THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

85-Chaka Khan-I Feel For You.

1984-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.05. To have your name constantly repeated in one of Pop music’s most famous raps must be very special, but it must also be a double edged sword. Poor Chaka Khan, every time some ‘numpty,’ thinking they are the first to do it, sings it to her, she will have to show remarkable patience.

Chaka Khan (see also best songs 703 and 228) was born Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23rd, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. She first found success as the lead singer with the American Funk band ‘Rufus,’ where she appeared on six of their 11 studio Albums between 1973-1978, she was also the lead singer on all of the bands 10 American Billboard Hot 100 top 40 singles, including their breakthrough hit ‘Tell Me Something Good,’ (1974, Number 3) which was written for them by Stevie Wonder (see also best songs 920-843-634-682-570-503-366-205-152 and 65.) It was while still a part of Rufus in 1978 that Chaka Khan also launched her solo career, which has seen the release of 13 studio Albums between 1978-2019, and 46 singles issued between 1978-2022, of which four have reached the Billboard Hot 100, with this song being the highest charting when reaching Number 3 in 1984. As a featured artist Chaka Khan did reach Number 1 in America in 1986 as the co vocalist on Steve Winwood’s ‘Higher Love.’ In the UK six of her singles have made the top 40, with this song being the most successful when making Number 1.

‘I Feel For You’ was written by Prince, (1958-2016) (see also best songs 884-487-269 and 54) and he recorded the song for his second studio Album titled ‘Prince,’ from 1979. Prince had first offered the song to the American R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who is best remembered in the UK for her 1982 hit ‘Forget Ne Nots,’ but she turned it down. Prior to Chaka Khan recording the song, ‘The Pointer Sisters’ recorded a version for their 1982 Album ‘So Excited,’ and then in 1984 Rebbie Jackson, who is the oldest member of the ‘Jackson family,’ recorded the song for her debut Album ‘Centipede.’

‘I Feel For You’ was produced by Arif Mardin, (1932-2006) (see also best songs 985-882-881-554-541 and 228) and among the musicians playing on the track is Stevie Wonder who plays the chromatic harmonica. Wonder’s song ‘Fingertips’ from 1963 is also used as a sample, but it is the tracks almost ‘novelty’ rap which has captured the public’s imagination. It was written by Melvin Glover who is better known as ‘Grandmaster Melle Mel, who had already had success with the groundbreaking Hip-Hop songs ‘The Message’ (see also best songs 290) and ‘White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It’) (see also best songs 523.)

In 1984 it was still rare for ‘Pop’ songs to have a rap on them, and it was the brainchild of Arif Mardin who specified that the ‘rap’ have a theme of ‘love,’ with no hip-hop cliches like money and cars, Mardin also suggested that the ‘rap’ should be kept short to eight lines. The repetition of Khan’s name at the start of the song was a lucky mistake made by Arif Mardin. While recording he pressed a wrong button causing the word ‘Chaka’ to repeat, he liked it so much that he decided to keep it in. Mardin has said,’As we were mounting the recording onto the main master, my hand slipped on the repeat machine. So it happened to be, ‘Chaka-Chaka-Chaka-Chaka-Chaka-Chaka Khan,’ and we said, ‘Let’s keep that. That’s very interesting.’

‘I wouldn’t lie to you, baby, It’s mainly a physical thing. This feeling that I got for you, baby, makes me wanna sing. I feel for you.’