A forthcoming two-for-one set from Robinsongs will chronicle the last works of funk legends Rufus - including their powerful final bow with singer Chaka Khan. The label will release the 1983 studio album Seal in Red and live/studio hybrid Stompin' At The Savoy - Live as a 2CD set on March 14. The set will feature new liner notes by Lois Wilson of MOJO as well as three bonus tracks, including single versions of "Take It to the Top" and the smash hit "Ain't Nobody," as well as a rare remix of the latter track produced by Frankie Knuckles in 1989.

While Rufus rose to fame in the '70s on a wave of undeniable funk classics like "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing" and "Do You Love What You Feel," the group's fortunes shifted significantly when lead singer Chaka Khan started to gain the most attention from the press and audiences. After her solo career took off like a rocket in 1978, the band occasionally found themselves at tension with their singer, going as far as to record several albums without her participation: 1979's Numbers and 1980's Party 'Til You're Broke. Seal in Red followed that formula once more: guitarist Tony Maiden, keyboardists Kevin Murphy and David "Hawk" Wolinski, bassist Bobby Watson and drummer John "J.R." Robinson recruited Aaron Neville's son Ivan to sing the bulk of the material, with a host of session players brought in as well: George Duke produced the album, Patti Austin contributed vocals, Paulinho da Costa's percussion is heard throughout, and Ernie Watts and Chicago's Jimmy Pankow lent their skills on sax and trumpet. Seal in Red would be the group's weakest seller - single "Take It to the Top" stiffed, and the LP is their only one to miss the Billboard 200 entirely - but offered some inspiring moments in the twilight of their studio career.

And the group decided to go out with a bang, booking three dates at the legendary New York club The Savoy and convincing Khan to join the group one last time. Recorded as an audio and video release - a planned documentary concert film was shelved until years later - Stompin At The Savoy - Live features Rufus powering through their hits with an expanded line-up including a murderer's row of session musicians (rhythm guitarist David Williams, percussionist Lenny Castro, a trio of backing singers anchored by Stephanie Spruill and a horn quartet comprised of Jerry Hey, Ernie Watts, Larry Williams and Gary Herbig). Beyond the exciting versions of "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," "You Got the Love" and a take on Khan's solo hit "What Cha Gonna Do for Me," Stompin' At The Savoy closes with a side of studio material, most notably Wolinski's sinewy electronic standout "Ain't Nobody." The final single by Rufus & Chaka Khan reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and primed the pump for Khan's biggest solo hit: the 1984 Prince-penned "I Feel for You." Moreover, the track became a Top 10 hit twice in the U.K.: once upon original release, and once when remixed by Knuckles for 1989's Life is a Dance: The Remix Project. (Knuckles' "Hallucinogenic Remix" appeared on the B-side of that 12" reissue, and appears as a bonus track here.)

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Stompin' At The Savoy - Live / Seal in Red (Robinsongs QROBIN80CDD (U.K.), 2025) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1: Stompin' At The Savoy - Live (originally released as Warner Bros. 23679, 1983)

1. You Got the Love
2. Once You Get Started
3. Dance Wit Me
4. Sweet Thing
5. Tell Me Something Good
6. Stop On By
7. Pack'd My Bags
8. I'm a Woman (I'm a Backbone)
9. At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)
10. Ain't That Peculiar
11. Stay
12. What Cha' Gonna Do For Me
13. Do You Love What You Feel
14. Ain't Nobody
15. One Million Kisses
16. Try a Little Understanding
17. Don't Go to Strangers

Tracks 1-13 recorded live at The Savoy, New York, NY - 2/12-14/1983. Tracks 14-17 are studio recordings

Disc 2: Seal in Red (originally released as Warner Bros. 23753, 1983) and bonus tracks

1. Take It to the Top
2. The Time is Right
3. When I Get Over You
4. You Turn Me All Around
5. You, the Night and the Music
6. Blinded by the Boogie
7. I'm Saving This Love Song
8. You're Really Out of Line
9. Distant Lovers
10. No Regrets
11. Take It to the Top (7" Version) (Warner Bros. single 7-29790, 1983)
12. Ain't Nobody (7" Version) (Warner Bros. single 7-29555, 1983)
13. Ain't Nobody (Hallucinogenic Version) (Warner Bros. U.K. 12" B-side W2880T, 1989)