Nile Rodgers And Chic

Nile Rodgers And Chic is an American disco group from New York, formed in 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. The act is known for a polished dance sound that draws on disco, funk, R&B, dance-pop, contemporary R&B and electronic music. Over time, the group also operates under the name Nile Rodgers & Chic.

Origins and early line-up

Rodgers and Edwards meet in the New York City session scene in 1970 and first work together in a series of earlier groups, including The Boys, The Big Apple Band and New York City. After New York City splits in 1976, they adopt the name Chic. Tony Thompson joins on drums in 1977, following earlier work with Labelle and Ecstasy, Passion & Pain. Raymond Jones is then recruited on keyboards, and Norma Jean Wright becomes the first lead singer under an arrangement that allows her to pursue a solo career at the same time. Wright later suggests Luci Martin, who joins during late winter or early spring of 1978. When Wright leaves in mid-1978, Alfa Anderson, who has already sung backing vocals on the debut album, replaces her.

Recording career

Chic signs to Atlantic Records and releases its self-titled debut album in 1977. The group’s first recordings include “Everybody Dance” and “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)”. It follows with a run of major disco singles, including “Le Freak”, “I Want Your Love”, “Good Times” and “My Forbidden Lover”. “Le Freak”, from the album C'est Chic, reaches number one in the United States and becomes one of Atlantic’s biggest-selling singles. “Good Times”, from Risqué, becomes one of the group’s most influential recordings and provides the musical basis for later hip hop and dance tracks, including Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and Grandmaster Flash’s “Adventures on the Wheels of Steel”.

The group also works as writers, arrangers, performers and producers for other artists. Their credits include Sister Sledge’s We Are Family and Love Somebody Today, Sheila and B. Devotion’s “Spacer”, Diana Ross’s 1980 album Diana, Carly Simon’s “Why” from the Soup For One soundtrack, and Debbie Harry’s solo album KooKoo. An album recorded with Johnny Mathis remains unreleased after being rejected by his label. Luther Vandross also appears as a young session vocalist on Chic’s early albums.

Break-up, reunion and later work

Chic disbands in the early 1980s after the disco backlash reduces radio play and sales. Rodgers and Edwards continue to work separately and together on projects for artists including David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran, the Thompson Twins, Robert Palmer and the Honeydrippers. The original rhythm section of Rodgers, Edwards and Thompson also contributes to Diana Ross’s album Diana. After a reunion in the early 1990s, the group records “Chic Mystique” and the album Chic-Ism, and tours internationally. Chic continues with new musicians after Bernard Edwards’s death in 1996.

During the 2000s, the group releases compilation and live albums including The Very Best of Chic, Good Times: The Very Best of the Hits & the Remixes, A Night in Amsterdam and The Definitive Groove Collection. In 2010, Nile Rodgers Presents The Chic Organization, Vol. 1: Savoir Faire collects Rodgers and Edwards productions from Chic and related work. Rodgers publishes his autobiography Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny in 2011.

Live appearances and collaborations

Chic with Nile Rodgers headlines the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury in 2013 and plays the iTunes Festival in London later that year. The group also opens a live episode of The X Factor for its disco-themed week. Rodgers co-writes and performs on three tracks from Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, including “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams, which wins the Grammy Record of the Year. In 2014, Chic and Nile Rodgers headline the Essence Festival, with guest performances from Kathy Sledge, Janelle Monáe and Prince. They also headline Bestival on the Isle of Wight that year.

In 2015, Rodgers signs a new deal with Warner Bros. and announces the Chic album It’s About Time, with “I’ll Be There” as the lead single. The album later includes guest appearances from artists such as Lady Gaga, Mura Masa, Vic Mensa, Cosha, Stefflon Don, Craig David, Teddy Riley, Nao, Hailee Steinfeld, Philippe Saisse, Danny L Harle, Lunchmoney Lewis, Thomas Troelsen, Emeli Sandé and Elton John. The group performs at Glastonbury again in 2017 and appears at New Year Live in London at the end of that year. In 2018, it releases “Till the World Falls”, featuring Mura Masa, Vic Mensa and Cosha, and continues to perform as Nile Rodgers & Chic.

Recognition and influence

Chic receives repeated nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with 11 nominations up to 2017, and Nile Rodgers is inducted there for Musical Excellence in 2017. In 2005, the group is inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame as artists, while “Good Times” is honoured as a record and Rodgers and Edwards are recognised as producers. “Le Freak” is later selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Chic’s bass lines, guitar work and drum patterns are widely cited as influences on later pop, disco, funk, hip hop and dance music.

Members

The group’s membership across its history includes Norma Jean Wright, Bernard Edwards, Alfa Anderson, Tony Thompson, Jenn Thomas, Sylver Logan Sharp, Jessica Wagner-Cowan, Jerry Barnes, Milton Gerry Barnes, Kimberly Davis, Omar Hakim, Nile Rodgers, Ralph Rolle, Luther Vandross, Diva Gray and Luci Martin.