@flyingwayup Jon Deacon wrote "Another One Bites The Dust" right after this came out, he's stated that he essentially borrowed the bass line from Bernard Edwards
I'm a big Nile Rodgers fan. Easily one of the most influential musicians of our time, up there with Stevie, Curtis Mayfield, John Lennon...etc. But, his time and dates are ol' messed up-lol. Rapper's Delight... was like early 79. That whole, Blondie, Fab5, Futura2000, Clash, Malcolm McLaren... downtown movement was like 82, 83. C'mon Nile-ha-ha-ha
@clh2192 Niles' dates are right. The Clash's 3rd album, London Calling, came out in UK in late 1979. By 1982 they were practically dead. Blondie's debut album came out in 1976 on their own label and was re-released by Chrysalis in 1977.
@paulrussell I must respectfully disagree. While individually, the Clash and Blondie released earlier albums when Nile talks about Futura, Fab5, Blondie together in the SAME space, that's the dwntn NYC scene that combined rap, punk and graffiti and was an early 80s phenomenon. Rapture (Blondie) and the Magnificent 7 (Clash) are 81. Rapper's Delight and Good Times came out in 79. Nile Rodgers is a New Yorker, I strongly doubt it took him two years to figure out that Sugarhill had a hit-lol
@paulrussell HipHop was a mature art form by 79. Flowers, Herc, Infinity Machine, Bam, New Sounds, Disco Twins, Flash, El Brothers/Theodore... etc. were serious productions and had catalogs of breaks well before Good Times dropped. The way Mr. Rodgers tells it, they had one record and it was Good Times. Lol... Feeling Nile Rodger's work but again his timing is off- Go to youtube and enter "Blondie/Chic-Rapture-May 11, 1981"
CHIC is very very underrated!!!] they seem to have popularized 2 phenomenon 1st was the freak dance we still like to do today dancing close front&back off their song" "la freak"] &the other=explosion of a new genre of music called rap/hip hop] which was sampled&popularized by their song"good times"]Credos CHIC!!! yea yea
Co-writer as you should be. Street music like early rap and hip hop was, as evident from Niles story, thug-founded. How could you take someone else's music and not give them credit. Even a raw drum pattern, very basic, sampled is still a composition. They would of gotten away with it too and never had the dignity, ethics, to contact Niles and say hey, we need permission or here' s your take. WTF. What a culture.
Wow never knew that I do own that 12 inch gonna have to dig it out and see Nile name on it that was a great tune can't tell you how much fun we had singing that song. Thanks for posting this.
if you like real underground hip hop , check out my channel for the dopest emcees and hip hop producers, new artists added regularly with some great hip hop
Nothing but Love and Respect for the whole Chic Family and those that have gone on before us. Their image at the height of the band's success was REALLY cool! The Best Music, The Best Clothes... What was there NOT to like?
I must also add that my comment had only a relative bearing on this early hip-hop stuff and Nile's interview - I eventually ended up moving to W.Montana, and literally never heard this Sugar Hill Gang tune until the mid-80's. We did, however, have an oversaturation of Rapture on the local station, 90 miles away, which was the only exposure to pop music (that was the first rap tune I heard) we had and barely had reception most of the time, so I was definitely an album oriented listener.
Awesome. Big fan of Nile's work going back to when my brother played in a funk band in the late 70's (he's a bassist, played a Musicman back then) and had all that funky stuff down. Other kids listened to Kiss, Judas Priest, etc. at my school, I had Chic, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock, big band acts, & eventually progressive rock bands like Rush, Yes, and even Led Zeppelin who were a funky rhythm section themselves. It's the groove, man, it's all about the groove.
@rafro007 (9 mnths later...) Dude... 'Houses Of The Holy', 'Hots On For Nowhere', 'Carouselambra', 'Dancing Days', 'Living Loving Maid', 'The Wanton Song' and especially 'Trampled Under Foot ' and "The Crunge
@wendileona What do you want from me? Can't you read? I said in my last post "and even Led Zeppelin who were a funky rhythm section themselves. It's the groove, man, it's all about the groove." Groove = funk. Do I need to be more explicit? Bonham and Jones were both influenced by R&B back in the 60's, including (legend has it) one of our own in Portland, Mel Brown, a great drummer who I've been privileged to play with on occasion & who toured with Diana Ross in the 60's.
@rafro007 It's also what drew me to Zeppelin in the first place...The Lemon Song in particular is a really hard groove, especially the breakdown section with the bass/drums. So, I don't really know what you're talking about....
Nile Rodgers is the man-- very underrated musician, producer-- so many acts, including pop-rock acts influenced by him-- Niles has stated queen did a re-interpretation of the "good times" riff when they came out with "Another one bites the dust".. he should collaborate with Public Enemy...
Nile Rodgers might not be the most handsome or best looking makes, but oh boy he is one of the most musically gifted, resourceful and talented men on this planet.
Kool! Love the ending of the story. Without Nile Rogers Rappers Delight would have been Open Mic Nite=Spoken Word poetry with the music, they are both universal but a muscians craft gets much more global air play, at least it use to, I don't what they are doing now, but it sure ain't music in mainstream, u got to go underground for that now or the nearest House of Blues in your city, peace thanks 4 the music Nile, it's chic, lol <3
Sugar Hill Gang were known as biters. Actually, no one ever heard of Sugar Hill Gang until they put out that record. All of Big Bank Hank's lyrics were stolen from Grand Master Casanova Fly. The Sugar Hill label didn't get any street credit until they had real Zulus on it. I guess you can't expect authenticity when you have someone trying to make a fortune exploiting NY street culture all the way from Englewood New Jersey.
I get the whole copyright deal, but shouldn't these guys be flattered that they wrote such great music that it could be used for so many different things, like rap? Unfortunately, the sincerest form of flattery these days is a big pay cheque.
He clearly was flattered; you can tell by the way he tells the story. When it's your source of income being threatened though, you can't ignore the theft of your own intellectual property. Even Nile's got bills to pay!
The first time I heard "Rappers' Delight", I was in the ladies wing of our co-ed dorm floor & one of the girls came out of her room yelling "Come here, you have to hear this, I've never heard anything like it before, but it's the coolest!"
A bunch of us white kids gathered around her radio and were just blown away with what they were doing. That was the '79 - 80 semester school year and sometimes I long for some of Rap's "Old, Good Times" compared to some of that of the last 15 years
I remember when "Rapper's Delight" first came out, in the fall of 1979, a DJ at a brand new urban contemporary radio station in my town (WDZZ) played it, then literally broke the record on the air! Broke meaning snapped in two!
Interesting story by Nile, and I remember radio stations later not playing the song because of the copyright issues.
Wow, it's like a throwback! That's exactly what happened up Toronto at the same time, we'd bring the music up from NY or rig a huge antenna to bring in the stations cause nothing was playin in Canada at that time. Funny to see Nile Takin about it here 28 years later!! Would have been cool to talk to him and tell him what was goin on in Canada at the time (however I tiny minority).
DAFT PUNK MAKING NEW ALBUM WITH THIS GUY WOOT!!!!!!!
Sileosoltice 2 weeks ago
Daft Punk brought me here :D
jackdos14 3 weeks ago
Catch Nile on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Thursday, November 24 performing live with the Roots!
marknorthwest93 3 months ago
Incredibly talented man! Just read his book Le Freak. Very interesting stories in that book.
nunayobiz 4 months ago
riff bass line is very similar to " another 1 bights the dust " Queen..
flyingwayup 6 months ago
@flyingwayup Jon Deacon wrote "Another One Bites The Dust" right after this came out, he's stated that he essentially borrowed the bass line from Bernard Edwards
mybasshas7strings 5 months ago
@flyingwayup Well-established that John Deacon of Queen ripped-off Chic - Check Wiki.
enterprise1954 4 months ago
@flyingwayup it's no new that also queen "used" this bass line. i'm not so sure if they gave the credits to chic.
duartehh 3 months ago
I'm a big Nile Rodgers fan. Easily one of the most influential musicians of our time, up there with Stevie, Curtis Mayfield, John Lennon...etc. But, his time and dates are ol' messed up-lol. Rapper's Delight... was like early 79. That whole, Blondie, Fab5, Futura2000, Clash, Malcolm McLaren... downtown movement was like 82, 83. C'mon Nile-ha-ha-ha
clh2192 8 months ago
@clh2192 Niles' dates are right. The Clash's 3rd album, London Calling, came out in UK in late 1979. By 1982 they were practically dead. Blondie's debut album came out in 1976 on their own label and was re-released by Chrysalis in 1977.
paulrussell 7 months ago
@paulrussell I must respectfully disagree. While individually, the Clash and Blondie released earlier albums when Nile talks about Futura, Fab5, Blondie together in the SAME space, that's the dwntn NYC scene that combined rap, punk and graffiti and was an early 80s phenomenon. Rapture (Blondie) and the Magnificent 7 (Clash) are 81. Rapper's Delight and Good Times came out in 79. Nile Rodgers is a New Yorker, I strongly doubt it took him two years to figure out that Sugarhill had a hit-lol
clh2192 7 months ago
@clh2192: The Magnificent 7 was the opening track on Sandanista, which was released in the UK on 12th dec 1980.
paulrussell 7 months ago
@paulrussell HipHop was a mature art form by 79. Flowers, Herc, Infinity Machine, Bam, New Sounds, Disco Twins, Flash, El Brothers/Theodore... etc. were serious productions and had catalogs of breaks well before Good Times dropped. The way Mr. Rodgers tells it, they had one record and it was Good Times. Lol... Feeling Nile Rodger's work but again his timing is off- Go to youtube and enter "Blondie/Chic-Rapture-May 11, 1981"
clh2192 7 months ago
I would love to have been in the music business back then.
NorthsideBill 8 months ago
CHIC is very very underrated!!!] they seem to have popularized 2 phenomenon 1st was the freak dance we still like to do today dancing close front&back off their song" "la freak"] &the other=explosion of a new genre of music called rap/hip hop] which was sampled&popularized by their song"good times"]Credos CHIC!!! yea yea
5annent 10 months ago
Co-writer as you should be. Street music like early rap and hip hop was, as evident from Niles story, thug-founded. How could you take someone else's music and not give them credit. Even a raw drum pattern, very basic, sampled is still a composition. They would of gotten away with it too and never had the dignity, ethics, to contact Niles and say hey, we need permission or here' s your take. WTF. What a culture.
wendileona 10 months ago
shit talking over one of the best basslines ever written...and it becomes a phenomenon. Only in America...
jwesley1879 1 year ago
Wow never knew that I do own that 12 inch gonna have to dig it out and see Nile name on it that was a great tune can't tell you how much fun we had singing that song. Thanks for posting this.
divakaneva 1 year ago
COOL
frankie07921 1 year ago
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reliyoquik 1 year ago
A accidental Hip-Hop legend..
djSonnyBlack 1 year ago
Nile Rodgers = legend !! (he defined his time)
cashman156 1 year ago
Holy fucking Jesus. CLASH, BLONDIE and CHIC in ONE FUCKING CONCERT?! How much more amazing can it get?!
PanekPL 1 year ago
it's always cool to hear these kind of interviews, so fresh !
insanelook 1 year ago
this is a really neat, professional perspective from that time. and they played that break to death, you can hear it on all the party tapes
eslubin 1 year ago
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yooo,feelin the channel
if you like real underground hip hop , check out my channel for the dopest emcees and hip hop producers, new artists added regularly with some great hip hop
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newsoundera 1 year ago
Chic is simply perfect. Loved all over the world!
alekx77 1 year ago
Nothing but Love and Respect for the whole Chic Family and those that have gone on before us. Their image at the height of the band's success was REALLY cool! The Best Music, The Best Clothes... What was there NOT to like?
MTXSHO9732vV8SHO 1 year ago
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The1josh5 1 year ago
Honoured to meet His Royal Nileness last Friday, (twice, lol), what an absolute gent! Can't wait to see CHIC rock London again!
oldman1966 1 year ago
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yo , cool vid , but if you wanna listen to some real underground hip hop , check out my channel for the dopest emcees and some raw hip hop beats
newsoundera 1 year ago
I must also add that my comment had only a relative bearing on this early hip-hop stuff and Nile's interview - I eventually ended up moving to W.Montana, and literally never heard this Sugar Hill Gang tune until the mid-80's. We did, however, have an oversaturation of Rapture on the local station, 90 miles away, which was the only exposure to pop music (that was the first rap tune I heard) we had and barely had reception most of the time, so I was definitely an album oriented listener.
rafro007 1 year ago
Awesome. Big fan of Nile's work going back to when my brother played in a funk band in the late 70's (he's a bassist, played a Musicman back then) and had all that funky stuff down. Other kids listened to Kiss, Judas Priest, etc. at my school, I had Chic, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock, big band acts, & eventually progressive rock bands like Rush, Yes, and even Led Zeppelin who were a funky rhythm section themselves. It's the groove, man, it's all about the groove.
rafro007 1 year ago
@rafro007 (9 mnths later...) Dude... 'Houses Of The Holy', 'Hots On For Nowhere', 'Carouselambra', 'Dancing Days', 'Living Loving Maid', 'The Wanton Song' and especially 'Trampled Under Foot ' and "The Crunge
" are all FUNK based!
wendileona 10 months ago
@wendileona What do you want from me? Can't you read? I said in my last post "and even Led Zeppelin who were a funky rhythm section themselves. It's the groove, man, it's all about the groove." Groove = funk. Do I need to be more explicit? Bonham and Jones were both influenced by R&B back in the 60's, including (legend has it) one of our own in Portland, Mel Brown, a great drummer who I've been privileged to play with on occasion & who toured with Diana Ross in the 60's.
rafro007 10 months ago
@rafro007 It's also what drew me to Zeppelin in the first place...The Lemon Song in particular is a really hard groove, especially the breakdown section with the bass/drums. So, I don't really know what you're talking about....
rafro007 10 months ago
@rafro007 Relax man. I'm agree-ing with you! Zep had the One in their music at times. Easy... sheesh.
wendileona 10 months ago
@wendileona Ok, no worries. :)
rafro007 10 months ago
Nile Rodgers is the man-- very underrated musician, producer-- so many acts, including pop-rock acts influenced by him-- Niles has stated queen did a re-interpretation of the "good times" riff when they came out with "Another one bites the dust".. he should collaborate with Public Enemy...
Hypestyle 1 year ago
i would kill to be at that concert.....blondie clash and CHIC?!?!
FCK OUTTA HERE!!!!!
kotep777 1 year ago 2
Nile Rodgers might not be the most handsome or best looking makes, but oh boy he is one of the most musically gifted, resourceful and talented men on this planet.
We owe him soooooooooooooooooooo much!
originaldeftom 1 year ago
Kool! Love the ending of the story. Without Nile Rogers Rappers Delight would have been Open Mic Nite=Spoken Word poetry with the music, they are both universal but a muscians craft gets much more global air play, at least it use to, I don't what they are doing now, but it sure ain't music in mainstream, u got to go underground for that now or the nearest House of Blues in your city, peace thanks 4 the music Nile, it's chic, lol <3
nothinelse2seehere1 1 year ago
Love Nile. The best producer I ever got to meet and work with.
Original and hard working. Honest in the business.
Peace! Glam
Jamillah37 1 year ago
Love Nile. The best producer I ever got to meet and work with.
Original and hard working. Honest in the business.
Peace! Glam
Jamillah37 1 year ago
street cred? authenticity?
and who cares about that?
they still released a classic record that everybody remembers today.
not so sure anyone remembers the street cred guys tho...
nocturnerecords 1 year ago
Sugar Hill Gang were known as biters. Actually, no one ever heard of Sugar Hill Gang until they put out that record. All of Big Bank Hank's lyrics were stolen from Grand Master Casanova Fly. The Sugar Hill label didn't get any street credit until they had real Zulus on it. I guess you can't expect authenticity when you have someone trying to make a fortune exploiting NY street culture all the way from Englewood New Jersey.
djdaisentertainment 2 years ago
i understand sugar hill thought they did not have to pay and got a attitude
satchseven 2 years ago
Yes, you are correct!!!
theREVOLUTIONisontv 2 years ago
that must of been a sick concert, and pretty muscically diverse, clash , chic, and blondie, i would kill for a ticket to that show
sircharliesavior 2 years ago
I get the whole copyright deal, but shouldn't these guys be flattered that they wrote such great music that it could be used for so many different things, like rap? Unfortunately, the sincerest form of flattery these days is a big pay cheque.
surfer53 2 years ago
He clearly was flattered; you can tell by the way he tells the story. When it's your source of income being threatened though, you can't ignore the theft of your own intellectual property. Even Nile's got bills to pay!
alexvegas 2 years ago
Niles is still flyy!!! CHIC and Blondie was the shit back n da day!!! and still is!
BeauteDouce 2 years ago
The Clash, Blondie and CHIC... a-mazing!
Oli3TB76 2 years ago
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the uggliest nigger alive!
antiiraqwar 2 years ago
fuck off you dickless piece of shit.
fredblassie123 2 years ago
ooh, i got a dick, mr. ayatollah!
how is the sheik doing?
antiiraqwar 2 years ago
Chic rocks, just saw them live, class act
vdbdg 2 years ago
The first time I heard "Rappers' Delight", I was in the ladies wing of our co-ed dorm floor & one of the girls came out of her room yelling "Come here, you have to hear this, I've never heard anything like it before, but it's the coolest!"
A bunch of us white kids gathered around her radio and were just blown away with what they were doing. That was the '79 - 80 semester school year and sometimes I long for some of Rap's "Old, Good Times" compared to some of that of the last 15 years
Jackalski57 2 years ago 3
I remember when "Rapper's Delight" first came out, in the fall of 1979, a DJ at a brand new urban contemporary radio station in my town (WDZZ) played it, then literally broke the record on the air! Broke meaning snapped in two!
Interesting story by Nile, and I remember radio stations later not playing the song because of the copyright issues.
JeffN727 3 years ago 3
Watch my Rappers Delight!!!!!!
fux967 3 years ago
Dig the man! Dig his music! Don't know why John Landis (director of Blues Brothers) has a beef with him. Too bad.
XanaduPreservation 3 years ago
This guy is AGELESS!! And so cool...
romeropablo 3 years ago 2
Great Interview!!!!! Chic is Awesome
mikemoe2006 3 years ago 9
I think it's awesome how the seedlings of rap and punk grew up right around the corner from each other.
wanderingjew2008 3 years ago
Wow, it's like a throwback! That's exactly what happened up Toronto at the same time, we'd bring the music up from NY or rig a huge antenna to bring in the stations cause nothing was playin in Canada at that time. Funny to see Nile Takin about it here 28 years later!! Would have been cool to talk to him and tell him what was goin on in Canada at the time (however I tiny minority).
ChillGregD 3 years ago
NILE RODGERS is one of the coolest people in the music industry, if not the coolest.
SFFOOL76 3 years ago 19
Oh, so thats how it all happened!
SoRealMedia 3 years ago
What a period it was - wow- life is short
mashats 3 years ago
Crazy huh? Just listening him tell it makes me remember when Rapper's Delight first dropped. Here we are over 30 years later!
bladesaint21 3 years ago 2
I had the honour and privilege to meet Nile during CMW last year and he had amazing stories to share. Long live the legends!
kayvontv 4 years ago 4