Rags to Rufus
Studio album by
Rufus
ReleasedMay 1974
Recorded1973–1974
StudioQuantum Studios
(Torrance, California)
Genre
Length40:50
LabelABC
Producer
  • Bob Monaco
  • Rufus
Rufus chronology
Rufus
(1973)		 Rags to Rufus
(1974)		 Rufusized
(1974)
Singles from Rags to Rufus
  1. "Tell Me Something Good"
    Released: 1974
  2. "You Got the Love"
    Released: 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
Rolling Stone(not rated)[3]
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide[4]

Rags To Rufus is the gold-selling second studio album by funk band Rufus, released on the ABC Records label in 1974. It reached #4 on both the Pop and Black Albums charts. It is notable for the hit singles "Tell Me Something Good" (US Pop #3, US R&B #3), written by Stevie Wonder, and "You Got the Love" (US Pop #11, US R&B #1), written by lead vocalist Chaka Khan and Ray Parker Jr. In 1975 "Tell Me Something Good" earned the band its first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

History

In 1973, Rufus released their first album. While Khan handled lead vocals on seven of the tracks, then-member Ron Stockert also led on a number of tracks. While "Slip & Slide", Rufus' first single, with Stockert applying lead vocals, failed to chart, two numbers from the album ("Feel Good" and "Whoever's Thrilling You is Killing Me") were led by Khan. Reaction from the Khan-led singles gave ABC Records the push to make Khan the focal point of the group, something that didn't sit well with Ron Stockert, who was then the band's artistic leader. While Stockert would be featured on the album singing lead with Khan on their funky remake of the gospel ballad, "Swing Down Chariot" and was featured on the inner sleeve of the album, halfway through sessions, Stockert left the group. Keyboardist Nate Morgan replaced him. Tony Maiden (who later replaced Al Ciner on guitar) would bring an extra effort to their yet-established sound – the use of the talk box.

While recording in Los Angeles, the group was surprised by the unannounced arrival of Stevie Wonder, who'd admired the group after hearing their rendition of his song "Maybe Your Baby". Wonder had several songs he had written for Khan. One of the songs – "Come and Get This Stuff" – was not received favorably by Khan which stunned Wonder, according to Khan (the song would later appear on his ex-wife Syreeta's second album Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta). Wonder then asked Khan, then only twenty at the time, what her birth sign was, Khan replied "Aries-Pisces" and Wonder responded by introducing another song, "Tell Me Something Good". This time Khan approved and agreed to put her vocal stamp on it.

When Khan chose to sing the song in her key, Wonder stopped the session abruptly and then guided Khan to sing it in the way he had written it. Khan recorded her Wonder-arranged vocal in one take and the rest of the band recorded their track the next day with Maiden providing the talk box effect on the song's chorus. "Tell Me Something Good" was one of the last songs the group recorded for the album and the album was released in the spring of 1974. On the strength of "Tell Me Something Good" and the Khan-written "You Got the Love," Rags to Rufus later sold over a million copies later going platinum. After this release, founding member Al Ciner, Dennis Belfield, and Stockert would leave; the lineup of the group by the time of their next album had changed drastically.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Got the Love"Chaka Khan, Ray Parker Jr.4:39
2."I Got the Right Street (But the Wrong Direction)"Ron Stockert3:17
3."Walkin' in the Sun"Jeff Barry3:02
4."Rags to Rufus" (Instrumental)Kevin Murphy, André Fischer, Khan, Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner4:05
5."Swing Down Chariot"Murphy, Fischer, Khan, Stockert, Belfield, Ciner4:25
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Sideways" (Instrumental)Murphy, Fischer, Khan, Stockert, Belfield, Ciner1:55
7."Ain't Nothin' But a Maybe"Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson3:36
8."Tell Me Something Good"Stevie Wonder4:40
9."Look Through My Eyes"Belfield3:13
10."In Love We Grow"Belfield3:38
11."Smokin' Room"Belfield4:20

Personnel

Rufus
  • Chaka Khan – lead vocals, background vocals
  • Dennis Belfield – background vocals, bass
  • André Fischer – drums, percussion, background vocals
  • Kevin Murphy – organ, clavinet, background vocals
  • Al Ciner – electric & acoustic guitars, background vocals
  • Ron Stockert – lead vocals, keyboards, background vocals

Production

  • Bob Monaco, Rufus – producers
  • Clare Fischer – orchestration
  • Don Sciarrotta – chief recording & re-mix engineer
  • Tony Sciarrotta – assistant engineer
  • Vic Zaslow – audio mastering
  • Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner – string & horn arrangements
  • Arthur Lee Hanson – photography

Charts

Album

Chart (1974) Peak
[5]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 4
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 4

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[5]		 US
R&B
[5]
1974 "Tell Me Something Good" 3 3
"You Got the Love" 11 1

References

  1. ↑ Elias, Jason. "Rags to Rufus review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ↑ Scoppa, Bud. "Rags to Rufus review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  4. ↑ Gersten, Russell (1983). "Rufus". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 438. ISBN 0394721071.
  5. 1 2 3 "US Charts > Rufus". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
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