The Chic Organisation was the vehicle created by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for their productions by Chic and others. Inspired by Roxy Music and aspirationally attired in designer business suits, they were disco's classiest act. This playlist focuses on the 1978-82 period were some of the songs they made are better than pure gold.
Words & curation by Mark Webb, cover portrait by Mick Clarke
The Chic Organisation was the vehicle created by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for their productions by Chic and others. Inspired by Roxy Music and aspirationally attired in designer business suits, they were disco's classiest act.
They were massively prolific between 1977 and 1983, when they wrote and produced eight Chic albums, two for Sister Sledge, along with one each for Diana Ross, Debbie Harry, Johnny Matthis, and Sheila B and Devotion. This playlist focuses on the 1978-82 period and visits some of their well known tracks, but also includes some of the lesser exposed material. We have gone for the 12" or album versions wherever possible to luxuriate in the instrumental breakdowns that showcase the band's virtuosity.
This virtuosity, and a singular focus on excellence, paid dividends commercially for almost every artist the Chic Organisation worked with (particularly up to the mid-80s) and in some cases helped boost the careers of superstars including Diana Ross and Bowie. A case in point: 1983's Let's Dance, produced by Rodgers, has sold the most of any Bowie album and made Bowie as big in the first half of the 80s as he was the previous decade.
Edwards tragically died of pneumonia in 1996, but Rodgers has gone on and continues to sprinkle a potent form of hitmaker fairy dust on much of what he puts chords to - most famously 2013’s “Get Happy” with Daft Punk (likely to break the one billion streams tape on Spotify at some stage). Rodgers’ current nine-piece Chic, with virtuosic bass player Jerry Barnes filling Edwards’ shoes, have been touring pretty much the same show for years now, but then it’s hard to improve on a setlist for which the word “crowd-pleasing” seems like faint praise. Whether together or as individuals, The Chic Organisation had two supremely talented ‘CEOs’ that any actual business corporation would indeed have to get lucky to see at the helm.
Chic are now the most sampled band in history - "we've officially overtaken James Brown," said Rodgers, who calculated that they have generated $3 billion via Chic's music, his productions for Bowie, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry etc, and his more recent movie soundtracks, computer games and TV adverts. However, their true legacy is the pleasure their music continues to give directly and through their influence. This influence has permeated into a myriad of genres, most notably hip-hop, early eighties funk-rock through to today's R&B. Every generation recognises their best known material such as We Are Family, Le Freak or Upside Down.
Also: check on Nile’s career story in his own words on the Art of Longevity podcast.
TRACK-BY-TRACK
Spacer (A Tom Moulton Mix) - Sheila and B. Devotion (1980)
A 5 million selling banger from the French popster Sheila, who has been having hits since the early 60s. From the Chic written and produced album, King of the World. This is a mix by the legendary Tom Moulton, inventor of the 12" single.
Sorcerer - Norma Jean Wright (1978)
Norma Jean was lead vocalist on Chic's debut album, before they switched to the dual singer format. This single from her debut has all the Chic fundamentals firing on all cylinders - walking bass, chucking guitar, scything strings, and detached vocals.
Saturday - Norma Jean Wright (1978)
The best known song from the Norma Jean album due to numerous covers, samples and use in a certain Saturday night TV show. Propelled by monstrous bass and unrelenting strings. Criminally, not a chart hit when released.
High Society - Norma Jean Wright (1979)
A great standalone single, intended to be part of a second solo album that never materialised. Norma Jean went on to provide backing vocals on many records by a diverse range of artists including Luther Vandross and Madonna.
I Want Your Love - Chic (1979)
The follow-up to the 7 million selling Le Freak. It may lack those exceptional sales figures, but this could be the most perfect Chic track. In full-length form, this Top 10 dancefloor anthem's horn and string interplay builds and builds into a cocktail of sonic bliss. Without doubt the best use of tubular bells in pop.
Got to Love Somebody Today - Sister Sledge (1980)
First single from the follow-up album to We Are Family. Not quite in the "c-suite" with He’s the Greatest Dancer or Lost In Music, but as ever the bass alone is worth the price of admission.
Jam Was Moving - Debbie Harry (1981)
The best single from Debbie Harry's debut solo album, KooKoo. The disco backlash had well and truly kicked-in by now and the sound is more rock orientated. The album itself was a complex beast and perhaps not a complete success in the usual Chic manner, but has dated well and when all is said & done, is probably Harry’s best solo LP.
Soup for One - Chic (1982)
Single from a little-heard film soundtrack that used new and existing Chic related material. Recognition came when the riff was sampled in 2000 by the French house duo Modjo for their single Lady (Hear Me Tonight) - not that many of us realised that in those early internet days. One of many global hits derived from the Rodgers/Edwards catalogue.
Why - Carly Simon (1982)
Also from the Soup for One record, this top 10 hit was everywhere in summer '82 in the UK. The last great release by the Chic Organisation has keyboards to the fore and triggered drum sounds. Would be a perfect vehicle for Grace Jones.
Lost in Music - Sister Sledge (Dimitri from Paris Remix) (1979)
Dimitri, the Grammy nominated producer, remixer, composer and DJ, was allowed to access the original studio master that features all of the individually recorded musical and vocal elements. Sounds respectful to the original, whilst adding some extra drama and twists by drawing out the string motifs and showcasing unheard sections. One for the teenagers. Nile views the host Sledge album, We Are Family, as “pound for pound”, the finest-ever Chic Organisation release.
My Old Piano - Diana Ross (1980)
This is the original Chic mix, not the one finally released after Motown, fearful of the disco sucks campaign, sweetened the mix by turning down the strings and adding a cheesy keyboard line. Although Nile stated in his autobiography that label dabbling “caused us … tears, pain and humiliation”, they had the last laugh when the Diana album sold 10m and became Ross's biggest seller.
Now that You're Gone - Diana Ross (1980)
A standout disco-noir ballad from the Diana album. The yearning glacial strings are a great complement to the exuberance provided by the singles Upside Down and I’m Coming Out.
Savoir Faire - Chic (1978)
C'est Chic is the strongest Chic album and this instrumental from it shows the more jazz orientated side to the band. As Nile explained, “the only real way to understand Chic is in hifalutin terms. Our chord progressions were based on European modal melodies. I made those early Chic records to impress my jazz friends.”
At Last I Am Free - Chic (1978)
An epic elegiac ballad later covered by Robert Wyatt and Elizabeth Fraser. Not about a relationship exit, but the night Rodgers and fellow black panther friends escaped the grasp of the cops in Central Park.
A Warm Summer Night - Chic (1979)
A stately track from the third Chic album, Risque. The theme running through the best of Chic’s non-dancefloor work is sorrowful longing delivered with detached sophistication.
Fall in Love (I Want To) - Johnny Mathis (1981)
We finish our run of ballads with this highlight from the shelved '81 jazz influenced album they wrote for the veteran crooner. The full album was only released in 2018 and during the promo activity Johnny couldn't remember much about recording it. Not exactly surprising given that he has banged out 73 records over his six decade plus career.
Good Times - Chic (1979)
We wrap up the playlist with the US number 1 that finishes every Nile Rodgers & Chic concert with a joyous onstage audience celebration. Nile embraces the sampling by the Sugarhill Gang and it appears in a medley with Rapper's Delight - the first rap hit. One of the most influential singles of all time, it's direct progeny also includes the Queen track Another One Bites the Dust - explained by the fact that "John Deacon was with me in the studio when I wrote the damn thing!". Talk about right place, right time.