Street Player
{{Short description|1978 studio album by Rufus & Chaka Khan}}
{{about||the disco song recorded by the band Chicago|Street Player (song)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Street Player
| type = Album
| artist = Rufus & Chaka Khan
| cover = Rufus - Street Player.jpg
| alt =
| released = January 17, 1978
| recorded = 1977
| venue =
| studio = Dawnbreaker (San Fernando)
| genre = {{flatlist|
| length = 40:32
| label = ABC
AA 1049
| producer = Rufus, Roy Halee
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Rufus
| type = Album
| prev_title = Ask Rufus
(with Chaka Khan)
| prev_year = 1977
| title = Street Player
(with Chaka Khan)
| year = 1978
| next_title = Numbers
| next_year = 1979
}}{{Extra chronology
| artist = Chaka Khan
| type = Album
| prev_title = Ask Rufus
(with Rufus)
| prev_year = 1977
| title = Street Player
(with Rufus)
| year = 1978
| next_title = Chaka
| next_year = 1978
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Lytle |first=Craig |url={{AllMusic|class=album |id=r198064/review |pure_url=yes}} |title= Street Player review |website= Allmusic |access-date=2011-10-11}}
|rev3 = Rolling Stone
|rev3score = (not rated){{cite magazine|last=McEwen |first=Joe |title=Street Player review |magazine=Rolling Stone |accessdate=2011-10-16 |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rufus/albums/album/106975/review/5940754/street_player |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013082102/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rufus/albums/album/106975/review/5940754/street_player |archivedate=October 13, 2008 }}
|rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
|rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstoner00mars/page/438 438]|last=Gersten|first=Russell|year=1983|chapter=Rufus|title=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide|editor1-last=Marsh|editor1-first=Dave|editor-link1=Dave Marsh|editor2-last=Swenson|editor2-first=John|publisher=Random House/Rolling Stone Press|isbn=0394721071}}
|rev2 = Record Mirror
|rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|title=Rufus: Street Player|author=Travis, Geoff|page=14|date=March 4, 1978|publisher=Record Mirror}}
}}
Street Player is the sixth studio album by funk band Rufus (and their fourth album featuring singer Chaka Khan), released on the ABC Records label in 1978. Street Player was the band's third album to top Billboard{{'}}s R&B Albums chart and also reached number 14 on Pop. The album includes the singles "Stay" (US R&B number 3, US Pop number 38) and "Blue Love" (US R&B number 34).
History
In 1978, Rufus and Chaka Khan were a top-selling band. Their last four releases had gone platinum and the group continued to sell out in arenas as a headlining act with fiery Khan leading the way. By this point, Khan's stardom outside the group had grown and it led to the group drifting apart. While Khan opted to stay a member of the group, other members were uncomfortable that Khan was now offered solo contracts.
After the release of this record, Khan would sign a solo deal with Warner Bros. Records releasing her debut album, featuring the hit "I'm Every Woman". While Khan went on to a solo career, Rufus cut Numbers, in 1979, without her. Khan, however, didn't leave the group, returning for their Quincy Jones-produced Masterjam later that same year.
Also after the departure of original drummer Andre Fischer, Richard "Moon" Calhoun took over on this album on drums. This would be his only album with the group. Additionally, the jazz/rock band Chicago featured a version of the title track on their 1979 album Chicago 13, with Peter Cetera on lead vocals. The song was co-written by Chicago's drummer at that time, Danny Seraphine. The track "Stay" was covered by Erykah Badu on her 1997 album Live.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Street Player
| writer1 = David Wolinski, Daniel Seraphine
| length1 = 4:54
| title2 = Stay
| writer2 = Richard Calhoun, Chaka Khan
| length2 = 5:41
| title3 = Turn
| writer3 = Bobby Watson, Wolinski
| length3 = 4:43
| title4 = Best of Your Heart
| writer4 = Watson, Wolinski
| length4 = 3:45
| title5 = Finale
| note5 = Instrumental
| writer5 = Watson, Wolinski
| length5 = 2:10
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title6 = Blue Love
| writer6 = Calhoun, Wolinski
| length6 = 3:18
| title7 = Stranger to Love
| writer7 = Wolinski
| length7 = 3:33
| title8 = Take Time
| note8 = Instrumental
| writer8 = Tony Maiden
| length8 = 4:16
| title9 = Destiny
| writer9 = David Batteau, Richard Holland
| length9 = 4:25
| title10 = Change Your Ways
| writer10 = Maiden, Traude Sapik
| length10 = 3:27
}}
The listing of tracks on the back of the album as distributed in Canada (GRT of Canada Ltd.) is in the following order:
- Destiny
- Stranger To Love
- Street Player
- Stay
- Best Of Your Heart
- Finale
- Take Time
- Blue Love
- Turn
- Change Your Ways
The listing on the album labels (sides 1 & 2) is as on the main listing.Physical copy
Personnel
- Chaka Khan – lead vocals, background vocals
- Tony Maiden – guitar, percussion, lead vocals, background vocals
- Kevin Murphy – keyboards
- Bobby Watson – bass, percussion
- David "Hawk" Wolinski – keyboards, background vocals
- Richard "Moon" Calhoun – drums, percussion, background vocals
- Jerry Hey – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Larry Williams – saxophone, flute, piccolo
- Kim Hutchcroft – saxophone, flute
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
- Helen Lowe – additional background vocals
- Everett Bryson, Jr. – percussion
Production
- Rufus, Roy Halee – producers
- Roy Halee, George Belle – engineers
- Clare Fischer – string arrangements & conductor
- Seawind, Rufus – horn arrangements
- Brian Gardner – audio mastering
Charts
Album
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1978) !Peak |
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs
|align="center"|14 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs
|align="center"|1 |
Singles
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="40"| US ! width="40"| US |
| rowspan="2"|1978
| align="left"| "Stay" | 38 | 3 |
| align="left"| "Blue Love"
| 105 | 34 |
Certifications
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Street Player|artist=Rufus|award=Gold|relyear=1978|certyear=1978|access-date=May 13, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.discogs.com/Rufus-Chaka-Khan-Street-Player/master/107379 Street Player] at Discogs
{{Chaka Khan}}
{{Authority control}}