LP Review: Seal in Red and Stompin' at the Savoy
Seal In Red
Released: 1983
LP Charts: #49 R&B
There’s no getting around it… this album suuuuuuucks. Easily the worst in Rufus’s catalog.
Not a single song captures your attention. It’s one lame neutered funk tune after another with producer George Duke’s laziest gimmicks applied. Duke could produce a good album, but everything about this LP just screams “contractual obligation”.
This was the last full studio-length album from Rufus. Chaka Khan probably breathed a heavy sigh of relief to not be associated with this project.
ALBUM GRADE: F
Stompin’ At The Savoy
Released: 1983
LP Charts: #4 R&B, #50 pop
After the atrocious Seal in Red, Rufus had one final album up their sleeve. A double album in fact. And Chaka Khan was back for the occasion.
Three of the album’s four sides are a live concert recorded in 1982 and it is pretty darn good. The band runs through their biggest hits (“Tell Me Something Good”, “Sweet Thing”, “Once You Get Started”); take up a cover tune (the Motown classic “Ain’t That Peculiar”); and insert some deep cuts (“Pack’d My Bags”, “I’m A Woman”). Pretty much what you want from a concert. And Rufus was in fantastic form as all the band members sound great on their respective instruments. Khan sings her ass off, of course.
The fourth side of the album was taken up by four new tracks. And they are all at least very good. Oddly, both the concert and these studio tracks I’m about to get to were all recorded before the horrific Seal in Red album, but were released afterwards. I’m not gonna complain. That means the public’s last glimpse of Rufus was of this triumphant LP and not that shit up above.
Anyways, the new studio recordings…
“Ain’t Nobody”! David “Hawk” Wolinski wrote this electrofunk masterpiece which gave Rufus their first R&B chart-topper since 1979’s “Do You Love What You Feel”, their first pop hit (#22) since “Feel” as well, and their biggest UK hit ever (#8).
All of that success was well deserved. Khan’s vocals are outrageously good shifting between full-on belting and quiet seduction. What makes this song so great though are all the little things going on in the background rewarding close listens.
It has that eerie intro that quietly gathers steam with all kinds of electronic blips and bloops before John Robinson’s drums kick in around the 25 second mark. The bass fucking rocks, there’s an electric guitar that riffs throughout, and some timbales percussion action that is understated giving this song its passionate vibe. The one regret I have on this song is that the talk box that pipes in at 3:56 is too fucking late. We need that talk box throughout more of the song!
The next song, “One Million Kisses”, is what I think George Duke tried to do on Seal in Red. Written by R&B crooner Jeffrey Osborne and Rufus founder Kevin Murphy, the mid-tempo, lightly funky ballad is great for chillin’. This is also the kind of song that benefits from a superb singer. In the hands of a lesser vocalist, it might be reduced to corny fluff.
Khan and Tony Maiden get in a co-write of their own with “Try a Little Understanding”, a slammin’ funk tune. The track also provides Bobby Watson some time to shine with slap bass, baby. There’s also some interesting piano work that reminds me of early ‘90s house music.
The album closes with an acoustic jazz cover of “Don't Go to Strangers”. Somehow this is much better than anything Khan recorded on her jazz album Echoes of An Era, which had a gaggle of jazz legends. The greatness herein is probably cuz the track is uncluttered and focuses on Khan’s voice, which never sounded better. This truly might be her best song based purely on vocals.
ALBUM GRADE: B+
The live portion probably merits a B. It serves as a good introduction to Rufus for newbies. The four new songs combine for an A grade. So here we have a B+ album and a great way for Rufus to exit the music stage.
Chaka Khan would keep on keepin’ on.
Song Scores
Ain’t Nobody: 10/10
One Million Kisses: 7.5/10
Try a Little Understanding: 7.5/10
Don't Go to Strangers: 8.5/10