What Cha' Gonna Do for Me - Expanded Edition

After a hugely successful run fronting the multi-racial funk group Rufus, Chaka Khan redirected that success into a solo career. From her breakout with 1978’s ‘I’m Every Woman’ to 1980’s Naughty LP, Chaka teamed with prominent producer Arif Mardin to create a fully orchestrated funk-disco-jazz sound.

1981’s Gold certified What Cha Gonna Do builds upon the jazz leanings of its predecessor. The title track (R&B #1/Pop #53) launched the album with Chaka’s breeziest vocals to date. Second single ‘We Can Work it Out’ (R&B#34/DANCE #22) reconstitutes the Beatles as a call to the dance floor whilst “Any Old Sunday” (R&B #68) is the gentlest groove on the album.

Two recordings from the album session final make the cut on this BBR edition: ‘Lover’s Touch’ and ‘Only Once’ originally appeared only as single b sides from the album. For the first time, they now sit alongside the rest of the sessions.