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.
Thinking Of You
Chic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brought to you by an angel from above
Fully equipped with a lifetime guarantee
Once you try it, I am sure that you'll see
(Without love)
There's no reason to live
(Without you)
(All my lovin')
To you I'll be giving
And I promise, yes I'll do, as long as I'm living
I'm thinking of you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
Hey, it's you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
All the time he makes me glad that I'm alive
Together we will survive
And what do you think brought the sun out today
It's my baby, oh, help me sing
(Without love)
Without love there's no reason to live
(Without you)
Oh, what would I do with the love I give
(All my lovin')
To you I'll be giving
And I promise, yes I'll do, as long as I'm living
I'm thinking of you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
Hey, it's you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
I'm in love again
And it feels so, so good
Hey, it's you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
Yeah, it's you and I
(You and the things you do to me)
(That makes me love you)
That makes me love you, oh
(Now I'm living in ecstasy), oh
It's you, you, you, yeah
(And the things you do to me)
(That makes me love you)
That makes me love you, hey, hey
(Now I'm living in ecstasy)
(You and the things you do to me)
Let me tell you 'bout the stars above, yeah
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
Man I love
It's you, yeah, yeah, yeah
(And the things you do to me)
(That makes me love you)
That makes me love you
(Now I'm living in ecstasy)
That makes me love you
(You and the things you do to me)
Just keep on doin' what you're doin' to me, hey
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
Oh, it's ecstasy
It's you, you, you
(You and the things you do to me)
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
Oh, it's you, you, oh
(You and the things you do to me)
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
The lyrics to Chic's song "I’m Thinking of You" are all about the power of love and the way it can make life worth living. The song begins by talking about the singer's love, which they say was brought to them by an angel from above. This love, they say, is fully equipped with a lifetime guarantee, and once you try it, you'll see exactly what they mean. Without love, the singer suggests, there's no reason to live – it's only through love that life feels truly meaningful.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer continues to express their love for their partner and how they feel when they're with them. They say that the things their partner does to them make them feel alive and in ecstasy, and they promise to keep giving their love as long as they're living. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "It's you and the things you do to me that makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy."
Overall, the lyrics to "I'm Thinking of You" are incredibly romantic and uplifting, emphasizing the transformative power of love in our lives. It's a song about finding joy and meaning in being with another person, and how love can help us to survive and thrive in this world.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody let me tell you 'bout my love
The singer wants to share with everyone their story of love
Brought to you by an angel from above
They believe that their love comes from a divine source
Fully equipped with a lifetime guarantee
They are confident that their love is forever
Once you try it, I am sure that you'll see
The singer wants others to experience their love and understand its value
(Without love)
There's no reason to live
Love gives a purpose to life and without it, life would be meaningless
(Without you)
What would I do with the love I give
The singer's love is directed towards someone specific and without them, they would have no one to give their love to
(All my lovin')
To you I'll be giving
And I promise, yes I'll do, as long as I'm living
The singer's love will always be directed towards the person they love and they promise to love them for as long as they are alive
I'm thinking of you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
Hey, it's you and the things you do to me
That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy
The singer is deeply in love with the person they are addressing and their actions bring them immeasurable joy
All the time he makes me glad that I'm alive
Together we will survive
And what do you think brought the sun out today
It's my baby, oh, help me sing
The singer's love brings them immense happiness and they believe that they can survive anything as long as they are together. They also credit their love as the reason for good things in their life
I'm in love again
And it feels so, so good
The singer is so happy to be in love again and it brings them immense joy
(You and the things you do to me)
Let me tell you 'bout the stars above, yeah
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
Man I love
The singer is using the beauty of the stars to describe how much they love the person they are addressing
Just keep on doin' what you're doin' to me, hey
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
Oh, it's ecstasy
The singer is encouraging the person they are addressing to keep doing what they are doing and bringing them happiness because it brings them extreme joy
It's you, you, you
(You and the things you do to me)
(That makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy)
The person they are addressing is the focus of their love and their actions bring immense joy and happiness to the singer
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERNARD EDWARDS, CURTIS LYNCH, CURTIS JR. LYNCH, NILE RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A. Alp.
That bassline is still killing it
Marc Nager
And the funky guitar. Just everything really. One of the best songs ever written worldwide.
Kassius KLAY
That bass line is ✍🏽 signed by sir Bernard Edward : he rests in peace because he has given so much while he was amid us … playing superb bass lines on this planet 🌍…
David Gunn
dope ass baseline
Gregory Cobb
This to me is still a classic song in 2022! Actually real talented musician's and true real singing and fantastic background vocals and a unbelievable production of sound ..
Tammie Minter
This is my favorite song done by Sister Sledge. Thanks Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for such timeless music.
Rachel Raco
THIS SORT OF MUSIC IS UNBELIEVABLE. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RECREATE REAL AGAIN MUSIC FROM THE 70S & 80S AGAIN. IF YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE THROUGH THIS ERA AND EXPERIENCE THIS SORT OF MUSIC YOU ARE BLESSED AS THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN YOU HEAR THIS MUSIC YOU FEEL AN ERA, YOU FEEL THE LIFE YOU HAD BACK THEN. GOLD.
Walter Bermudez
Amen!!
Mamawsratishairy
Relax dude 😂
Rachida Mams
Tout à fait d’accord
Belle époque
Ma jeunesse