Street Player

Street Player
Street Player
Studio album by Rufus & Chaka Khan
Released	January 17, 1978
Recorded	1977
Studio	Dawnbreaker (San Fernando)
Genre	Funk; soul;
Length	40:32
Label	ABC; AA 1049
Producer	Rufus, Roy Halee
Rufus chronology
Chaka Khan chronology

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).

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Record Mirror	^[4]
Rolling Stone	(not rated)^[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[3]

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

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Street Player"	David Wolinski, Daniel Seraphine	4:54
2.	"Stay"	Richard Calhoun, Chaka Khan	5:41
3.	"Turn"	Bobby Watson, Wolinski	4:43
4.	"Best of Your Heart"	Watson, Wolinski	3:45
5.	"Finale" (Instrumental)	Watson, Wolinski	2:10

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Blue Love"	Calhoun, Wolinski	3:18
7.	"Stranger to Love"	Wolinski	3:33
8.	"Take Time" (Instrumental)	Tony Maiden	4:16
9.	"Destiny"	David Batteau, Richard Holland	4:25
10.	"Change Your Ways"	Maiden, Traude Sapik	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.^[5]

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

Chart (1978)	Peak ^[6]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs	14
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs	1

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
Year	Single	US ^[6]	US R&B ^[6]
1978	"Stay"	38	3
1978	"Blue Love"	105	34

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[7]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Lytle, Craig. "Street Player review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
^ McEwen, Joe. "Street Player review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved 2011-10-16.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ Gersten, Russell (1983). "Rufus". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 438. ISBN 0394721071.
^ Travis, Geoff (March 4, 1978). Rufus: Street Player. Record Mirror. p. 14.
^ Physical copy
^ ^a ^b ^c "US Charts > Rufus". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
^ "American album certifications – Rufus – Street Player". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 13, 2024.

External links

Street Player at Discogs

[1] Lytle, Craig. "Street Player review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-11.

[rollingstone-2] McEwen, Joe. "Street Player review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved 2011-10-16.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[3] Gersten, Russell (1983). "Rufus". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 438. ISBN 0394721071.

[4] Travis, Geoff (March 4, 1978). Rufus: Street Player. Record Mirror. p. 14.

[5] Physical copy

[allmusic-6] "US Charts > Rufus". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-10-19.

[United_StatesRufusStreet_PlayeralbumCertRef-7] "American album certifications – Rufus – Street Player". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 13, 2024.

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