Chaka Khan - It's Raining Men

It doesn't seem like she quite knows all the lyrics.

(Tipped by JMG reader Robbie)

80's Flashback

Chaka Khan, I Feel For You, 1984. Lots of folks covered this track from Prince's 1979 debut second album, including Rebbie Jackson, the Timberlake-Spears edition of the Mouseketeers, and the Pointer Sisters, whose limp 1982 version was particularly forgettable. But it was Chaka Khan who used the track to rocket out of her post-Rufus doldrums and return to the pop Top Ten for the first time since 1975's classic Sweet Thing, reaching #3 Pop, #1 UK, #1 Dance, and #1 R&B. The opening rap by Melle Mel was famously a studio mistake by producer Arif Mardin, who meant for it to appear at the break. But that mistake provided (what I've read, but cannot document for this post) the only instance of a #1 song on any major chart that begins with the name of the artist. I Feel For You also triggered a years-long run of chart-topping Prince covers by other female artists such as Sheila E, the Bangles, Sheena Easton, and Sinead O'Connor.

2008 Grammys: Unsucky

Hey, the Grammys didn't suck last night! Amy Crackhouse walked away with most of the major awards, but Chaka Khan won two, so it's all good. Here's a few of the bigger categories, the rest are here.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
River: The Joni Letters, Herbie Hancock
RECORD OF THE YEAR
''Rehab,'' Amy Winehouse
SONG OF THE YEAR
''Rehab,'' Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
NEW ARTIST
Amy Winehouse
RAP ALBUM
Graduation, Kanye West
ROCK ALBUM
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, Foo Fighters
ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Icky Thump, The White Stripes
POP VOCAL ALBUM
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
COUNTRY ALBUM
These Days, Vince Gill
R&B ALBUM
Funk This, Chaka Khan
CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
Because Of You, Ne-Yo
FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''Rehab,'' Amy Winehouse
MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''What Goes Around...Comes Around,'' Justin Timberlake
POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL
''Makes Me Wonder,'' Maroon 5
SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''Radio Nowhere,'' Bruce Springsteen
ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL
''Icky Thump,'' The White Stripes
HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
''The Pretender,'' Foo Fighters
ROCK SONG
''Radio Nowhere,'' Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''No One,'' Alicia Keys
MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''Future Baby Mama,'' Prince
R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
''Disrespectful,'' Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige
R&B SONG
''No One,'' Alicia Keys
RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
''Stronger,'' Kanye West
RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
''Umbrella,'' Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
RAP PEFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
''Southside,'' Common Featuring Kanye West
RAP SONG
''Good Life,'' Kanye West Featuring T-Pain
FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''Before He Cheats,'' Carrie Underwood
MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
''Stupid Boy,'' Keith Urban
COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
''How Long,'' Eagles
COUNTRY SONG
''Before He Cheats,'' Carrie Underwood

Aside from Chaka's wins, I was also pleased that the Chemical Brothers got some overdue respect, winning Best Dance Album. Related: the only concert I've ever left because it was too loud, was Chemical Brothers in Oakland in 1999.

Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan

The first single from Chaka Khan's Funk This is #1 for the second week on Billboard's dance chart, her first #1 dance hit in ten years and her 7th dance chart topper to date. Disrespectful features Mary J. Blige on vocals. Chaka's first #1 club hit was 1984's I Feel 4 U.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of FlyLife and Burgundy Records, this week I have five copies of Chaka Khan's Funk This, her first all-new studio album in 10 years. Featuring duets with Mary J. Blige, Michael McDonald and Tony Maiden, Funk This is now in stores and available on download services. Click over for a special shout-out from Chaka to JMG readers, followed by Disrespectful, the single with Mary J. Blige.

Five winners this week. Enter by commenting on this post and please remember to leave your email address. Please comment only once. Publicists: if you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Chaka Khan Shouts Out To JMG

Chaka Khan sends a shout out to JMG readers to hype the Sept. 25th release of Funk This. It's been ten years since Chaka's last studio album and as the track that follows Chaka's shout-out shows, we are in for a rare and overdue treat. Chaka is made of awesome. You baby mo's out there - get schooled on what a true R&B diva sounds like.

Chaka's message to JMG.

Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan

I'm gonna tell you something good. Chaka Khan releases her first studio album in ten years, Funk This, on September 25th. Billed as a "return to her funky/r&b roots", the album is produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and contains a duet with Mary J. Blige and a cover of Prince's Sign 'O' The Times. In 1984, she had her biggest solo hit with another Prince cover, I Feel 4 U. I've been a Chaka fan for over 30 years, going back to when her band Rufus first started. Then they became Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan. Then it was WTF Happened To Rufus? What your favorite Chaka song? Mine would be 1975's Once You Get Started.