khan composition, "[[You Got the Love (Rufus song)|You Got the Love]]"—became smash hits and ''Rags to Rufus'' went [[Recording Industry Association of America|Platinum]].<ref name="LarkinSM"/> They landed opening spots for the tours of several top stars, including Stevie Wonder, [[Cheech and Chong]], and the [[Hues Corporation]]. "Tell Me Something Good" also gave Rufus their first [[Grammy Award]]. In addition it sold over one million copies and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|Gold disc]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] on August 9, 1974.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book| first= Joseph| last= Murrells| year= 1978| title= The Book of Golden Discs| edition= 2nd| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| location= London| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/350 350]| isbn= 0-214-20512-6| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/350}}</ref> |
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| first= Joseph |
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| last= Murrells |
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| year= 1978 |
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| title= The Book of Golden Discs |
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| edition= 2nd |
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| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |
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| location= London |
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| page= 350 |
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| isbn= 0-214-20512-6}}</ref> Due to Khan's increasing popularity Rufus and ABC started calling the group '''Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan'''. With this new billing, the band recorded and quickly released their next album, ''[[Rufusized]]'' in 1974. Another platinum success, the group entered the top ten again with the funk singles, "[[Once You Get Started]]", (penned by [[Gavin Christopher]]), "Stop on By", "I'm a Woman", and "Pack'd My Bags" (later sampled for [[Jody Watley]]'s "Lovin' You So") and "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)", penned by their friend [[Brenda Russell]]. |
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Due to Khan's increasing popularity Rufus and ABC began calling the group '''Rufus featuring Chaka Khan'''. With the new billing, the band recorded and released their next album without delay, ''[[Rufusized]]'' in 1974. Another Platinum success, the group again entered the top ten with the funk singles, "[[Once You Get Started]]" (penned by [[Gavin Christopher]]), "Stop on By", "I'm a Woman", "Pack'd My Bags" (later sampled for [[Jody Watley]]'s "Lovin' You So"), and "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)", penned by their friend [[Brenda Russell]]. |
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Heading into 1975, the group headlined their first major tour, with Khan attracting attention in concert reviews for her powerhouse vocals and [[sex symbol|sexy attire]] — so much so that when it came to do photo sets, Khan was often the only artist chosen to be featured on covers, mainly on magazines such as ''[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]'', which Khan would be heavily featured on throughout her long career. Also due to her off-stage antics that added to her on-stage persona, the media billed Khan as "the wild child". Due to Khan's vocal power and sex appeal, she was often compared to [[Tina Turner]], with some rock and soul press labeling her a "pint-sized Tina", and also to [[Aretha Franklin]] (her friends called her "little Aretha"). Attention to Khan began to make things difficult for some of the group's members as they felt Khan's presence had overshadowed the entire band's output. The group's fourth release, and the third major release where Khan was dominant lead singer, ''[[Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan]]'', was released in 1975. The major hit off the album was a compositon by Khan, Tony Maiden and Van Morrison titled "[[Sweet Thing (Chaka Khan song)|Sweet Thing]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rufus-featuring-chaka-khan-mw0000309051 |title=Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan |first=Jason |last=Elias |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> which reached the top five of the charts<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-thing-mt0002686353 |title=Sweet Thing |first=Ed |last=Hogan |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> and became their fourth record to reach [[music recording sales certifications|gold]]. |
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[[File:Chaka Kahn 1996.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Chaka Khan]] in 1996]] |
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Despite the album's success as well as a second successful major tour that followed, it still didn't stop growing tensions within the group, particularly between Khan and longtime Rufus drummer Andre Fischer. During recording sessions of ''[[Ask Rufus]]'', Khan had married Richard Holland (she had divorced her first husband Hassan Khan in 1974 prior to the birth of their child Milini), and the presence of Holland only made things worse between Khan and Fischer. During one session of ''Ask Rufus'', Fischer engaged in a fight with Holland, who received help from a counter-attacking Khan. ''Ask Rufus'' would be released in 1977 and include the hits "[[At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)]]", "Hollywood" and "Everlasting Love". Following a tour to promote ''Ask Rufus'', Fischer finally left the group. He was followed out of the group by Nate Morgan. They were replaced by Richard "Moon" Calhoun and [[Hawk Wolinski|David "Hawk" Wolinski]], respectively. The new lineup recorded the album, ''[[Street Player]]'', which featured the Khan-composed ballad, "Stay". After first putting it off as a rumor, Khan confirmed to media reports that she was going solo, signing a deal with [[Warner Bros. Records]]. The decision strained relations between Khan and the other Rufus members. Khan released her [[Chaka (1978 album)|self-titled debut]] later in 1978. The album sold more than ''Street Player'', going platinum, thanks to the international [[Ashford & Simpson]]-composed single, "[[I'm Every Woman]]". Khan continued to promote the album into 1979. In early 1979, Calhoun would be replaced by John "J.R." Robinson as the group's drummer in 1979. |
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The group headlined their first major tour in 1975, with Khan attracting attention in concert reviews for her powerhouse vocals and [[sex symbol|sexy attire]]—so much so that Khan was often featured on magazine covers like ''[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]''. Due to her off-stage antics which added to her on-stage persona, the media billed Khan as "the wild child". She was often compared to [[Tina Turner]] and some rock and soul press labeled her a "pint-sized Tina". Attention to Khan began to make waves for some of the group's members, as they felt her presence overshadowed the band itself. |
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The group's fourth release, and the third major release with Khan as singer, ''[[Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan (album)|Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan]]'', was released in 1975.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> The major hit on the album was a composition by Khan and Tony Maiden titled "[[Sweet Thing (Chaka Khan song)|Sweet Thing]]";<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rufus-featuring-chaka-khan-mw0000309051 |title=Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan |first=Jason |last=Elias |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> it reached the top five of the charts<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-thing-mt0002686353 |title=Sweet Thing |first=Ed |last=Hogan |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> and became their fourth record to go [[music recording sales certifications|Gold]]. Despite the album's success as well as a second successful major tour which followed, tensions grew within the group, particularly between Khan and longtime Rufus drummer Andre Fischer. |
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Khan married Richard Holland during recording sessions of ''[[Ask Rufus]].'' She had divorced her first husband Hassan Khan in 1974 prior to the birth of their child Milini. Holland's presence only made things worse between Khan and Fischer. During one session of ''Ask Rufus'', Fischer got into a fight with Holland, who received help from Khan who counter-attacked. ''Ask Rufus'' was released in 1977 and includes the hits "[[At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)]]", "Hollywood", and "Everlasting Love".<ref name="LarkinSM" /> After a tour promoting ''Ask Rufus'', Fischer finally left the group. He was followed by Nate Morgan. They were replaced by Richard "Moon" Calhoun and [[Hawk Wolinski|David "Hawk" Wolinski]], respectively.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> |
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The new line-up recorded the album ''[[Street Player]]'',<ref name="LarkinSM" /> featuring the Khan-composed song "Stay". After first putting it off as a rumor, Khan confirmed to media reports that she was going solo and signing a deal with [[Warner Bros. Records]]. The decision strained relations between Khan and the other Rufus members. Khan released her [[Chaka (1978 album)|self-titled debut]] later in 1978. The album sold more than ''Street Player'', going Platinum, thanks to the international [[Ashford & Simpson]]-composed single "[[I'm Every Woman]]". She continued to promote the album in 1979. In April 1978, Calhoun was replaced by [[John Robinson (drummer)|John "JR" Robinson]] as the group's drummer.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> |
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===Decline and final years=== |
===Decline and final years=== |
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[[File:John JR Robinson.jpg|left|thumb|Drummer [[John Robinson (drummer)|JR Robinson]] preparing for a Rufus concert in 1980]] |
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Following the Calhoun replacement, another change came when ABC Records got absorbed by [[MCA Records|MCA]], bringing the group to MCA as a result. While Khan promoted ''Chaka'', Rufus put out a less favorably received Khan-less album, ''[[Numbers (Rufus album)|Numbers]]'', which tanked. Khan returned to record with the band for the [[Quincy Jones]]-produced ''[[Masterjam]]''. By now, Rufus and Khan were split in two, both acts being treated separately. Khan's superstardom helped ''Masterjam'' go gold thanks to the funk-laden disco recording, "[[Do You Love What You Feel]]". |
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After Calhoun's replacement, ABC Records was absorbed by [[MCA Records|MCA]], bringing the group to MCA. While Khan promoted ''Chaka'', Rufus put out a less favorably received album without Khan, ''[[Numbers (Rufus album)|Numbers]]''. Khan returned to record with the band for ''[[Masterjam]]'' which was produced by [[Quincy Jones]].<ref name="LarkinSM"/> By now, Rufus and Khan were two separate acts. Khan's stardom helped ''Masterjam'' go Gold thanks to the funk-laden disco recording, "[[Do You Love What You Feel]]".<ref name="LarkinSM"/> Though Khan said later that she was ready to leave Rufus at the time she released ''Chaka'' in 1978, she discovered that she had two more albums left in her ABC/MCA contract with the band and agreed to fulfill her obligations. After ''Masterjam'', one of the contractual albums, and another album without Khan, ''[[Party 'Til You're Broke]]'', which did not sell well, Rufus and Khan reunited for their last MCA album, ''[[Camouflage (Rufus album)|Camouflage]]'', in 1981.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> Tension was felt during the album sessions. Khan avoided the band, recording her vocals alone to a [[click track]]. |
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The album failed to garner attention, mainly due to Khan's solo obligations, which now included two more Gold-certified studio albums, ''[[Naughty (Chaka Khan album)|Naughty]]'' and ''[[What Cha' Gonna Do for Me]]''. With the release of ''Camouflage'', Khan was free to leave the group and after her exit in early 1982, the remaining members of Rufus released what became their final studio album, ''[[Seal in Red]]'' in 1983. Like their previous albums, it went unnoticed. Rufus band members agreed to split after one last live album. The band asked Khan to contribute to their final concert performance, which was filmed by [[Warner Bros.]] She obliged, reuniting with the group for what was later released as a [[documentary film]], ''Stompin' At the Savoy''.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> Warner Bros. declined to release the film at that time and released only the [[Stompin' at the Savoy - Live|live album]].<ref name="LarkinSM" /> The filmed concert has since been released to home video. |
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Though Khan would later say that she was ready to leave Rufus upon the time she released ''Chaka'' in 1978, she discovered that she had two more albums left in her ABC/MCA contract with the band and agreed to fulfill her obligations. Following ''Masterjam'', one of the contractual albums, and another Khan-less album, ''[[Party 'Til You're Broke]]'', which bombed, the factions of Rufus and Khan reunited for their last MCA album, ''[[Camouflage (Rufus album)|Camouflage]]'' in 1981. The feelings of long overdrawn bad tensions were felt during album sessions. This resulted in situations where Khan would either record her vocals alone to a [[click track]] prior to he band's instrumentation being added later, or vice versa. |
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The album included four Khan-led studio songs, including the Dave Wolinski composition "[[Ain't Nobody]]",<ref name="LarkinSM">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-733-9|page=224}}</ref> which got attention when a producer for the film ''[[Breakin']]'' heard it while screening songs for the movie's soundtrack. WB eventually released the song (with the billing '''Rufus and Chaka Khan''') and the song became a top 30 [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] hit, reaching number one on the R&B chart and was number eight on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. The success of the track led to the band receiving its second [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]]. |
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Unfortunately, the album failed to garner attention, mainly due to Khan's solo obligations, which now included two more gold-certified studio albums, ''[[Naughty (Chaka Khan album)|Naughty]]'' and ''[[What Cha' Gonna Do for Me]]''. With the release of ''Camouflage'', Khan was free to leave the group, and following her exit in early 1982, the remaining members of Rufus released what became their final studio album, ''[[Seal in Red]]'' in 1983 which, like their previous albums, went unnoticed. |
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After that Rufus went their separate ways. Khan soon released the album and smash single "[[I Feel for You]]", cementing her solo career, which continued successfully for decades.<ref name="LarkinSM" /> |
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Rufus band members sensed that their tenure was over and agreed to split on the terms they release one last live album to commemorate the occasion. The band asked Khan to contribute to their final concert performance which would be filmed by Warner Bros., and she obliged, reuniting with the group for what was to be later released as a [[documentary film]] titled ''Stompin' At the Savoy''. For some reason, Warner Bros. refused to release the film at that time and released only the [[Stompin' at the Savoy - Live|live album]] instead. However the concert has since been released to home-video with remastered picture and remixed 5.1 [[Dolby Surround]] sound. |
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===Post-break-up=== |
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The album included four Khan-led studio songs, including a Dave Wolinski composition titled "[[Ain't Nobody]]", which got attention when a producer for the film, ''[[Breakin']]'' heard it while screening songs for the movie's soundtrack. Warner eventually released the song (with the billing '''Rufus and Chaka Khan''') and the song became a top 30 [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] hit, reaching number-one on the R&B chart and hitting number eight on the UK singles chart. The success of the track led to the band receiving its second [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]]. |
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In 2001, Rufus (Kevin Murphy, Tony Maiden, Bobby Watson, Dave Wolinski, John "JR" Robinson) and Khan reunited for a brief tour, which Khan described in her 2003 autobiography, ''Chaka! Through the Fire'' (co-written with Tonya Bolden). Khan and Maiden reunited on the modernized Rufus medley "Pack'd My Bags"/ "You Got the Love", on Khan's double Grammy Award-winning 2007 album, ''[[Funk This]]''. While discussing a second potential reunion with Rufus during a 2008 interview with ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', Khan said that the band's classic lineup, which includes Andre Fischer and Nate Morgan, had no plans on reuniting with Khan saying that touring with Maiden, one of the few Rufus bandmates with which Khan kept a close friendship was the closest to another Rufus reunion. |
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A lineup of Rufus including Bobby Watson and JR began a short tour in 2008. Neither founding member Kevin Murphy, mainstay Tony Maiden, nor Dave Wolinski participated in the tour. In September 2011, the [[Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]] committee announced that the band and Khan were jointly nominated for induction to the 27th annual class. They had been eligible since 1999 (with the committee counting the band's first album as being ''Rags to Rufus'' rather than 1973's ''Rufus''). It was their first year of nomination. Earlier in the year, Khan received a solo star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. Rufus was nominated again for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in September 2017. |
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Following this success, Rufus went their separate ways for good with Khan continuing her solo career, becoming one of the most revered R&B artists of her generation with the release of the single "[[I Feel for You]]" cementing her reputation. |
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== |
==Members== |
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===Final Lineup=== |
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In 2001, Rufus (Kevin Murphy, Tony Maiden, Bobby Watson, Dave Wolinski and [[John Robinson (drummer)]]) aka J.R. Robinson and Chaka Khan reunited for a brief tour, which Khan described in her autobiography, ''Chaka! Through the Fire'' (co-written with Tonya Bolden), in 2003. Khan and Maiden reunited on the modernized Rufus medley, "Pack'd My Bags"/ "You Got the Love", on Khan's double Grammy Award-winning 2007 album, ''[[Funk This]]''. When discussing another potential reunion with Rufus during a 2008 interview with ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', Khan said the band's classic lineup (which includes Andre Fischer and Nate Morgan) had no plans on reuniting, with Khan stating that touring with Tony Maiden, one of the few Rufus band mates Khan kept a close friendship with, was the closest to another Rufus reunion. A lineup of Rufus including Bobby Watson and J.R. Robinson started a short tour in 2008. Neither founding member Kevin Murphy, mainstay Tony Maiden nor Dave Wolinski participated in this tour. In September 2011, the [[Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]] committee announced that the band and Khan were jointly nominated for induction to the 27th annual class. They had been eligible since 1999 (with the committee counting the band's first album as ''Rags to Rufus'' rather than 1973's ''Rufus''). It was their first year of nomination. Earlier in the year, Khan received a solo star at the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. |
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*[[Kevin Murphy (musician)|Kevin Murphy]] – keyboards <small>(1970–1983)</small> |
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*[[Chaka Khan]] – vocals <small>(1972–1983)</small> |
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*[[:ja:Tony_Maiden_(Rufus)|Tony Maiden]] – guitar, vocals <small>(1974–1983)</small> |
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*Bobby Watson – bass <small>(1974–1983)</small> |
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*[[Hawk Wolinski|Dave "Hawk" Wolinski]] – keyboards, vocals <small>(1977–1983)</small> |
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*[[John Robinson (drummer)|John "JR" Robinson]] – drums <small>(1979–1983)</small> |
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*[[Ivan Neville]] – vocals <small>(1983)</small>{{efn|Only on 1983 album ''[[Seal in Red]]''.}} |
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===Former members=== |
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==Line-ups== |
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*Lee Graziano – drums <small>(1970–1972)</small> |
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*Chuck Colbert Jr. – bass <small>(1970)</small> |
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*[[Al Ciner]] – guitar <small>(1970–1974)</small> |
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*Paulette McWilliams – vocals <small>(1970–1972)</small> |
|||
*James Stella – vocals <small>(1970–1972)</small> |
|||
*[[Willie Weeks]] – bass <small>(1970–1972)</small> |
|||
*Andre Fischer – drums <small>(1972–1977)</small> |
|||
*Ron Stockert – keyboards, vocals <small>(1972–1974)</small> |
|||
*Dennis Belfield – bass <small>(1972–1974)</small> |
|||
*[[Nate Morgan]] – keyboards <small>(1974–1977, died 2013)</small> |
|||
*Richard "Moon" Calhoun – drums <small>(1977–1979)</small> |
|||
{{notelist}} |
|||
;Timeline |
|||
===Rufus=== |
|||
{{#tag:timeline |
|||
(also known as ''Rufus featuring Chaka Khan'', ''Rufus and Chaka'' and ''Rufus and Chaka Khan'') |
|||
|ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 |
|||
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:110 top:0 right:20 |
|||
Alignbars = justify |
|||
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy |
|||
Period = from:01/01/1970 till:12/01/1983 |
|||
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy |
|||
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 |
|||
ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1970 |
|||
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1970 |
|||
Colors = |
|||
===1972–1974=== |
|||
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals |
|||
*[[Chaka Khan]] |
|||
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar |
|||
*[[Al Ciner]] |
|||
id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards |
|||
*[[Kevin Murphy (musician)|Kevin Murphy]] |
|||
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass |
|||
*Andre Fischer |
|||
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums |
|||
*Ron Stockert |
|||
id:studio value:black legend:Studio_albums |
|||
*Dennis Belfield |
|||
id:live value:gray(0.75) legend:Live_release_recordings |
|||
id:bars value:gray(0.93) |
|||
BackgroundColors = bars:bars |
|||
===1974–1977=== |
|||
*Chaka Khan |
|||
*Tony Maiden |
|||
*Kevin Murphy |
|||
*Andre Fischer |
|||
*Bobby Watson |
|||
*Nate Morgan |
|||
LineData = |
|||
===1977–1979=== |
|||
layer:back |
|||
*Chaka Khan<sup>1</sup> |
|||
color:live |
|||
*Tony Maiden |
|||
at:08/10/1983 |
|||
*Kevin Murphy |
|||
color:studio |
|||
*Richard "Moon" Calhoun |
|||
at:07/18/1973 |
|||
*Bobby Watson |
|||
at:05/01/1974 |
|||
*[[Hawk Wolinski|Dave "Hawk" Wolinski]] |
|||
at:12/05/1974 |
|||
at:11/18/1975 |
|||
at:01/19/1977 |
|||
at:01/17/1978 |
|||
at:01/01/1979 |
|||
at:11/01/1979 |
|||
at:03/01/1981 |
|||
at:10/01/1981 |
|||
at:02/01/1983 |
|||
BarData = |
|||
===1979–1983=== |
|||
bar:Paulette text:"Paulette McWilliams" |
|||
*Chaka Khan<sup>1</sup> |
|||
bar:James text:"James Stella" |
|||
*Tony Maiden |
|||
bar:Chaka text:"Chaka Khan" |
|||
*Kevin Murphy |
|||
bar:Ivan text:"Ivan Neville" |
|||
*[[John Robinson (drummer)|John "JR" Robinson]] |
|||
*Bobby Watson |
|||
*Dave "Hawk" Wolinski |
|||
bar:Al text:"Al Ciner" |
|||
<sup>1</sup> - <small>Khan would depart from Rufus to record her debut album ''[[Chaka (1978 album)|Chaka]]'' in 1978, but would remain contracted to the group through 1982. Khan then reunited in 1983 for the group's final album, the live release, ''[[Stompin' at the Savoy – Live]]''.</small> |
|||
bar:Tony text:"Tony Maiden" |
|||
bar:Kevin text:"Kevin Murphy" |
|||
bar:Ron text:"Ron Stockert" |
|||
bar:Nate text:"Nate Morgan" |
|||
bar:Hawk text:"Hawk Wolinski" |
|||
bar:Chuck text:"Chuck Colbert Jr." |
|||
bar:Willie text:"Willie Weeks" |
|||
bar:Dennis text:"Dennis Belfield" |
|||
bar:Bobby text:"Bobby Watson" |
|||
bar:Lee text:"Lee Graziano" |
|||
bar:Andre text:"Andre Fischer" |
|||
bar:Moon text:"Richard Calhoun" |
|||
bar:JR text:"John Robinson" |
|||
PlotData = |
|||
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4) |
|||
color:vocals |
|||
bar:Paulette from:01/01/1970 till:03/01/1972 |
|||
bar:James from:01/01/1970 till:03/01/1972 |
|||
bar:Chaka from:03/01/1972 till:end |
|||
bar:Ivan from:01/01/1983 till:02/01/1983 |
|||
bar:Tony from:05/01/1974 till:end width:3 |
|||
bar:Ron from:03/01/1972 till:05/01/1974 width:3 |
|||
bar:Hawk from:02/01/1977 till:end width:3 |
|||
color:guitar |
|||
bar:Al from:01/01/1970 till:05/01/1974 |
|||
bar:Tony from:05/01/1974 till:end |
|||
color:keyboard |
|||
bar:Kevin from:01/01/1970 till:end |
|||
bar:Ron from:03/01/1972 till:05/01/1974 |
|||
bar:Nate from:05/01/1974 till:02/01/1977 |
|||
bar:Hawk from:02/01/1977 till:end |
|||
color:bass |
|||
bar:Chuck from:01/01/1970 till:07/01/1970 |
|||
bar:Willie from:07/01/1970 till:03/01/1972 |
|||
bar:Dennis from:03/01/1972 till:05/01/1974 |
|||
bar:Bobby from:05/01/1974 till:end |
|||
color:drums |
|||
bar:Lee from:01/01/1970 till:03/01/1972 |
|||
bar:Andre from:03/01/1972 till:02/01/1977 |
|||
bar:Moon from:02/01/1977 till:03/01/1979 |
|||
bar:JR from:03/01/1979 till:end |
|||
}} |
|||
==Discography== |
==Discography== |
||
| Line 111: | Line 194: | ||
! rowspan="2"| Album |
! rowspan="2"| Album |
||
! colspan="5"| Peak chart positions |
! colspan="5"| Peak chart positions |
||
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
||
! rowspan="2"| Record label |
! rowspan="2"| Record label |
||
|- style="font-size:smaller;" |
|- style="font-size:smaller;" |
||
! width="35"| [[Billboard 200|US Pop]]<br><ref name="Awards">{{cite web|title=Rufus - Awards|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rufus-mn0000302685/awards|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=21 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905221952/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rufus-mn0000302685/awards|archive-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref> |
|||
! width="35"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref name="allmusic albums">{{Allmusic |class=artist |id=p5319|tab=discography |label=US Albums Charts > Rufus |accessdate={{date|2009-11-15}}}}</ref> |
|||
! width="35"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name=" |
! width="35"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="Awards"/> |
||
! width="35"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br><ref name="kent">{{cite book|title=Australian Charts Book 1970—1992|author=David Kent|isbn=0-646-11917-6|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.}}</ref> |
! width="35"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br><ref name="kent">{{cite book|title=Australian Charts Book 1970—1992|author=David Kent|isbn=0-646-11917-6|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.}}</ref> |
||
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can">{{cite |
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=ocv31cubjsh5l1e3bukj3tl923&q1=Rufus&q2=&interval=20|title=CAN Charts > Rufus|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|access-date=2012-02-18}}</ref> |
||
! width="35"| [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="uk">{{cite web |
! width="35"| [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2917/rufus/|title=Rufus |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|website=officialcharts.com}}</ref> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1973 |
| 1973 |
||
| Line 138: | Line 221: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| align="left"| |
| align="left"| |
||
* |
* [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]: Gold<ref name=ABC>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=RUFUS&lab=ABC&adv=SEARCH#search_section|title=Rufus (ABC Records)|publisher=[[RIAA]]|access-date=January 18, 2023}}</ref> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| align="left"| ''[[Rufusized]]'' |
| align="left"| ''[[Rufusized]]'' |
||
| Line 146: | Line 229: | ||
| 51 |
| 51 |
||
| 48 |
| 48 |
||
| align="left"| |
| align="left"| |
||
* |
* RIAA: Gold<ref name=ABC /> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1975 |
| 1975 |
||
| Line 157: | Line 240: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| align="left"| |
| align="left"| |
||
* |
* RIAA: Gold<ref name=ABC /> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1977 |
| 1977 |
||
| Line 166: | Line 249: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align="left"| |
| align="left"| |
||
* |
* RIAA: Platinum<ref name=ABC /> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1978 |
| 1978 |
||
| Line 176: | Line 259: | ||
| 13 |
| 13 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align="left"| |
| align="left"| |
||
* |
* RIAA: Gold<ref name=ABC /> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2"| 1979 |
| rowspan="2"| 1979 |
||
| Line 194: | Line 277: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align="left"| |
| align="left"| |
||
* RIAA: Gold<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=RUFUS&lab=MCA&adv=SEARCH#search_section|title=Rufus (MCA Records)|publisher=[[RIAA]]|website=riaa.com}}</ref> |
|||
* US: Platinum<ref name="riaa"/> |
|||
| rowspan="3"| [[MCA Records|MCA]] |
| rowspan="3"| [[MCA Records|MCA]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Line 236: | Line 319: | ||
! rowspan="2"| Record label |
! rowspan="2"| Record label |
||
|- style="font-size:smaller;" |
|- style="font-size:smaller;" |
||
! |
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref name="Awards"/> |
||
! |
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="Awards"/> |
||
! |
! style="width:35px;"| [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="uk"/> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|| 1983 |
|| 1983 |
||
| Line 245: | Line 328: | ||
| 4 |
| 4 |
||
| 64 |
| 64 |
||
| [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
===Compilation albums=== |
===Compilation albums=== |
||
*''[[The Very Best of Rufus |
*''[[The Very Best of Rufus with Chaka Khan]]'' (1982, [[MCA Records|MCA]]) |
||
*''Chaka Khan and Rufus - Maybe Your Baby'' (2008, Cugate Ltd.) |
*''Chaka Khan and Rufus - Maybe Your Baby'' (2008, Cugate Ltd.) |
||
| Line 258: | Line 341: | ||
! rowspan="2"| Single |
! rowspan="2"| Single |
||
! colspan="6"| Peak chart positions |
! colspan="6"| Peak chart positions |
||
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]] |
|||
! rowspan="2"| Album |
! rowspan="2"| Album |
||
|- style="font-size:smaller;" |
|- style="font-size:smaller;" |
||
! width="35"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US Pop]]<br><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rufus/chart-history/hsi/|title=Rufus: Hot 100|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|website=billboard.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117202224/https://www.billboard.com/artist/rufus/chart-history/hsi/|archive-date=November 17, 2021}}</ref> |
|||
! width="35"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br><ref name="allmusic singles">{{Allmusic |class=artist |id=p5319 |tab=discography/singles-eps |label="US Singles Charts > Rufus" |accessdate={{date|2009-11-16}}}}</ref> |
|||
! width="35"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rufus/chart-history/bsi/|title=Rufus: Hot Soul Songs|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|website=billboard.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118000150/https://www.billboard.com/artist/rufus/chart-history/bsi/|archive-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> |
|||
! width="35"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br>R&B]]<br><ref name="allmusic singles"/> |
|||
! width="35"| [[Hot Dance Club Songs|US<br>Dan]]<br><ref name=" |
! width="35"| [[Hot Dance Club Songs|US<br>Dan]]<br><ref name="Awards"/> |
||
! width="35"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br><ref name="kent"/> |
! width="35"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br><ref name="kent"/> |
||
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can"/> |
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br><ref name="can"/> |
||
! width="35"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="uk"/> |
! width="35"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="uk"/> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1970 |
|||
| |
| align="left"| "Brand New Day" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| Line 275: | Line 359: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Non-album single |
|||
| rowspan="2" {{N/A}} |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1971 |
|||
| |
| align="left"| "Fire One, Fire Two, Fire Three" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| Line 285: | Line 370: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="3"| 1973 |
| rowspan="3"| 1973 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Slip 'n Slide" |
||
| 110 |
| 110 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| Line 294: | Line 380: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| ''[[Rufus (1973 album)|Rufus]]'' |
|||
| align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Rufus'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 40 |
| 40 |
||
| Line 303: | Line 390: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Feel Good" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 45 |
| 45 |
||
| Line 311: | Line 399: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2"| 1974 |
| rowspan="2"| 1974 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[Tell Me Something Good]]" |
||
| 3 |
| 3 |
||
| 3 |
| 3 |
||
| Line 319: | Line 408: | ||
| 64 |
| 64 |
||
| 21 |
| 21 |
||
| 54{{Efn|Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}} |
|||
| — |
|||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''[[Rags to Rufus]]'' |
|||
* RIAA: Gold<ref name=riaa>{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Rufus|accessdate=September 25, 2020}}</ref> |
|||
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Rags to Rufus'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[You Got the Love (Rufus song)|You Got the Love]]" |
||
| 11 |
| 11 |
||
| 1 |
| 1 |
||
| Line 329: | Line 420: | ||
| 21 |
| 21 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan=" |
| rowspan="4" | 1975 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[Once You Get Started]]" |
||
| 10 |
| 10 |
||
| 4 |
| 4 |
||
| |
| 6 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 14 |
| 14 |
||
| 59{{Efn|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}} |
|||
| — |
|||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''[[Rufusized]]'' |
|||
| rowspan="3" align="left" | ''Rufusized'' |
|||
|- |
|||
| align="left"| "Stop on By" |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|57{{Efn|name=fn2|group=upper-alpha}} |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)" |
||
| 48 |
| 48 |
||
| 6 |
| 6 |
||
| Line 347: | Line 449: | ||
| 75 |
| 75 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[Sweet Thing (Chaka Khan song)|Sweet Thing]]" |
||
| 5 |
| 5 |
||
| 1 |
| 1 |
||
| Line 355: | Line 458: | ||
| 68 |
| 68 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| ''[[Rufus featuring Chaka Khan (album)|Rufus featuring Chaka Khan]]'' |
|||
* RIAA: Gold<ref name="riaa" /> |
|||
| align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Rufus featuring Chaka Khan'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2"| 1976 |
| rowspan="2"| 1976 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Dance Wit Me" |
||
| 39 |
| 39 |
||
| 5 |
| 5 |
||
| Line 365: | Line 470: | ||
| 75 |
| 75 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[Jive Talkin']]" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 35 |
| 35 |
||
| Line 373: | Line 479: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="3"| 1977 |
| rowspan="3"| 1977 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)]]" |
||
| 30 |
| 30 |
||
| 1 |
| 1 |
||
| Line 382: | Line 489: | ||
| 57 |
| 57 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| |
| align=left| |
||
| align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Ask Rufus'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Hollywood" |
||
| 32 |
| 32 |
||
| 3 |
| 3 |
||
| Line 391: | Line 499: | ||
| 56 |
| 56 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"|"Everlasting Love" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 17 |
| 17 |
||
| Line 399: | Line 508: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2"| 1978 |
| rowspan="2"| 1978 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Stay" |
||
| 38 |
| 38 |
||
| 3 |
| 3 |
||
| Line 408: | Line 518: | ||
| 44 |
| 44 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| |
| align=left| |
||
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Street Player'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Blue Love" |
||
| 105 |
| 105 |
||
| 34 |
| 34 |
||
| Line 417: | Line 528: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="3"| 1979 |
| rowspan="3"| 1979 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)" |
||
| 109 |
| 109 |
||
| 16 |
| 16 |
||
| Line 426: | Line 538: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''[[Numbers (Rufus album)|Numbers]]'' |
|||
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Numbers'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Ain't Nobody Like You" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| Line 435: | Line 548: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[Do You Love What You Feel (Rufus song)|Do You Love What You Feel]]" |
||
| 30 |
| 30 |
||
| 1 |
| 1 |
||
| rowspan="2"|5 |
| rowspan="2"| 5 |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| |
| align=left| |
||
| align="left" rowspan="3"| ''Masterjam'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2"| 1980 |
| rowspan="2"| 1980 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Any Love" |
||
| 102 |
| 102 |
||
| 24 |
| 24 |
||
| Line 452: | Line 567: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "I'm Dancing for Your Love" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 43 |
| 43 |
||
| Line 460: | Line 576: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="3"| 1981 |
| rowspan="3"| 1981 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Tonight We Love" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 18 |
| 18 |
||
| Line 469: | Line 586: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| |
| align=left| |
||
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Party 'Til You're Broke'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Hold on to a Friend" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 56 |
| 56 |
||
| Line 478: | Line 596: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Sharing the Love" |
||
| 91 |
| 91 |
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| 8 |
| 8 |
||
| Line 486: | Line 605: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''[[Camouflage (Rufus album)|Camouflage]]'' |
|||
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Camouflage'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1982 |
|||
| |
| align="left"| "Better Together" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 66 |
| 66 |
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| Line 496: | Line 616: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| align=left| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2"| 1983 |
| rowspan="2"| 1983 |
||
| |
| align="left"| "Take It to the Top" |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| 47 |
| 47 |
||
| Line 505: | Line 626: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| |
| align=left| |
||
| align="left"| ''Seal in Red'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| align="left"| "[[Ain't Nobody]]" |
||
| 22 |
| 22 |
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| 1 |
| 1 |
||
| Line 514: | Line 636: | ||
| — |
| — |
||
| 8 |
| 8 |
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| align=left| |
|||
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''[[Stompin' at the Savoy – Live]]'' |
|||
* RIAA: Platinum<ref name="riaa" /> |
|||
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: 2× Platinum<ref name="bpi1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/346-1228-1|title=Rufus & Chaka Khan: Ain't Nobody|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]|access-date=June 15, 2024}}</ref> |
|||
* [[Music Canada|MC]]: Gold<ref name="mc">{{cite web|url=https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?_gp_search=Ain%27t+Nobody%20Chaka+Khan|title=Chaka Khan: Ain't Nobody|publisher=[[Music Canada]]|access-date=November 17, 2024}}</ref> |
|||
| align="left" rowspan="2"| ''Stompin' at the Savoy – Live'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1984 |
|||
| |
| align="left"| "[[One Million Kisses]]" |
||
| 102 |
| 102 |
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| 37 |
| 37 |
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| — |
| — |
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| 86 |
| 86 |
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| align=left| |
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|- |
|- |
||
| 1989 |
|||
| |
| align="left"| "Ain't Nobody" <small>(7" Remix Edit)</small> |
||
| — |
| — |
||
| — |
| — |
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| Line 533: | Line 660: | ||
| — |
| — |
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| 6 |
| 6 |
||
| |
| align=left| |
||
| align="left"| ''[[Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project]]'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
||
|} |
|} |
||
== |
==Accolades== |
||
*1974: [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]]: "[[Tell Me Something Good]]" - '''Win''' |
|||
===Grammy Awards=== |
|||
*1978: [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]]: ''[[Ask Rufus]]'' - Nomination |
|||
Rufus has won two Grammy Awards, from three Grammy nominations.<ref name=Grammy>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/rufus/8514|title=Rufus|publisher=[[The Recording Academy]]|website=grammy.com|date=23 November 2020}}</ref> |
|||
*1983: [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals]]: "[[Ain't Nobody]]" - '''Win''' |
|||
{| class="wikitable sortable" |
|||
|- |
|||
! Year |
|||
! class="unsortable" | Nominated work |
|||
! Award category |
|||
! Result |
|||
|- |
|||
|| 1974 |
|||
| "[[Tell Me Something Good]]" |
|||
| rowspan=2|[[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group Or Chorus]] |
|||
| {{won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
|| 1977 |
|||
| ''[[Ask Rufus]]'' |
|||
| {{nom}} |
|||
|- |
|||
|| 1983 |
|||
| "[[Ain't Nobody]]" |
|||
| rowspan=2|[[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal]] |
|||
| {{won}} |
|||
|- |
|||
|} |
|||
==Covers== |
==Covers== |
||
Rufus [[cover version|covered]] songs |
Rufus [[cover version|covered]] songs including [[Quincy Jones]]' "Body Heat". "Ain't Nobody" was covered by many artists, including [[Kelly Price]], [[Faith Evans]], [[Diana King]], and [[George Michael]]. 1983's "You're Really Out of Line" was recorded by [[Music of Belgium|Belgian]] band [[Awaken (band)|Awaken]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/awakenmusic |title=Awaken | Party In Lyceum's Toilets | CD Baby Music Store |publisher=Cdbaby.com |access-date=2015-08-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815185558/http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/awakenmusic |archive-date=2015-08-15 }}</ref> |
||
==Notes== |
|||
{{notelist-ua}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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| Line 550: | Line 703: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
*[http://www.officialrufus.com/ Rufus] Official website (Site co-opted by non-group entity) |
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*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5319|pure_url=yes}} Rufus] at [[AllMusic]] |
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5319|pure_url=yes}} Rufus] at [[AllMusic]] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rufus}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rufus}} |
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[[Category:ABC Records artists]] |
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[[Category:American funk musical groups]] |
[[Category:American funk musical groups]] |
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[[Category:American soul musical groups]] |
[[Category:American soul musical groups]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Epic Records artists]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups established in 1972]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1983]] |
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[[Category:Grammy Award winners]] |
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]] |
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[[Category:MCA Records artists]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1983]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups established in 1972]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups from Chicago]] |
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[[Category:Warner Records artists]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:18, 19 November 2024
Rufus | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Smoke Ask Rufus Rufus featuring Chaka Khan Rufus & Chaka Khan Rufus & Chaka Rufus with Chaka Khan |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1970–1983, 2008–present |
| Labels | Epic, ABC, MCA, Warner Bros. |
| Past members | See list of members |
Rufus is an American funk band from Chicago best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan.[1] They had several hits during their career, including "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Do You Love What You Feel", and "Ain't Nobody". Rufus and Chaka Khan were one of the most popular and influential funk bands of the 1970s; they had four consecutive number-one R&B albums, ten top 40 pop hits, and five number-one R&B singles among other accolades.[citation needed]
Biography
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
Origins
[edit]In 1968, the American Breed (Gary Loizzo, guitar/vocals; Al Ciner, guitar; Charles "Chuck" Colbert, bass; and Lee Graziano, drums) had a top ten hit with the classic-rock single "Bend Me, Shape Me". After their success, Colbert and Graziano (without Loizzo, who pursued a successful production career) created a new group adding later-day American Breed members Kevin Murphy (keyboards) and Paulette McWilliams (vocals) as well as James Stella (vocals), and Vern Pilder (guitar) from the bar band Circus.[2] They re-emerged in 1969 with the name Smoke.[2] In 1970, after switching their management to Bob Monaco and Bill Traut, the group's name was changed again to Ask Rufus,[2] taken from the title of the advice column in Mechanix Illustrated. At that point, Ciner came back replacing Pilder and Willie Weeks was added on bass after Colbert left.[2] In 1971, the band signed a contract with Epic Records and recorded an album which was not released; then Epic dropped their contract in early 1972. Weeks was replaced by Dennis Belfield, James Stella by keyboardist/vocalist Ron Stockert, and Lee Graziano by Andre Fischer.
Paulette McWilliams and Chaka Khan had met and they became the best of friends through their spouses Howard Towles and Hassan Khan. Khan attended most Ask Rufus gigs when they performed in Chicago. When McWilliams decided that she was leaving Ask Rufus, she told them she had the perfect singer to replace her; she also asked Khan if she was interested. After the band hesitantly agreed, McWilliams remained for a few weeks to teach Khan the material. McWilliams got Khan a gig with the group Lyfe, formed by Chicago's Cash McCall. Khan had been performing at the Pumpkin Room on the south side of Chicago, with a local group, Lock and Chain which was led by drummer Scotty Harris.
Early career
[edit]Bob Monaco was part of a booking company known as Ashley Famous with Jim Golden. They booked Ask Rufus, with Paulette McWilliams and also the Rotary Connection with Minnie Riperton. Monaco was responsible for helping get Ask Rufus their deal on ABC Dunhill. Monaco returned to Los Angeles, convinced the label to give him a demo budget and then quickly returned to Chicago where the group recorded eleven songs in two days at Marty Feldman's Paragon Studios. After they took the demo tapes to ABC Dunhill in 1973, the group was immediately asked to sign a long-term recording contract.[2]
A few weeks before Monaco saw Rufus perform, the group had already caught the attention of musician Ike Turner who flew them to Los Angeles to record at his studio Bolic Sound in Inglewood, California. Turner wanted Khan to become an Ikette; she declined saying that she was "really happy with Rufus. But Ike's attention was certainly a boost."[3] The group returned to Los Angeles shortly after that to record Rufus at Quantum Recording Studios in Torrance, California; it was released in 1973. Although the songs "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" and "Feel Good" (both featuring Khan) brought the group some attention from R&B radio stations, the album itself had minimal sales and the Stockert-led "Slip & Slide" failed to catch major attention from pop radio. The group quickly re-entered the same studio to record their follow-up album Rags to Rufus.[1]
Ciner and Belfield left the group shortly thereafter along with Stockert who was replaced by keyboardist Nate Morgan, based in Los Angeles. Additionally, Tony Maiden and bassist Bobby Watson, who was also from Los Angeles, were recruited by drummer Andre Fischer. The trio's addition to Rufus added a unique sound to the group, bringing a stronger funk and jazz influence to complement Khan's now emerging powerful lead vocals.
Success, stardom and tension
[edit]Rags to Rufus was released in 1974 and two of its singles—the Stevie Wonder-penned "Tell Me Something Good" and the Parker-Khan composition, "You Got the Love"—became smash hits and Rags to Rufus went Platinum.[2] They landed opening spots for the tours of several top stars, including Stevie Wonder, Cheech and Chong, and the Hues Corporation. "Tell Me Something Good" also gave Rufus their first Grammy Award. In addition it sold over one million copies and was awarded a Gold disc by the RIAA on August 9, 1974.[4]
Due to Khan's increasing popularity Rufus and ABC began calling the group Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. With the new billing, the band recorded and released their next album without delay, Rufusized in 1974. Another Platinum success, the group again entered the top ten with the funk singles, "Once You Get Started" (penned by Gavin Christopher), "Stop on By", "I'm a Woman", "Pack'd My Bags" (later sampled for Jody Watley's "Lovin' You So"), and "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)", penned by their friend Brenda Russell.
The group headlined their first major tour in 1975, with Khan attracting attention in concert reviews for her powerhouse vocals and sexy attire—so much so that Khan was often featured on magazine covers like Jet. Due to her off-stage antics which added to her on-stage persona, the media billed Khan as "the wild child". She was often compared to Tina Turner and some rock and soul press labeled her a "pint-sized Tina". Attention to Khan began to make waves for some of the group's members, as they felt her presence overshadowed the band itself.
The group's fourth release, and the third major release with Khan as singer, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, was released in 1975.[2] The major hit on the album was a composition by Khan and Tony Maiden titled "Sweet Thing";[5] it reached the top five of the charts[6] and became their fourth record to go Gold. Despite the album's success as well as a second successful major tour which followed, tensions grew within the group, particularly between Khan and longtime Rufus drummer Andre Fischer.
Khan married Richard Holland during recording sessions of Ask Rufus. She had divorced her first husband Hassan Khan in 1974 prior to the birth of their child Milini. Holland's presence only made things worse between Khan and Fischer. During one session of Ask Rufus, Fischer got into a fight with Holland, who received help from Khan who counter-attacked. Ask Rufus was released in 1977 and includes the hits "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)", "Hollywood", and "Everlasting Love".[2] After a tour promoting Ask Rufus, Fischer finally left the group. He was followed by Nate Morgan. They were replaced by Richard "Moon" Calhoun and David "Hawk" Wolinski, respectively.[2]
The new line-up recorded the album Street Player,[2] featuring the Khan-composed song "Stay". After first putting it off as a rumor, Khan confirmed to media reports that she was going solo and signing a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The decision strained relations between Khan and the other Rufus members. Khan released her self-titled debut later in 1978. The album sold more than Street Player, going Platinum, thanks to the international Ashford & Simpson-composed single "I'm Every Woman". She continued to promote the album in 1979. In April 1978, Calhoun was replaced by John "JR" Robinson as the group's drummer.[2]
Decline and final years
[edit]
After Calhoun's replacement, ABC Records was absorbed by MCA, bringing the group to MCA. While Khan promoted Chaka, Rufus put out a less favorably received album without Khan, Numbers. Khan returned to record with the band for Masterjam which was produced by Quincy Jones.[2] By now, Rufus and Khan were two separate acts. Khan's stardom helped Masterjam go Gold thanks to the funk-laden disco recording, "Do You Love What You Feel".[2] Though Khan said later that she was ready to leave Rufus at the time she released Chaka in 1978, she discovered that she had two more albums left in her ABC/MCA contract with the band and agreed to fulfill her obligations. After Masterjam, one of the contractual albums, and another album without Khan, Party 'Til You're Broke, which did not sell well, Rufus and Khan reunited for their last MCA album, Camouflage, in 1981.[2] Tension was felt during the album sessions. Khan avoided the band, recording her vocals alone to a click track.
The album failed to garner attention, mainly due to Khan's solo obligations, which now included two more Gold-certified studio albums, Naughty and What Cha' Gonna Do for Me. With the release of Camouflage, Khan was free to leave the group and after her exit in early 1982, the remaining members of Rufus released what became their final studio album, Seal in Red in 1983. Like their previous albums, it went unnoticed. Rufus band members agreed to split after one last live album. The band asked Khan to contribute to their final concert performance, which was filmed by Warner Bros. She obliged, reuniting with the group for what was later released as a documentary film, Stompin' At the Savoy.[2] Warner Bros. declined to release the film at that time and released only the live album.[2] The filmed concert has since been released to home video.
The album included four Khan-led studio songs, including the Dave Wolinski composition "Ain't Nobody",[2] which got attention when a producer for the film Breakin' heard it while screening songs for the movie's soundtrack. WB eventually released the song (with the billing Rufus and Chaka Khan) and the song became a top 30 Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching number one on the R&B chart and was number eight on the UK Singles Chart. The success of the track led to the band receiving its second Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
After that Rufus went their separate ways. Khan soon released the album and smash single "I Feel for You", cementing her solo career, which continued successfully for decades.[2]
Post-break-up
[edit]In 2001, Rufus (Kevin Murphy, Tony Maiden, Bobby Watson, Dave Wolinski, John "JR" Robinson) and Khan reunited for a brief tour, which Khan described in her 2003 autobiography, Chaka! Through the Fire (co-written with Tonya Bolden). Khan and Maiden reunited on the modernized Rufus medley "Pack'd My Bags"/ "You Got the Love", on Khan's double Grammy Award-winning 2007 album, Funk This. While discussing a second potential reunion with Rufus during a 2008 interview with Billboard, Khan said that the band's classic lineup, which includes Andre Fischer and Nate Morgan, had no plans on reuniting with Khan saying that touring with Maiden, one of the few Rufus bandmates with which Khan kept a close friendship was the closest to another Rufus reunion.
A lineup of Rufus including Bobby Watson and JR began a short tour in 2008. Neither founding member Kevin Murphy, mainstay Tony Maiden, nor Dave Wolinski participated in the tour. In September 2011, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame committee announced that the band and Khan were jointly nominated for induction to the 27th annual class. They had been eligible since 1999 (with the committee counting the band's first album as being Rags to Rufus rather than 1973's Rufus). It was their first year of nomination. Earlier in the year, Khan received a solo star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rufus was nominated again for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in September 2017.
Members
[edit]Final Lineup
[edit]- Kevin Murphy – keyboards (1970–1983)
- Chaka Khan – vocals (1972–1983)
- Tony Maiden – guitar, vocals (1974–1983)
- Bobby Watson – bass (1974–1983)
- Dave "Hawk" Wolinski – keyboards, vocals (1977–1983)
- John "JR" Robinson – drums (1979–1983)
- Ivan Neville – vocals (1983)[a]
Former members
[edit]- Lee Graziano – drums (1970–1972)
- Chuck Colbert Jr. – bass (1970)
- Al Ciner – guitar (1970–1974)
- Paulette McWilliams – vocals (1970–1972)
- James Stella – vocals (1970–1972)
- Willie Weeks – bass (1970–1972)
- Andre Fischer – drums (1972–1977)
- Ron Stockert – keyboards, vocals (1972–1974)
- Dennis Belfield – bass (1972–1974)
- Nate Morgan – keyboards (1974–1977, died 2013)
- Richard "Moon" Calhoun – drums (1977–1979)
- ^ Only on 1983 album Seal in Red.
- Timeline
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [7] |
US R&B [7] |
AUS [8] |
CAN [9] |
UK [10] | ||||||||||
| 1973 | Rufus | 175 | 44 | — | — | — | ABC | |||||||
| 1974 | Rags to Rufus | 4 | 4 | — | 23 | — | ||||||||
| Rufusized | 7 | 2 | — | 51 | 48 |
| ||||||||
| 1975 | Rufus featuring Chaka Khan | 7 | 1 | 86 | 73 | — |
| |||||||
| 1977 | Ask Rufus | 12 | 1 | — | — | — |
| |||||||
| 1978 | Street Player | 14 | 1 | — | 13 | — |
| |||||||
| 1979 | Numbers | 81 | 15 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Masterjam | 14 | 1 | — | — | — |
|
MCA | |||||||
| 1981 | Party 'Til You're Broke | 73 | 24 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Camouflage | 98 | 15 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1983 | Seal in Red | — | 49 | — | — | — | Warner Bros. | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Live albums
[edit]| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] |
US R&B [7] |
UK [10] | |||
| 1983 | Stompin' at the Savoy – Live | 50 | 4 | 64 | Warner Bros. |
Compilation albums
[edit]- The Very Best of Rufus with Chaka Khan (1982, MCA)
- Chaka Khan and Rufus - Maybe Your Baby (2008, Cugate Ltd.)
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [13] |
US R&B [14] |
US Dan [7] |
AUS [8] |
CAN [9] |
UK [10] | |||||||||
| 1970 | "Brand New Day" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1971 | "Fire One, Fire Two, Fire Three" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1973 | "Slip 'n Slide" | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | Rufus | ||||||
| "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Feel Good" | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1974 | "Tell Me Something Good" | 3 | 3 | — | 64 | 21 | 54[A] |
|
Rags to Rufus | |||||
| "You Got the Love" | 11 | 1 | — | — | 21 | — | ||||||||
| 1975 | "Once You Get Started" | 10 | 4 | 6 | — | 14 | 59[A] | Rufusized | ||||||
| "Stop on By" | — | — | — | — | — | 57[A] | ||||||||
| "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)" | 48 | 6 | — | — | 75 | — | ||||||||
| "Sweet Thing" | 5 | 1 | — | — | 68 | — |
|
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan | ||||||
| 1976 | "Dance Wit Me" | 39 | 5 | — | — | 75 | — | |||||||
| "Jive Talkin'" | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1977 | "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" | 30 | 1 | 37 | — | 57 | — | Ask Rufus | ||||||
| "Hollywood" | 32 | 3 | — | — | 56 | — | ||||||||
| "Everlasting Love" | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1978 | "Stay" | 38 | 3 | — | — | 44 | — | Street Player | ||||||
| "Blue Love" | 105 | 34 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1979 | "Keep It Together (Declaration of Love)" | 109 | 16 | — | — | — | — | Numbers | ||||||
| "Ain't Nobody Like You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Do You Love What You Feel" | 30 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | Masterjam | |||||||
| 1980 | "Any Love" | 102 | 24 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "I'm Dancing for Your Love" | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1981 | "Tonight We Love" | — | 18 | 64 | — | — | — | Party 'Til You're Broke | ||||||
| "Hold on to a Friend" | — | 56 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Sharing the Love" | 91 | 8 | — | — | — | — | Camouflage | |||||||
| 1982 | "Better Together" | — | 66 | 56 | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1983 | "Take It to the Top" | — | 47 | — | — | — | — | Seal in Red | ||||||
| "Ain't Nobody" | 22 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 8 | Stompin' at the Savoy – Live | |||||||
| 1984 | "One Million Kisses" | 102 | 37 | 67 | — | — | 86 | |||||||
| 1989 | "Ain't Nobody" (7" Remix Edit) | — | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Accolades
[edit]Grammy Awards
[edit]Rufus has won two Grammy Awards, from three Grammy nominations.[18]
| Year | Nominated work | Award category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | "Tell Me Something Good" | Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group Or Chorus | Won |
| 1977 | Ask Rufus | Nominated | |
| 1983 | "Ain't Nobody" | Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Won |
Covers
[edit]Rufus covered songs including Quincy Jones' "Body Heat". "Ain't Nobody" was covered by many artists, including Kelly Price, Faith Evans, Diana King, and George Michael. 1983's "You're Really Out of Line" was recorded by Belgian band Awaken in 2001.[19]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Huey, Steve. "Rufus Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 224. ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
- ^ Khan, Chaka (2003). Chaka! Through The Fire. Bolden, Tonya. Emmaus, PA: Rodale. pp. 63. ISBN 1579548261. OCLC 52412052.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 350. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Elias, Jason. "Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan". AllMusic.
- ^ Hogan, Ed. "Sweet Thing". AllMusic.
- ^ a b c d e "Rufus - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
- ^ a b David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Rufus". RPM. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Rufus". officialcharts.com. Official Charts Company.
- ^ a b c d e "Rufus (ABC Records)". RIAA. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ "Rufus (MCA Records)". riaa.com. RIAA.
- ^ "Rufus: Hot 100". billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
- ^ "Rufus: Hot Soul Songs". billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c "American certifications – Rufus". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ "Rufus & Chaka Khan: Ain't Nobody". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Chaka Khan: Ain't Nobody". Music Canada. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Rufus". grammy.com. The Recording Academy. November 23, 2020.
- ^ "Awaken | Party In Lyceum's Toilets | CD Baby Music Store". Cdbaby.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
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