No one else can tell the story the influential producer has worked with everyone from david bowie to daft punk. Le freak, cest chic lyrics known all around the world and definitive of the effervescent disco era and just one prime example of the influential repertoire that the legendary composer, producer and musician nile rodgers born 19 september 1952 from new york, us, who has built an extraordinary legacy. Nile rodgerss new music memoir is le freak the new york. Nile rodgers had a complicated, rewarding, and a seesawlike music production career. Nile gregory rodgers born september 19, 1952, in new york city is an american musician, composer, arranger, and guitarist, and is considered one of the most i.
Le freak is as much about the greatness of life as it is about nile rodgers s extraordinary musical journey. Legendary producer and cofounder of chic, nile wrote we are family for sister sledge and im coming out for diana ross, and then produced lets dance for david bowie and like a virgin for madonna. Apparently, he got the idea for im coming out when he was at a gay bar hes straight and was taking a leak in between two diana ross impersonators. Influential guitarist, songwriter and producer, born 19 september 1952 in new york city.
September 19, 1952, popularly known as nile rodgers, is an american. Nile rodgers influence on popular music over the past forty years is nearly unfathomable. This is truly one of the best books ever written about art, music, life, and the way we grow to be exactly who we are. Le freak is an astonishing, exuberant and inspiring story of a creative genius. Nile rodgers booking agent, manager, and publicist contact info. Oct 18, 2011 nile rodgers had a complicated, rewarding, and a seesawlike music production career. Finally, we added an outstanding male lead singer named bobby cotter, who.
As well as scoring multiplatinum hits with his band chic, rodgers. The astonishing and wildly entertaining memoir of nile rodgers. An upside down story of family, disco and destiny, by. Nile rodgers is in london to work with up to 100 young people to remix and rerelease his 1978 megasmash le freak. The cofounder of chic, rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have cumulatively sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide. Nile rodgers tickets, 2020 concert tour dates ticketmaster. And he details that career in le freak, which is one of the best autobiographies or biographies youll ever read. Nile rodgers adventures in the land of the good groove. Nile rodgers may be the greatest musical producer you almost never. Rodgers critically acclaimed autobiography, le freak. As chics tight sound and yet rich composition became increasingly popular and soughtafter, bernard edwards and nile rodgers began doing record production, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Nile rodgers at the apollo theaters spring gala, 6815 sachyn mital for the village voice if theres an apex of achievement in the music business, nile rodgers is sitting atop it. As rodgers well knows, the best music is the stuff we feel, the stuff that speaks to us and wont let go. Oct 03, 2016 nile rodgers and chic freak out to perform their song le freak during their set at the roots picnic nyc music festival in bryant park nyc on 10022016.
Rodgers gave those dreams a beatand helped invent pop as we know it today. His signature slinky guitar and the bands discofunk groove best known from 1970s dancefloor anthems like le freak and. Name a star and you can bet theyre in this book, playing or partying with rodgers. The musician penned some of the most progressive and popular songs of the disco era with chic, who topped the billboard hot 100 with le freak and the hiphop catalyst good times, and released platinum albums such as cest. Inspired by the dionysian scene at studio 54, a grownup rodgers and bassist bernard edwards formed the seminal disco band chic and wrote le freak, their first no. Nile rodgers contribution to popular music has been extremely significant, so much more than the signature chucking style he developed as a brilliant rhythm guitarist. Rob sheffield, rolling stone this book is an absolute knockout. Oct 18, 2011 in this exclusive excerpt from nile rodgers s new memoir, le freak, the legendary hitmaker recounts his disco acts meteoric rise to fame, fortune, and the funky. Indeed, over the past 40 years rodgers has penned, played and produced a vast wealth of hit songs, starting with le freak and good times, the eradefining late70s smashes by the band he cofounded, disco powerhouse chic. Nile rodgers top 10 music books books the guardian. But for fans of feelgood music, friends of the groove and those with the urge to merge with a dance enhancing beat, theres no better news than the return of one of the planets most perfect practitioners of pure fun, nile rodgers. An upside down story of family, disco and destiny digital original by rodgers, nile isbn. The cofounder of chic, rodgers has written, produced, and performed on albums that have cumulatively sold more than 500 million units and 75 million singles worldwide.
Oct 01, 2011 nile rodgers influence on modern pop music can barely be defined by his oeuvre of work as musician, producer and songwriter. An upside down story of family, disco, and destiny, i talk about how michael jackson pulled me back in. Many chic stories are music folklore, not least the wonderful story of le freak, atlantic. You probably dont know my name, but i bet you know at least one of my songs, nile rodgers says in bbc documentary, nile rodgers. I just wanted to read books and practice every chance i got. The single achieved sales of 7 million and also scored number seven in the uk singles chart.
He spoke with nprs michel martin shortly after delivering a. Nile rodgerss memoir hanging out with madonna and david. The book ends as rodgers himself is diagnosed with cancer. Le freak, cest chic lyrics known all around the world and definitive of the effervescent disco era and just one prime example of the influential repertoire that the legendary composer, producer and musician nile rodgers born 19 september 1952 from new york, us, who has built an.
Nile rodgerss new memoir, le freak, recounts his days as a successful record producer and musician. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Nile rodgers contact info booking agent, manager, publicist. Apr 02, 2016 nile rodgers is still fighting the disco wars. As the cofounder of the band chic and a writerproducer for diana ross, sister sledge and debbie harry, rodgers created some of the finest. Us, taja sevelle 1997 samantha cole, samantha cole 1997 on and on, all4one 1998 everything is cool, smap japan 1998 su theme song, smap japan 1998 just me, tina arena 2001 dellali, cheb mami 2001 we are family, nile rodgers all stars we are family foundation 2001 only a woman like you, michael bolton 2002 shady satin drug, soul decision 2004 astronaut. Find nile rodgers credit information on allmusic allmusic. It sounds like hes using the bridge pickup of his funk machine his white strat. I was born in new york city where my mother and me had strange but interesting lives. Le freak is as much about the greatness of life as it is about nile rodgerss extraordinary musical journey. September 19, 1952, popularly known as nile rodgers, is an american singersongwriter, guitarist, composer and record producer. Nile rodgers has books on goodreads with 2656 ratings. Hi, my name is nile rodgers which is a combination of a river in africa and a fantastic composer.
S ongwriter, arranger, producer and guitarist nile rodgers is one of the most influential pop musicians of the last 40 years. This is truly one of the best books ever written about art, music, life. He is a rock and roll hall of fame inductee, a threetime grammy awardwinner, and the. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. This classic disco hit is now playable by any band thanks to doug adams hot new arrangement. You can dance to it, but the beat accommodates more languorous movements too. Chic featuring nile rodgers booking disco music artists. But before he reinvented pop music nile rodgers invented himself. Stream adfree or purchase cds and mp3s now on amazon.
Along with the tracks i want your love and chic cheer, le freak scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks. Rodgers and bernard edwards produced, wrote, and performed with the band sister sledge. A leading light of the disco scene in the late 1970s, he recorded as part of chic and with bandmate bernard edwards produced many of the most popular and memorable disco hits of the 1970s and 1980s. In le freak, rodgers wasnt interested in giving the reader an uptight and basic view of his music career and his private life. Nile rodgers contact information name, email address, phone number. I just heard an interview with nile rodgers on npr. In the new yorker, sasha frerejones wrote that the track creates the feeling of being on a tugboat made of bubbles while nile rodgers serves you liquid valium in flute. Nile rodgers influence on modern pop music can barely be defined by his oeuvre of work as musician, producer and songwriter. The chic legend has teamed up with rudimental and the go think big initiative to recruit and produce the track with the winners. Words and music by bernard edwards and nile rodgers arr. Nile rodgerss new music memoir is le freak the new. Nile rodgers on why chic will never be in the hall of fame. It was fairly disappointing for the headliner of the benefit performance to play two songs and then leave the stage.
A career that spans four decades and scores of hits, yet he has always been content being on the sidelines. Nile rodgers defender of disco the washington post. The chic cofounder and legendary producers life story is a fascinating. People say i have a lot of bass in my voice for such a skinny person, but it has been that way since i was a child. Additionally, rodgers found time during this hectic period to issue a pair of solo albums, 1983s adventures in the land of the good groove and 1985s bmovie matinee, and scored films such as coming to america, earth girls are easy, and beverly hills cop iii. Nile rodgers and chic freak out to perform their song le freak during their set at the roots picnic nyc music festival in bryant park nyc on 10022016. In this exclusive excerpt from nile rodgerss new memoir, le freak, the legendary hitmaker recounts his disco acts meteoric rise to fame, fortune, and the. Rodgers began his career as a session guitarist in new york, playing with the sesame street band in his teens, and then working in the house band at harlems renowned. The book starts off at nile the little asthmatic kid whose childhood was spent with his junkie parents, watching tv and loitering around. Le freak showcases a major portion of the career of nile rodgers. Pearl jam, joan baez lead rock and roll hall of fame 2017 class. Producer, audio production, liner notes, main personnel, guitar, vocals background, composer.
We caught up with the enduring dance man to discuss the campaign and the enduring appeal of that iconic disco jam. Those skills would eventually lead him to working with some of the biggest. Facts you didnt know about the chic founder disco legend and chic lead singer nile, 65, lives in westport, connecticut with his partner nancy. A lot has happened since original members nile rodgers and bernard edwards initially joined forces as chic sheek. In this exclusive excerpt from nile rodgerss new memoir, le freak, the legendary. Rodgerss pageturning memoir is packed with emotionally charged vignettes. As rodgers well knows, the best music is the music is the stuff we feel, the stuff that speaks to us and wont let go. Nile rodgers may be the greatest musical producer you almost never heard of.
Debbie harry, the lead singer of the band blondie, worked with chic on her first solo. Nile rodgers le freak live at eden sessions 20 youtube carlos santana kennedy center honors 20 complete full clip duration. Oct 16, 20 nile rodgers le freak live at eden sessions 20 youtube carlos santana kennedy center honors 20 complete full clip duration. Nile rodgers funky tone discussion in guitars in general started by chriskk, mar 24, 20. Oct 20, 2011 nile rodgerss new memoir, le freak, recounts his days as a successful record producer and musician. An upside down story of family, disco and destiny by. Nov 23, 2011 nile rodgers top 10 music books from beethovens letters to bob dylans chronicles, the musician chooses books that reveal the private lives behind the public melodies nile rodgers.