Friday Flashback :: Rufus' "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)"
This is another one of those disco-inflected R&B hits that still sounds fresh and welcome today, in the crap-tastic state of what passes for modern R&B.
Written by guitarist Tony Maiden specifically for Chaka Khan, "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" would stay parked atop the R&B (then called Black music) charts for two weeks before going to number 30 pop in the spring of 1977.
This song drives and drives and drives, feeling like its speeding up in tempo (don't fear, it's not), through the creative use of soaring vocals, drum flourish and horn. It stays sophisticated and smooth with an undeniable funkiness that just feels good! And while Chaka fairly screams into the mic at the crescendo, her delivery throughout never once sounds off key, never once grates on the ears, and seems effortless in delivering her high-powered vocals over the strong instrumentation.
This is the kind of peak-hour track that DJs in the 70's loved to drop, I'm sure, because of the roof-blowing energy it contains. As a 21st Century jock, I'd love to drop it on my audiences -- but sadly most modern party-goers would miss the sheer joy conveyed by this song, and might leave the dance floor.
Nonetheless, poor taste doesn't diminish the classic-ness of this track.
What a great way to welcome the first Friday of Spring! The Flashback for Friday, March 21, 2008: Rufus (featuring Chaka Khan): "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)."
Rufus :: "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)"
Album: Ask Rufus
Released: 1977
Billboard peak: #1 Black Singles
Play the Track: At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up) (to download, Mac users, Control-click, and choose 'Save Link As...' Windows users right-click the link and choose 'Save Target As...').
Written by guitarist Tony Maiden specifically for Chaka Khan, "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" would stay parked atop the R&B (then called Black music) charts for two weeks before going to number 30 pop in the spring of 1977.
This song drives and drives and drives, feeling like its speeding up in tempo (don't fear, it's not), through the creative use of soaring vocals, drum flourish and horn. It stays sophisticated and smooth with an undeniable funkiness that just feels good! And while Chaka fairly screams into the mic at the crescendo, her delivery throughout never once sounds off key, never once grates on the ears, and seems effortless in delivering her high-powered vocals over the strong instrumentation.
This is the kind of peak-hour track that DJs in the 70's loved to drop, I'm sure, because of the roof-blowing energy it contains. As a 21st Century jock, I'd love to drop it on my audiences -- but sadly most modern party-goers would miss the sheer joy conveyed by this song, and might leave the dance floor.
Nonetheless, poor taste doesn't diminish the classic-ness of this track.
What a great way to welcome the first Friday of Spring! The Flashback for Friday, March 21, 2008: Rufus (featuring Chaka Khan): "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)."
Rufus :: "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)"Album: Ask Rufus
Released: 1977
Billboard peak: #1 Black Singles
Play the Track: At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up) (to download, Mac users, Control-click, and choose 'Save Link As...' Windows users right-click the link and choose 'Save Target As...').
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