| Chic | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City, USA |
| Genre(s) | R&B, Funk, Disco, Dance, Rock, Jazz, Reggae |
| Years active | 1976–1983 1990–1992 1996 1998–present |
| Label(s) | Buddah Records Atlantic Records Warner Bros. Records Sumthing Else |
| Associated acts | Sister Sledge Diana Ross Sheila B. Devotion Deborah Harry Luther Vandross Carly Simon The Honeydrippers |
| Members | |
| Nile Rodgers Sylver Logan Sharp Jessica Wagner Richard Hilton Jerry Barnes Omar Hakim Bill Holloman Cherie Mitchell Gerardo Velez Curt Ramm |
|
| Former members | |
| Bernard Edwards Alfa Anderson Luci Martin Tony Thompson Norma Jean Wright Fonzi Thornton Robert Sabino Raymond Jones Andy Schwartz Sammy Figueroa Michelle Cobbs Karen Milne Cheryl Hong Valerie Haywood |
|
Chic (pron. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Buddah Records (now known as Buddha Records Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. Sumthing Distribution is a New York based company started by Nile Rodgers that distributes Recording artist and Independent record labels Sister Sledge is an American Musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four Singers who are Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Sheila (born Annie Chancel on August 16, 1945 in Créteil) is the Stage name of a French Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1 1945 is an American Singer-songwriter and Actress, most famous for being the lead singer for the Punk Luther Ronzoni Vandross ( April 20 1951 – July 1 2005) was an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25 1945 is an Oscar, Golden Globe and two time Grammy Award -winning American Singer-songwriter, The Honeydrippers was a rock band of the 1980s Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant formed the group in 1981 to satisfy his long-time goal in having Nile Gregory Rodgers (born September 19 1952, in New York City) is an American musician Composer, Arranger, and Guitarist Sylver Logan Sharp has been lead vocalist with Nile Rodgers and Chic since the early 1990s and continues to tour with them in 2006 Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959 in New York City - USA) is a famous drummer noted in Jazz, Jazz fusion and Pop Bernard Edwards ( October 31 1952 – April 18 1996) born in Greenville North Carolina, was a Bass guitar player and For the R&B vocalist and Hi-Five lead singer see Tony Thompson. Norma Jean Wright (born in Elyria Ohio) was the lead vocalist of the soul, R&B and Disco group Chic, from 1977 to Robert Sabino is a professional keyboardist He was born and raised in the Bronx IPA: /ˈʃiːk/, sometimes fully capitalized as CHIC) is an American disco and funk band that was formed in 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Nile Gregory Rodgers (born September 19 1952, in New York City) is an American musician Composer, Arranger, and Guitarist The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the Bernard Edwards ( October 31 1952 – April 18 1996) born in Greenville North Carolina, was a Bass guitar player and It is best-known for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (1977), "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" (1978), "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" (1979), and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979). Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define " Le Freak " is a 1978 hit Disco song by Chic. It was the band's third single and first Billboard Hot 100 number-one song " I Want Your Love " is an R&B / Disco song composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic fame " Good Times " is a 1979-80 song composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.
Contents |
History
1976–1978: Origins and early singers
Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards met in 1970. They formed a rock band called the Boys (later the Big Apple Band) and played numerous gigs around New York City, but despite interest in their demos, they could not get a record contract when the music companies discovered they were African-American; the discrimination of the day said black artists couldn't play rock music. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is
Undeterred, in 1977, Edwards and Rodgers had former LaBelle and Ecstasy, Passion, & Pain drummer Tony Thompson join the band. Labelle is an American R&B / Soul group who melded Disco with Funk and Glam rock. For the R&B vocalist and Hi-Five lead singer see Tony Thompson. It performed as a trio, doing covers at various gigs for a while. In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released The trio needed a singer to front the band. That singer was Norma Jean Wright, who sang lead on their demo tape and on all the songs on its first, self-titled album (1977), but before that, the immediate success of its debut album Chic and the hits "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" and "Everybody Dance" sent Chic out on the road. Norma Jean Wright (born in Elyria Ohio) was the lead vocalist of the soul, R&B and Disco group Chic, from 1977 to A demo version or demo of a song (shortened from the word "demonstration" is one recorded for reference rather than for release Chic is the debut Album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1977 It performed as a quartet until February 1978, but Rodgers and Edwards thought that their live performances would improve both in sound and visuals if they added another girl to front the band. Wright suggested her friend Luci Martin, who became a member in late winter/early spring of 1978.
Right after the sessions ended for its debut album, the band members began to work on Wright's self-titled debut solo album Norma Jean, released in 1978. Norma Jean is the debut solo Studio album by American R&B singer Norma Jean Wright, released on Bearsville Records in 1978 This album contained club hit "Saturday. " To facilitate Wright's solo career, intended to be parallel to her Chic career, the band had agreed to sign her to a separate contract and label. Unfortunately the legalities of this contract eventually forced Wright to leave the band in mid-1978, but not before she took part in the sessions for Chic-produced Sister Sledge album We Are Family. Sister Sledge is an American Musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four Singers who are We Are Family is a 1979 Album by Sister Sledge. The album which was both written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards She was replaced by Alfa Anderson, who had been on back up vocals on the band’s debut album. For the Sister Sledge project, Edwards and Rogers wrote and produced "He's the Greatest Dancer" (originally intended to be a Chic song) in exchange for "I Want Your Love" (originally intended to be performed by Sister Sledge).
1978–1979: "Le Freak" and "Good Times"
In late 1978, the band released C'est Chic, containing one of its best-known tracks, "Le Freak". C'est Chic is the second Studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1978 " Le Freak " is a 1978 hit Disco song by Chic. It was the band's third single and first Billboard Hot 100 number-one song The famous refrain "Aaa, freak out" was originally intended to be "Aaa, fuck off," conceived as an impromptu protest song after Edwards and Rogers had once tried unsuccessfully to get into the exclusive New York nightclub Studio 54. Studio 54 is a New York City Broadway theater and former Discothèque located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan. The title was changed for obvious reasons after they realized they had a hit on their hands. The single was a massive success, topping the US charts and selling over 6 million copies. It is still the biggest-ever selling single ever of Atlantic's parent company, Warner Music.
The following year, the group released the Risqué album and the lead track "Good Times," one of the most important and influential songs of the era. Risqué is the third Studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1979 the same year that Bernard " Good Times " is a 1979-80 song composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. The track formed the backbone of Grandmaster Flash's "Adventures on the Wheels of Steel" and the Sugarhill Gang's breakthrough hip-hop single, "Rapper's Delight", and it has been endlessly sampled since by many dance and hip-hop acts, as well as being the inspiration for Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust". Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958 in Bridgetown Barbados) better known as Grandmaster Flash, is an American Hip hop musician The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop and Funk group known mostly for their biggest hit " Rapper's Delight " the first hip hop Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. " Rapper's Delight " is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang; it was one of the first hip hop hit singles " Another One Bites the Dust " is a 1980 Funk-rock song from the English rock band Queen.
At the same time, Edwards and Rodgers composed, arranged, performed, and produced many influential disco and R&B records for both established artists and one-hit wonders, including Sister Sledge's albums We Are Family (1979) and Love Somebody Today (1980); Sheila and B. Devotion's "Spacer"; Diana Ross's 1980 album diana, which included the hit singles "Upside Down", "I'm Coming Out" and "My Old Piano"; Carly Simon's "Why" (from 1982 soundtrack Soup For One); and Deborah Harry's debut solo album. Sister Sledge is an American Musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four Singers who are We Are Family is a 1979 Album by Sister Sledge. The album which was both written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards Love Somebody Today is a 1980 Album by Sister Sledge. The album which just like 1979's highly successful We Are Family, was Sheila (born Annie Chancel on August 16, 1945 in Créteil) is the Stage name of a French Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire diana is a 1980 album by American R&B singer Diana Ross, released on the Motown label Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25 1945 is an Oscar, Golden Globe and two time Grammy Award -winning American Singer-songwriter, Soup For One was a 1982 sexually-themed romantic comedy that was directed and written by Jonathan Kaufer and produced by Marvin Worth. Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1 1945 is an American Singer-songwriter and Actress, most famous for being the lead singer for the Punk
Chic also helped introduce the world to an up-and-coming young vocalist named Luther Vandross, who sang on several of Chic's albums, and helped define the distinctive vocal style of Chic. Luther Ronzoni Vandross ( April 20 1951 – July 1 2005) was an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter That style he used on his big breakthrough, the disco band Change's debut album "The Glow of Love" in 1980. Change was an American Disco / R&B group formed in Bologna, Italy in 1979 by the creative genius of businessman and executive producer
1980s–1990s: Disbanding, other projects, a brief reunion
In the early 1980s, in the aftermath of the anti-disco backlash, the band struggled to obtain both airplay and sales, and it eventually disbanded. Rodgers and Edwards produced records for a wide variety of artists separately. Together, they produced the hugely successful Diana album for Diana Ross in 1980, which yielded the number-one single "Upside Down" and the Top-Ten hit "I'm Coming Out. diana is a 1980 album by American R&B singer Diana Ross, released on the Motown label Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire " Upside Down " is a song by Motown legend Diana Ross. " I'm Coming Out " is a hit single released by Motown singer Diana Ross in 1980 written and produced by Chic members Bernard " "My Old Piano" was also a Top-Ten single for Ross in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Rodgers co-produced David Bowie's 1983 album Let's Dance and was also largely responsible for the breakthrough success of Madonna Ciccone in 1984 with her Like a Virgin album. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. Let's Dance is an album by David Bowie, released in 1983 It is a post-disco album with co-production by Chic 's Nile Rodgers. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records Madonna's first proper hit single, 1983's "Holiday," was just like Blondie's "Rapture" and the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rappers Delight," both heavily influenced and a tribute to the Chic sound in general and "Good Times" in particular. Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and has so far sold over 60 million records Though it is seldom noted, "Like a Virgin" might be considered a Chic album of sorts in that it reunited Rogers, Thompson, Edwards, keyboardist Rob Sabino, and collaborators Jeff Bova and Jimmy Bralower. In 1984, Rodgers was involved with Robert Plant’s Honeydrippers project and helped produce that band's only EP. Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948 West Bromwich, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter famous for his membership in the The Honeydrippers was a rock band of the 1980s Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant formed the group in 1981 to satisfy his long-time goal in having Thompson and Edwards worked with the super group Power Station on its 1985 hit album, as well as Power Station lead singer Robert Palmer's solo smash Riptide that same year (both of which Edwards produced). Power Station was a 1980s supergroup made up of singer Robert Palmer; bassist John Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor of Duran Duran Robert Allen Palmer ( 19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) born in Batley, Yorkshire, was an English In 1986, Rodgers produced Notorious, the fourth album from Duran Duran. Notorious is the fourth Album by Duran Duran. Released in November 1986 it peaked at #16 in the Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two
After a 1992 birthday party where Rodgers, Edwards, Paul Shaffer, and Anton Fig played old Chic hits to rapturous response, Rodgers and Edwards organized a reunion of the old band. Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM (born November 28, 1949 in Fort William, now Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian Anton Fig (born August 8 1952 in Cape Town South Africa) known as "The Thunder from Down Under" They recorded new material—a single, "Chic Mystique" (remixed by Masters at Work) and subsequent album Chic-Ism, both of which charted—and played live all over the world, to great audience and critical acclaim. Masters At Work is the House music production and Remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzales. Chic-Ism is the eighth Studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on the WEA label in 1992
In 1996 Rodgers was honored as the Top Producer in the World in Billboard Magazine, and was named a JT Super Producer. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry That year, he performed with Bernard Edwards, Sister Sledge, Steve Winwood, Simon Le Bon, and Slash in a series of commemorative concerts in Japan, which provided a career retrospective. Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Simon John Charles Le Bon (born October 27, 1958) is the lead singer and lyricist of the pop/rock band Duran Duran and its offshoot Arcadia Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965 more widely known by his stage name Slash, is an English - African American Guitarist best known as the former Unfortunately, his longtime musical partner Edwards died of pneumonia at age 43 during the trip on April 18, 1996. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) His final performance was recorded and released as Live at the Budokan. Live at The Budokan is a Live album by American R&B band Chic, released on Nile Rodgers ' label Sumthing Else in 1999 Chic continued to tour with new musicians.
Thompson died of kidney cancer on November 12, 2003, at age 48. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
2000s - CHIC
CHIC has been nominated for inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame four times—2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Rodgers and CHIC continue to perform to sold-out venues worldwide.
Influences and awards
Chic influenced the vocal and music style of the Italian-American disco band Change, which had a string of hits in the early 1980s. Change was an American Disco / R&B group formed in Bologna, Italy in 1979 by the creative genius of businessman and executive producer
In addition to refining a relatively minimalist take on the disco sound, Chic helped to inspire other artists to forge their own sound. For example, The Sugarhill Gang used "Good Times" as the basis for its hit "Rapper's Delight", which helped launch the hip hop recorded music format as we know today. The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop and Funk group known mostly for their biggest hit " Rapper's Delight " the first hip hop " Rapper's Delight " is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang; it was one of the first hip hop hit singles Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Later that year, Vaughn Mason and Crew sampled "Good Times" on its song "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll. " "Good Times" was also used by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five on its hit ". Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was a highly influential hip hop group comprised of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Kid Creole, Cowboy Scorpio . On the Wheels of Steel," which was used in the end sequence of the first hip-hop movie, Wild Style, from 1982. Wild Style was the first hip hop Motion picture. Released independently in 1982 by First Run Features and later re-released for home video Blondie's 1980 US number-one hit "Rapture" was not only influenced by "Good Times" but was a direct tribute to Chic, and lead singer Deborah Harry's 1981 debut solo album Koo Koo was produced by Edwards and Rodgers. Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and has so far sold over 60 million records " Rapture " is a single by Blondie. It was released in January 1981 during the height of the band's success and became one of the first substantial hit singles Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1 1945 is an American Singer-songwriter and Actress, most famous for being the lead singer for the Punk Koo Koo is the title of the debut solo album by Debbie Harry, released in August 1981 while Harry was still a member of the group Blondie.
Chic was cited as an influence by the majority of successful bands to emerge from Great Britain in the 1980s. Even Johnny Marr of The Smiths has cited the group as a formative influence. Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English Guitarist, The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 Rodgers guitar work has been so emulated as to become commonplace, and Edwards' lyrical bass is also much-cited in music circles, as is Thompson's steady and hard-hitting recorded drumwork. Queen got the inspiration for its hit single "Another One Bites the Dust" from Bernard Edwards' familiar bass guitar riff on "Good Times" after John Deacon met the band in The Power Station recording studio. Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist " Another One Bites the Dust " is a 1980 Funk-rock song from the English rock band Queen. John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951 is a retired English musician best known as the Bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. Avatar Studios, formerly known as the The Power Station, is a Recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City. (Source: "Everybody Dance: Chic and the Politics of Disco")
Chic's do-it-yourself attitude served as an uptown version of punk rock's fundamental tenets (while remaining upwardly mobile) and represented a new way for R&B acts to approach their own careers. (The group very quickly grabbed the production reins for its own records, wisely shielded themselves in business matters by forming an umbrella organization from which to administer their services, conceived and formulated their own image, and wrote their own material while holding tight to their publishing rights. )
On September 19, 2005, the group was honored at the Dance Music Hall of Fame ceremony in New York when they were inducted in three categories: 1) Artist Inductees, 2) Record Inductees for "Good Times," and 3) Producers Inductees, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Dance Music Hall of Fame was created in 2003 when music industry veteran John Parker ( Robbins Entertainment) thought that something needed to be done to honor
Discography
See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
References, sources and external links
- "Everybody Dance: Chic and the Politics of Disco", book by Daryl Easlea, Helter Skelter Publishing (24 Oct 2004), ISBN 1-900924-56-0 [1]
- Rolling Stone Magazine biography
- Billboard Magazine biography
- All Music Guide Chic biography
- nilerodgers.com Nile Rodgers' official website
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