Rufus and Chaka Khan-Live-Stompin' At The Savoy (1983)
Artist: Rufus and Chaka Khan
Title: Live-Stompin' At The Savoy
Sell Date: 4/22/26
Condition: VG+/VG+
Discogs Last Sold: 4/20/26 VG+/VG $4.00
Low: $3.00
Median: $6.12
Average: $7.96
High: $18.00
Current low price: $3.00 VG/F, $5.67 VG+/VG
Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 19
Have/Want: 336/90
Where Sold: Plymouth Meeting, PA
Time It Took To Sell: 2 years
Where and When Bought: Whatnot lot
Gwiz-gau Grade: B+
Sad To See It Go: No
When I was a kid my parents had rented an apartment in Worcester for most of the 70's that we had to leave as the decade came to an end. We ended up getting a 3 decker nearby, but before it closed the landlord let us temporarily take the apartment next door while her expecting daughter and her new husband moved into ours. On the bedroom wall of the new place was a giant Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan poster that had the whole band on it. To this day I've never heard that album, but in the back of my head Rufus was always something to check out deeper. I was interested in hearing this live career retrospective that documents the final recordings of Rufus before Chaka Khan moved on to a permanent solo career. This release is 3 sides live plus a side of new recordings, one of which, "Ain't Nobody" was a big R&B hit. The rest of the new stuff didn't really stand out. I listened to Masterjam a few months back and I had the same feeling.
The tracks that stood out for me here were "I'm A Woman (I'm A Backbone)" the first time and "Pack'd My Bags" the second time. Those were both from Rufusized which I've had on CD for a long while. Of course "Tell Me Something Good" is the big hit here which I somehow never realized was from Rags To Rufus. That's an album I need to hear. Mental note! The other hits I remembered were "Do You Love What You Feel" from the recently heard late 70's Masterjam and Chaka's early solo hit "What'cha Gonna Do For Me."
"Reviewing" something list this is like reviewing an esteemed Jazz artist. Rufus is clearly top tier and Chaka can sing with the best of 'em. Then it becomes just a matter of taste as to the production styles of the day and their nuances. I was hoping the live recording woutd override an 80's sound and to an extent it does as a live Funk band with not a lot of electronics going on. Even on the studio side, the 80's production doesn't override the music too badly. The first time I played it start to finish was early in the morning and I had to have the volume a little low. When I turned it up a bit for the second listen, it sounded better because it sounded "right" with the low end boosted (by overall volume, not EQ or "bass" boost). In any event this band is super tight and there isn't anything out of place without sounding sterile.
I'd still start with Rufusized but this is great for an overview.
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