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.
Le Freak
Chic were the first band to create an overpowering synthesis between fashion, art and music. Their look and sound epitomized the time when Halston and Bianca Jagger hung out at Studio 54 every single night. Chic wore Fendi. Said Rodgers, “Black people wearing Fendi in the 1970s in America was unheard of. No one even knew what Fendi was and when the girls walked in people’s mouths were open. I mean, black girls wearing Fendi in the 1970s! No one did that.” The men always dressed in crisp Italian suits, “classic brands like Armani and Cerruti”. This was a ploy to “look fly” but also to be “a little anonymous, like KISS and their makeup”.
I Want Your Love
Everybody Dance