REVIEW: CHIC ft Nile Rodgers in Halifax, NS
Festival Main Stage, Halifax NS, July 15
By Ryan McNutt
Published Jul 16, 2016
Photo: Lindsay Duncan
"You want to have a funky good time?" asked the ever-smiling, dreadlocked man with the guitar. "Me too!"
Coming from anyone else, that would be a rather pat "welcome to our show" sentiment. But this was Nile Rodgers saying it, a man whose fingers are literally all over the past 40 years of popular music. Between his band, Chic — frequently cited among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's most egregious oversights — and his incredible production and songwriting resumé, few individuals on the planet have racked up more credentials to teach the sort of pop history masterclass Rodgers gave the Halifax Jazz Festival on Friday night (July 15).
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Air, Moby & Nile Rodgers Notch New No. 1s on Dance/Electronic Charts
6/23/2016 by Gordon Murray
Air & Moby start on Top Dance/Electronic Albums, while disco legend Rodgers & friends rule clubs.
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'LIGHTS' UP: On Dance Club Songs, Alex Newell, Jess Glynne and DJ Cassidy, with disco pioneer Nile Rodgers, rise 2-1 with "Kill the Lights." It's the first leader each for all three lead acts and the third solo topper for Rodgers, all since 2015; as a member of Chic, Rodgers earned three No. 1s (in 1977, 1978 and 1992). From the soundtrack to HBO's Vinyl, "Kill" was remixed by, among others, Audien, Dimitri From Paris and Yolanda Be Cool.
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Music Park: Duran Duran and Nile Rodgers @ Verizon Center — 4/8/16
By Mickey McCarter
May 12, 2016
Observers of Duran Duran, as well as the band itself, have often cited its primary inspirations as English glam band Roxy Music and New York disco funksters Chic. Listening to the sounds of boyhood friends Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, you can even discern how the primal elements of the two bands fused into the new wave gem of a band they started in 1978: Nick, stylish to synthy; John, fun to funky.
As John noted in his 2012 autobiography, In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran, his prized possession is the bass left to him by the late Chic bassist Bernard Edwards, who helped him form Power Station while on a break from Duran Duran circa 1985. It is of course then absolutely meta that Nile Rodgers, the artistic mastermind behind Chic, opened for the band on its latest tour, The Paper Gods Tour, undertaken in celebration of the 14th album by the UK trendsetters.
Add a comment Add a commentLive Review: Duran Duran and Chic at Washington DC’s Verizon Center (4/8)
By Erica Bruce
April 10, 2016
It’s always interesting to see what songs at a concert get everyone to stand up in a seated venue. It’s even more interesting when it’s at an arena due to the sheer number of people. At Friday’s Duran Duran/Chic with Nile Rodgers show at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., very few seats were used given the incredible number of danceable songs in each band’s setlist.
Add a comment Add a commentNile Rodgers on writing, creativity and collaboration
By Rachael Steven
March 24th, 2016
Nile Rodgers is one of the most successful songwriters and music producers of all time. In the 1970s, he penned some of the decade’s catchiest disco hits with Chic bandmate Bernard Edwards, including Le Freak, Good Times and Sister Sledge’s We Are Family. The Disco Sucks movement of 1979 prompted a backlash against his music (the campaign was kickstarted by a rock radio DJ in Detroit but led to nationwide hostility towards the genre) – but in the decade that followed, he went on to work with Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran and Grace Jones to name a few. At one point, the value of music that has flowed through his famous Stratocaster guitar was estimated at around $2 billion.
Add a comment Add a commentNicky Romero is Joined by Nile Rodgers for "Future Funk"
By Idris Jones
February 18, 2016
Nicky Romero is one of the most recognizable names in the electronic dance music industry. Having opened up about his battle with anxiety in recent year's, his motivation to boldly experiment and continue pushing the boundaries of the genre as a whole have already reaped impressive results.
The track itself came to fruition by chance rather than choice. While Rodgers was busy exercising his recently repaired guitar, his experimental riff caught Nicky's ear who then proceeded to record it on his laptop for future use.
Recruiting the masterful talent of Nile Rodgers is arguably his most intriguing and alternative collaboration to date. It also takes the Frenchman headed into uncharted territory in terms of sound and portfolio. Inspired by the funk legend's distinctive touch, Nicky Romero has raised a few eyebrows with his most recent material "Future Funk".
Add a comment Add a commentLady Gaga and Nile Rodgers Will Pay Tribute To David Bowie At The Grammys
By Valerie Lee
February 2, 2016
Annually, the Holy Grail of music awards shows - The Grammys - has always honored the stately moment of tribute to musical icons and figures that passed away that year. 2016 has already seen a number of serious losses for the music world, with the passing of The Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey and the legendary David Bowie.
Bowie was an iconic individual not only for his music, but also his one-of-a-kind character and defiance of everything status quo. In today's modern pop world, few (if any) could match Bowie's unique boldness, but if anyone could, it would be Lady Gaga.
Add a comment Add a comment"David Bowie Changed My Life": Nile Rodgers Remembers His "Let's Dance" Collaborator
By Nile Rodgers
January 11, 2016
I had just come home this morning from visiting with my mom, who is suffering from a very serious illness. I'd only been asleep for an hour or so when somebody called and started saying, "What happened? What happened?" It took a while before the cobwebs cleared and I realized they were talking about David. To hear this, as soon as I woke up, was completely shocking.
When people ask me about the most important people in my musical world, one, of course, was my musical partner, Bernard Edwards, with whom I formed Chic. The other was David Bowie.
Add a comment Add a commentDavid Bowie (1947-2016)
Dearest David, #RIP - Your life changed my life. LOVE FOREVER
Photo: Peter Gabriel
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