The Witching Hour Sessions – 21/02/2018

Chic

Chic, are an American band formed during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. Its commercially successful disco songs include ‘Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)’ (1977), ‘Everybody Dance’ (1977), ‘Le Freak’ (1978), ‘I Want Your Love’ (1978), ‘Good Times’ (1979), and ‘My Forbidden Lover’ (1979). The group regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement “that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom”. In 2017, Chic was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eleventh time.

Tonight’s listening:

1 – Chic (1977)

Although not quite as strong as Chic’s next two albums this highly enjoyable album put the group on the map commercially thanks to the infectious hits ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ and ‘Everybody Dance.’ Some rock critics saw Chic as just another faceless disco production, but, in fact, the opposite is true — with this album, Chic fashioned a very distinctive and recognizable sound that proved to be as influential in its era as Booker T & the MGs were in theirs.

2 – C’est Chic (1978)

Released in 1978, just as disco began to peak, ‘C’est Chic’ and its pair of dancefloor anthems, ‘Le Freak’ and ‘I Want Your Love’, put Chic at the top of that peak. The right album at the right time. One of the few truly great disco albums. In fact, you could even argue that C’est Chic very well may be the definitive disco album.

3 – Risqué (1979)

Chic were very much in its prime when it recorded its third album, ‘Risqué’, which contained hits that ranged from ‘My Feet Keep Dancing’ and ‘My Forbidden Lover’ to the influential ‘Good Times’, ‘Risqué’ is definitely among Chic’s essential albums.