Raised by Radio

Some songs are hits. Some songs are classics. And then there are those songs that make you stop whatever you’re doing, turn up the radio, and ask yourself, “WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I LISTENING TO?”

Welcome back to Raised by Radio, where we’re celebrating those records that didn’t just play on the radio — they changed what we thought music could sound like!

We’re heading back to 1974, and I’ve got a funky one for you. We’re talking about Rufus featuring Chaka Khan and their unforgettable hit, “Tell Me Something Good.”

And I have a little personal connection to this one. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary Chaka Khan after winning a ticket to see her interviewed at the SiriusXM studios in New York City. What an experience! Hearing her tell stories about her career and the people she worked with was fascinating. And one particular story made me appreciate this record even more.

But first, let’s talk about that SOUND!

Wait a minute… WHAT is that instrument?

You know how sometimes a record starts playing, and before the singer even opens their mouth, you already know you’re hearing something special?

That’s what happens here.

The opening of “Tell Me Something Good” hits you with this wonderfully funky, percussive keyboard sound. It’s a clavinet, and that distinctive sound immediately sets the mood. It’s sharp, rhythmic, almost like the keyboard is playing a game of musical tag with the rest of the band.

And then the guitars enter the picture.

Oh, my goodness!

That guitar has an attitude all its own. It doesn’t simply sit in the background accompanying the singer. It answers her, dances around her vocals, and becomes part of the conversation. The groove is deep, the rhythm is tight, and there’s a rawness to the whole thing that makes it feel alive.

And just when you think you’ve figured out what you’re listening to, the song introduces another surprise: that strange, metallic, almost robotic sound that seems to be talking!

That’s a guitar talk box, played by guitarist Tony Maiden. The effect makes the guitar sound as if it’s forming words, creating one of the most distinctive sounds on the record.

Think about that for a moment. A funky clavinet, guitars that seem to talk back to the singer, a locked-in rhythm section, and a voice that could knock the doors off the studio!

In 1974, this was something special. The record climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Rufus won a Grammy for the song in 1975. Clearly, listeners weren’t the only ones who recognized what they were hearing!

And then there’s Chaka!

Let’s be honest. You can have the greatest musicians in the world, but a song still needs that something extra.

Chaka Khan brought it.

That voice! Powerful, playful, confident, and full of personality. She doesn’t just sing this song; she owns every second of it. She can deliver a line with a little attitude, stretch a note, and then pull you right back into that irresistible groove.

There’s no need for her to overpower the music. She understands the groove so well that her voice becomes another instrument in the band.

And that’s what makes the record work so beautifully. Rufus isn’t merely backing up Chaka, and Chaka isn’t simply singing over Rufus. They’re creating something together.

You can hear the chemistry.

The Stevie Wonder story: “That’s all you got?”

Now, here’s the part that makes this record’s history even better.

During the recording of Rufus’s second album, Rags to Rufus, Stevie Wonder visited the group. Stevie was already an established superstar, and he had a song he thought Rufus might like to record. It was called “Come and Get This Stuff.”

Chaka wasn’t impressed.

According to the story she has shared in interviews, she essentially told Stevie that she didn’t like the song and asked him what else he had!

Can you imagine that scene? You’re a young singer in a recording studio, and Stevie Wonder — STEVIE WONDER! — has just presented you with a song. And you tell him to try again!

I love it.

But what happened next is the stuff of music history. Stevie asked Chaka about her astrological sign, and after learning she was an Aries, he introduced the song that would become “Tell Me Something Good.”

This time, Chaka was sold.

Stevie had found the right song for her voice, and the rest is history.

I love this story because it reminds us that even the most legendary artists need the right song, the right chemistry, and the right moment. Stevie had the musical genius. Rufus had the musicianship. Chaka had the voice and the personality.

Put them together, and BOOM!

You get a record that sounds like nobody else on the radio.

Why this record belonged in 1974

Think about the musical landscape of the early 1970s. Soul was evolving. Funk was getting deeper and more adventurous. Rock was experimenting with new textures, and popular music was becoming a wonderful mix of styles.

“Tell Me Something Good” sat right in the middle of that excitement, but it didn’t sound like it was following anybody else’s blueprint.

It had the funk, but it wasn’t just another dance record. It had rock attitude, but it wasn’t a rock song. It had soul, but Chaka and the band delivered it with a sound that was entirely their own.

And the best part? It was FUN!

You didn’t have to analyze the music to appreciate it. You could simply let that groove take over. You could tap your feet, move your shoulders, sing along, and enjoy the ride.

Yet, if you listened closely, there was so much happening beneath the surface. Those little guitar responses, that distinctive clavinet, the rhythm section holding everything together, and Chaka’s remarkable vocal performance made this a record you could listen to over and over and still discover something new.

That’s the mark of a great record.

Meeting Chaka made the music even more special

Getting to meet Chaka Khan at SiriusXM was a real treat. I’ve loved music and radio for years, and there’s something extraordinary about hearing an artist tell the stories behind the songs we’ve enjoyed for so long. I won a contest to watch an interview with Chaka Khan.

You hear a record on the radio, and you remember where you were, what you were doing, or how that sound made you feel. But when you hear the story behind it directly from the artist, the record takes on another dimension.

Now, when I think about “Tell Me Something Good,” I don’t just hear that funky opening. I think about a young Chaka Khan being honest with a musical legend, Stevie Wonder finding the right song, and a group of talented musicians creating something that would last for generations.

And I think about how fortunate we were to have that music coming through our radios.

The final spin

Here’s my question for you: When “Tell Me Something Good” first came on the radio, did you know what you were hearing?

Did that opening make you stop and listen? Did you find yourself trying to figure out what that strange, almost talking guitar sound was? Or did Chaka’s voice grab you before you had a chance to think about anything else?

For me, this record is a perfect example of what this series is all about. It wasn’t just a great song. It was a SOUND. A feeling. A musical personality that couldn’t be mistaken for anybody else.

In 1974, Rufus and Chaka Khan gave us something funky, fresh, and unforgettable.

And decades later, it still makes you want to turn up the radio.

That’s what happens when nothing sounds like it on the radio!

Until next time, keep those memories spinning, keep that radio playing, and keep celebrating the music that made us stop and say, “WOW!”