Episode 96: Jimetta Rose on Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “From Rags to Rufus” (1974)

Episode notes

The Album: Rufus & Chaka Khan From Rags to Rufus (1974)

Los Angeles soul singer, Jimetta Rose, has been making music for a long time, working with artists like Talib Kweli, Meshell Ndgeocello, and Shuggie Otis. Her velvety smooth vocals and thoughtful writing made her a force of nature in the LA music scene, bodying anything from R&B to jazz, to rap, and so much more.

Jimetta was on a journey, searching for a Chaka Khan dance record, and on her way there, found the funk. Jimetta sat down with us to talk Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “From Rags to Rufus.” We discussed the origins of Rufus and their transition to funk, the impact Chaka had on the band, and why her voice resonates with women from all walks of life, including a young Jimetta Rose.

More on Jimetta Rose

• Jimetta on Sly5thAve’s rendition of “Let Me Ride” (YouTube)
• Jimetta Rose Raises Higher Vibrations(Random Length News)
• Website | Instagram

More on From Rags to Rufus

• Graded on a Curve: Rufus, Rags to Rufus
  (The Vinyl District)
• Rags to Rufus’ Wikipedia entry

Show Tracklisting (all songs from From Rags to Rufus unless indicated otherwise):

• I Got The Right Street (But The Wrong Direction)
• Chaka Khan: I Know You, I Live You
• Chaka Khan: Stop On By
• Chaka Khan: So Not to Worry
• Donna Summer: Dinner With Gershwin
• Ray Parker Jr.: You Can’t Change That
• Eddie Kendricks: Girl You Need A Change Of Mind
• You Got The Love
• Rags to Rufus
• The American Breed: Bend Me, Shape Me
• Walkin’ In The Sun
• In Love We Grow
• Sly5thAve: Let Me Ride
• The Golden Gate Quartet: Swing Down Chariot
• Swing Down Chariot
• Walkin’ In The Sun
• Swing Down Chariot
• Smokin’ Room
• Tell Me Something Good
• Prince: I Feel For You
• Chaka Khan: I Feel For You
• Ain’t Nothin’ But A Maybe
• Sideways
• Smokin’ Room

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

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