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Nile Rodgers' Good Times

Nile Rodgers' Good Times: Episode 3

Episode 3

BBC Radio 2 - Nile Rodgers' Good Times, Episode 3

Disco legend Nile Rodgers in conversation with music aficionado Vicki Wickham.

Guitarist, songwriter, producer and co-founder of Chic Nile Rodgers is in conversation with music aficionado Vicki Wickham, talking about his career in music and lots more.

At his home in conversation with Vicki Wickham, Nile Rodgers talks about writing for other artists and about Chic's most successful period from 1977 - 1979 when everything they touched went platinum, double and triple platinum. Atlantic Records - their record label wanted he & Bernard to write for other artists and offered them the Rolling Stones and Bette Midler. They said it would be better to work with a group who were fairly unknown, and so they were introduced to Sister Sledge and the rest as they say is history...although Nile admits they were winging it as they wrote the lyrics for We Are Family! They also didn't realise that lead singer Kathy Sledge was only 16 and on their first hit 'He's the Greatest Dancer' they were making her sing about having a one night stand. The Sledge Sisters asked Nile & Bernard to change the lyric but they insisted it was important for the song.
They then went on to work with Diana Ross - and the Diana album produced major hits with Upside Down, I'm Coming Out and My Old Piano. This was a wonderful pairing - and they started by interviewing her as if they were making a documentary - all about the life of Diana Ross. She loved that concept - and Nile finds it easy to write about something that is real. She was talking about turning the world upside. This was a New Diana album - hers and hers alone - 'instinctively you give to me - respectfully I say to thee..' only Diana could sing those lyrics like the Queen.
One night Nile went to a club to check out the latest music - and this was a transvestite club - and there were lots of guys dressed as Diana and that gave Nile the idea for one of her biggest hits on the Diana album - I'm Coming Out. There is a story of how he lied to Diana Ross about the meaning of the lyrics...
Nile talks about how he met David Bowie, rolling with Billy Idol one night, bumping into him at a nightclub called the Continental. Nile and Bowie hit it off straight away and the conversation turned to jazz - and they discovered they both shared a passion for this music. So they started working on album together - Nile was shocked because at the time nobody wanted to work with him because of the Disco Sucks Movement. But Bowie is his own man and a big rock star he's the man that everyone wants to work with. Together they started going around the City - to try and find a concept for his new album. Bowie told Nile he wanted him to do what he did best and make hits - he was offended for a moment because they had been talking about their jazz connections but Bowie pointed out if he did that best he'd be doing it. Nile had to agree he's made pop music his own. So Nile worked on the Let's Dance album which was mostly songs that were already done but Bowie wanted Nile to make them hits - China Girl, Cat People were already done - the only song they worked up together from Bowie's original folky type tune was Let's Dance - then Nile added the funk - all done in one take made like a Chic record. David loved it and it became one of his biggest hit singles.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

Music

Nile Rodgers reveals his all-time favourite playlists.

Nile Rodgers reveals his all-time favourite playlists, including his musical influences and inspirations, plus the songs that have made his career

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