CHIC'S Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Their band was labeled disco, but as producers they had pop hits with a slew of white acts
https://worldwidefm.net/episode/artform-radio-nelson-george-2
June is Black Music Month
This month’s radio show celebrates the fact that bassist Bernard Edwards and guitarist Nile Rodgers, the founding members of Chic, escaped being defined as “disco artists” in the ‘70s to create an impressive body of work as producers for many white acts, many of them from the United Kingdom. I start with Chic’s “Good Times,” which was a huge single, was often initated by others (Queen, for example, with “Another One Bites the Dust”) and was the rhythm track that ignited the rap revolution (the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rappers Delight.”) The rhythm section of Edwards and Rodgers, plus drummer Tony Thompson, should be celebrated along with Booker T & the MGs, Motown’s Funk Brothers and the JBs, as one of the r&b great unit’s. they probably the last truly great team before the drum machine took over black music. Ironically it was with some of the records in this playlist that Chic’s greatest continued, even after the band itself was considered passe due to the anti-disco backlash. Disco may have died in in summer ‘79, but this crew was still cracking the pop top ten well into the ‘80s.
Check out the link to www.worldwidefm.net above or play these records for yourself.
Chic - Good Times
Duran Duran - A View to a Kill
Power Station - Bang A Gong
Power Station - Notorious
Robert Palmer - Addicted to Love
Inxs - Original Sin
Madonna - Dress You Up
David Bowie - Modern Love
B 52s - Roam
Christina Aguilera - Telepathy
Daft Punk - Get Lucky