Background and recording
editWhat Cha' Gonna Do for Me marked Khan's third consecutive collaboration with producer Arif Mardin, who devised the sound of Chaka (1978) and Naughty (1980). It was primarily recorded in the Mountain Studios, in the Swiss town of Montreux. According to Jackson, the recording process for What Cha' Gonna Do for Me repeated the "highbrow" standard of Naughty, but obeyed to a tighter budget and deadline. He described these as the first symptoms of a paradigm change in studio production, where session players would grow less prominent as compared to the figure of the producer.[1]
Renowned bassist Anthony Jackson reprised his role from previous albums Chaka and Naughty. In an interview with Bass Player, he praised Khan's "patience, supportiveness, musicality, and virtuosity", referring to their work as "the best examples of blatant commerciality infused with high art that [he's] been involved with".[1] Whereas the rest of the album was swiftly recorded, Jackson's discontent with his performances often led to delays, as he required extra time for new takes—a demand that, in contrast to other artists he had met, Khan and Mardin indulged. Upon listening to the finished album, he felt vindicated for his "stubborness", as he felt "able, for the first time, to hear evidence of a defined, matured, and effective style coming through [his] playing".[1]
Mess
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Anthony Johnson: The O'Jays, Chaka Khan, Chick Corea, Donald Fagan, Paul Simon". Bass Player Presents: Session Legends & Studio Gear. NewBay Media. 2009. p. 9.