Chaka Khan Photo: The Heart Truth - Chaka Khan in Chris March
Usage: Wikipedia Oublic Domain
Podcast Cover Art By: Gail Nobles
Story by: Gail Nobles
Intro by; Gail Nobles

“Tell Me Something Good” is today’s topic by the fabulous Chaka Khan! You know, when I first heard that iconic song, I was just a baby girl. The chorus grabbed everyone’s attention and made everybody sing along!

You could feel the vibe change when that part hit. Everybody would chime in, and it felt like a big ol' sing-along party! Back in those days, you didn’t even need to know what Chaka Khan looked like; it was all about the music. My daddy had a stack of 45s, and we would just put them on the turntable, ready to groove. No fancy record covers mattered because all we wanted was to hear the song. We were thankful that we had the music.

Now, I’ll be honest, sometimes those words were hard to catch. Back then, you didn’t have lyrics printed out or even closed captions on TV! We just listened, felt the music, and let it move us. 

“Tell Me Something Good,” released in 1974, became a massive hit on that AM radio we all loved. It was part of the album "Rags to Rufus," and that funky groove was crafted by none other than Stevie Wonder. You know, it was the first big hit for Rufus, and once Chaka’s voice took center stage, they switched gears and became “Rufus featuring Chaka Khan” for their next album. That song climbed up the charts—hitting number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and even taking the top spot on the Cash Box Top 100 for a week!

And let’s not forget that funky guitar talk box by Tony Maiden—it was one of the early songs to use it, making it a true standout. So, whenever you hear that classic, just know it’s a celebration of good vibes and great music, and it all started with a little way of asking, “Tell me something good!”

I'm Gail Nobles. Thank you for listening to the Podcast AM Memories.

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