There can be little argument that Chic was disco's greatest band; and, working in a heavily producer-dominated field, they were most definitely a band. By the time Chic appeared in the late '70s, disco was already slipping into the excess that eventually caused its downfall. Chic bucked the trend by stripping disco's sound down to its basic elements; their funky, stylish grooves had an organic sense of interplay that was missing from many of their overproduced competitors. Chic's sound was anchored by the scratchy, James Brown-style rhythm guitar of Nile Rodgers and the indelible, widely imitated (sometimes outright stolen) bass lines of Bernard Edwards; as producers, they used keyboard and string embellishments economically, which kept the emphasis on rhythm. Chic's distinctive approach not only resulted in some of the finest dance singles of their time, but also helped create a template for urban funk, dance-pop, and even hip-hop in the post-disco era. Not coincidentally, Rodgers and Edwards wound up as two of the most successful producers of the '80s.
Rodgers and Edwards first met in 1970, when both were jazz-trained musicians fresh out of high school. Edwards had attended New York's High School for the Performing Arts and was working in a Bronx post office at the time, while Rodgers' early career also included stints in the folk group New World Rising and the Apollo Theater house orchestra. Around 1972, Rodgers and Edwards formed a jazz-rock fusion group called the Big Apple Band. This outfit moonlighted as a backup band, touring behind smooth soul vocal group New York City in the wake of their 1973 hit "I'm Doin' Fine Now." After New York City broke up, the Big Apple Band hit the road with Carol Douglas for a few months, and Rodgers and Edwards decided to make a go of it on their own toward the end of 1976. At first they switched their aspirations from fusion to new wave, briefly performing as Allah & the Knife Wielding Punks, but quickly settled into dance music. They enlisted onetime LaBelle drummer Tony Thompson and female vocalists Norma Jean Wright and Alfa Anderson, and changed their name to Chic in summer 1977 so as to avoid confusion with Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band (who'd just hit big with "A Fifth of Beethoven").
Augmented in the studio by keyboardists Raymond Jones and Rob Sabino, Chic recorded the demo single "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" and shopped it around to several major record companies, all of which declined it. The small Buddah label finally released it as a 12" in late 1977, and as its club popularity exploded, Atlantic stepped in, signed the group, and re-released the single on a wider basis. "Dance, Dance, Dance" hit the Top Ten, peaking at number six, and made Chic one of the hottest new groups in disco. Chic scrambled to put together their self-titled first album, which spawned a minor follow-up hit, "Everybody Dance," in early 1978. At this point, Wright left to try her hand at a solo career (with assistance from Rodgers and Edwards), and was replaced by Luci Martin. It was a good time to come onboard; "Le Freak," the first single from sophomore album C'est Chic, was an out-of-the-box smash, spending five weeks on top of the charts toward the end of 1978 and selling over four-million copies (which made it the biggest-selling single in Atlantic's history). Follow-up "I Want Your Love" reached number seven, cementing the group's new star status, and C'est Chic became one of the rare disco albums to go platinum.
1979's Risqué was another solidly constructed LP that also went platinum, partly on the strength of Chic's second number one pop hit, "Good Times." "Good Times" may not have equaled the blockbuster sales figures of "Le Freak," but it was the band's most imitated track: Queen's number one hit "Another One Bites the Dust" was a clear rewrite, and the Sugarhill Gang lifted the instrumental backing track wholesale for the first commercial rap single, "Rapper's Delight," marking the first of many times that Chic grooves would be recycled into hip-hop records. Also in 1979, Rodgers and Edwards took on their first major outside production assignment, producing and writing the Sister Sledge smashes "We Are Family" and the oft-sampled "He's the Greatest Dancer." This success, in turn, landed them the chance to work with pop / R&B superstar Diana Ross on 1980's blockbuster opus, diana , and they wrote and produced "Upside Down," her first number one hit in four years, as well as another top-ten smash, "I'm Coming Out."
If you listen closely to Chic's early productions, the strings play a prominent role, especially on the beautiful ballads from the recordings for the band and Sister Sledge. It is also very significant to note the strong background vocalists on those recordings -- many of New York's finest session singers -- among them, one who would soon become a superstar Grammy winner in his own right, Mr. Luther Vandross, who also was a featured vocalist with the studio disco group, Change.
The disco fad was fading rapidly by that point, however, and 1980's Real People failed to go gold despite another solid performance by the band. Changing tastes put an end to Chic's heyday, as Rodgers and Edwards' outside production work soon grew far more lucrative, even despite aborted projects with Aretha Franklin and Johnny Mathis. Several more Chic LPs followed in the early '80s, with diminishing creative and commercial returns, and Rodgers and Edwards disbanded the group after completing the lackluster Believer in 1983. Later that year, both recorded solo LPs that sank without a trace. Hungry for acceptance and respect in the rock mainstream (especially after accusations that they had ripped off Queen instead of the other way around), both Rodgers and Edwards sought out high-profile production and session work over the rest of the decade. Rodgers produced blockbuster albums like David Bowie's Let's Dance, Madonna's Like a Virgin, and Mick Jagger's She's the Boss. Edwards wasn't as prolific as a producer, but did join the one-off supergroup The Power Station along with Tony Thompson as well as Robert Palmer and members of avowed Chic fans Duran Duran; he later produced Palmer's commercial breakthrough, Riptide. Edwards also worked with Rod Stewart (Out of Order), Jody Watley, and Tina Turner, while Rodgers' other credits include the Thompson Twins, the Vaughan Brothers, INXS, and The B-52's' comeback Cosmic Thing.
Rodgers and Edwards re-formed Chic in 1992 with new vocalists Sylver Logan Sharp and Jenn Thomas, and an assortment of session drummers in Thompson's place; they toured and released a new album, Chic-ism. In 1996, the reconstituted Chic embarked on a tour of Japan; sadly, on April 18, Edwards passed away in his Tokyo hotel room due to a severe bout of pneumonia. Rodgers continued to tour occasionally with a version of Chic, and, in 1999, his Sumthing Else label issued a recording of Edwards' final performance with the band, Live at the Budokan.
CHIC has been nominated for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nine times: 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014. Rodgers and Chic continue to perform to major audiences worldwide as CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers.
In October 2010, Rodgers began his fight with prostate cancer. In October 2011, he released his autobiography entitled Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny. On July 29, 2013, Rodgers posted on Twitter that he was cancer free.
In 2013, CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers headlined the West Holts Stage on Friday night at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, and played a variety of tracks both from Chic and from Nile Rodgers' extensive list of songs he had worked on for other artists. A compilation album, Up All Night, credited to The Chic Organization and featuring their productions for various artists between 1977 and 1982, was released the following Monday, 1 July, and entered the UK Compilation Albums Chart at number 2 a week later.
CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers played the iTunes Festival in London on September 14, 2013. CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers, opened The X Factor (UK TV series) live show on 2 November 2013 for Disco week. They performed a medley of hits including "Le Freak", "He's The Greatest Dancer" and "Good Times".
Rodgers announced in 2013 that he was working on a new Chic album, based on recently rediscovered tapes of unreleased material from the early 1980s. He also stated that Daft Punk is interested in working on at least one song of the unreleased material with him. Rodgers co-wrote and performed on three songs off Daft Punk's 2013 Grammy Award winning Album of the Year Random Access Memories including the Grammy Record of the Year Get Lucky with the duo and Pharrell Williams.
CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers headlined at the 2014 Essence Festival curated by Prince. Special guests performing with Chic during a segment of the show that highlighted Chic's songwriting and production work for other artists, were Kathy Sledge for Sister Sledge's "We Are Family", Janelle Monae for Sister Sledge's "He's The Greatest Dancer" and Prince for David Bowie's "Let's Dance". CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers headlined Bestival in the Isle of Wight, UK on September 7, 2014. Nile Rodgers played tribute to his guitar technician Terry Brauer at Bestival after learning of his death from cancer.
While chatting with Billboard's Kerri Mason, Rodgers announced a new Chic album and shared a never-before-heard new solo track. The upcoming album is set to feature collaborations from the David Guetta and Avicii. Rodgers described how a lick he played to test a freshly-repaired guitar caught the ear of DJ Nicky Romero, ending as an important part of a "huge song" on the upcoming album. Rodgers assumed "It sounds like a pop record".
A year later, it was announced that Nile Rodgers has signed a new record deal with Warner Bros. with a release of a new Chic album for the first time in in more than two decades this June. The album will be titled It's About Time. The lead single from the record, titled "I'll Be There", will come out March 20th. Beside this, Warner Bros. signed a deal with the label that Rodgers and music exec Michael Ostin formed, Land of the Good Groove. Rodgers decided to officially unveil the track “I’ll Be There” during the vernal equinox on March 20 to signify the rebirth of the Chic Organisation. The star received a box of lost Chic demos back in 2010, and “I’ll Be There” is one of those lost tapes finished for a new generation of Disco fans.
In other news, Rodgers gave an update on his new solo material with a new track called "Do What You Wanna Do" and announced that a Chic-inspired musical is in the early stages of production.
Sometimes You Win
Chic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
That you play, win or lose, it's all the same
Open your eyes, you better
Look before you leap, take heed
And watch the signs of life
Don't play the cheat
The wheel of fortune just may take its toll
Be a gambler, play your ace in the hole
You'll never know
You might wind up way ahead
Shoot your best shot
Take a little chance before you're dead
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Here you come with that smile upon your face
I assume that even time cannot erase
Confidence is the most important thing you need
To look inside yourself, you can succeed
All the time you better watch out for the trap
Be careful or first time out
You might roll crap
One mistake and life comes tumblin' down
All around, like galloping dominoes
That's how it goes
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
Take a little chance
It don't mean nothing
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
In the song Sometimes You Win by Chic, the lyrics encourage taking chances in life, even recognizing the possibility of failure. The opening verse establishes this idea with the line “Take a little chance, it don’t mean nothing, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose”, which is repeated throughout the song. The message is that life is unpredictable and uncertain, but that this should not be a deterrent from taking risks. The next verse reinforces this notion that life is a game, where winning and losing are inevitable outcomes. Yet, rather than becoming discouraged by these opposing outcomes, the lyrics advise us to open our eyes, observe the signs, and take heed before we jump into anything blindly.
The chorus, "sometimes you win, sometimes you lose," is a repetition of this idea that taking chances is always a gamble. It provides the listener with a reminder that even if we experience a loss, we should not give up. Rather, it is crucial to continue to take chances and to shoot our best shot before our time is up.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a little chance
Don't be afraid to take risks and try something new, even if it's small
It don't mean nothing
There's no harm in trying, it won't have any significant impact
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
The result of taking chances can vary, you may succeed or fail
And don't you know that life is just a game
Life is unpredictable and resembles a game with uncertain outcomes
That you play, win or lose, it's all the same
Whether you win or lose, the game of life goes on
Open your eyes, you better
Be aware of your surroundings and be cautious
Look before you leap, take heed
Don't rush into things, consider your actions beforehand
And watch the signs of life
Pay attention to the cues and indicators in your life
Don't play the cheat
Act fairly and honestly, don't use deceptive or dishonest tactics
The wheel of fortune just may take its toll
Luck can change quickly and unforeseen events can have consequences
Be a gambler, play your ace in the hole
Take calculated risks and use your best skills or assets to succeed
You'll never know
You can't predict the future or the outcome of your actions
You might wind up way ahead
You may achieve notable success or gain from taking risks
Shoot your best shot
Give it your all and try your hardest
Take a little chance before you're dead
Seize opportunities and try new experiences while you can
Here you come with that smile upon your face
With confidence and a positive attitude, you approach a situation
I assume that even time cannot erase
Your optimistic demeanor is unlikely to fade even as time passes
Confidence is the most important thing you need
Having faith in yourself is crucial to achieving success
To look inside yourself, you can succeed
By self-reflection and an understanding of your own abilities, you can accomplish your goals
All the time you better watch out for the trap
Be wary of potential pitfalls and traps in any situation
Be careful or first time out you might roll crap
Even the first time you try something, you may fail or face bad luck
One mistake and life comes tumblin' down
One misstep can have severe consequences on your life
All around, like galloping dominoes
The impact of one mistake can lead to a chain reaction of problems
That's how it goes
That's just the way things happen sometimes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NILE RODGERS, BERNARD EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind