This gal has been waiting since '78 to see him & Chic play live & this is my year. I'm so excited. He's the absolute architect of so many musical masterpieces.
Have y'all done any of the group , "slave". That's where you'll hear some good bass. The guitarist is Nile Rodgers, he dose a lot of producing now. Did y'all do David Bowie's, "let's dance"? He produced that, and I think that whole album.
Pronounced "Sheek": Chic, meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. I too hit the dance floor many a time to this one 🙂
@Vicki Roman thanks so much for explaining the pronounciation and definition of the word. Are you that condescending or just assume everyone is an idiot?
Chic is SUCH a great group. “Good Times” was a big hit for them. Also PLEASE react to “I Want Your Love”. I know you’ll enjoy it. Nile Rogers (guitar) and Bernard Edwards (bass) not only wrote and produced for Chic, but a ton of other artists like, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Sister Sledge, Carly Simon, etc.
Good Times will absolutely give J the bass. So will “Everybody Dance” which has astonishing bass playing from Bernard Edwards! Another one to add to the list!
This song was written one night when Grace Jones was performing at Studio 54 back in the 70s, and Grace invited the band to come by. When they got there, the doorman had never heard of Chic, and they weren’t on the guests list. So he told them to take a hike and stop claiming to know Grace Jones. They went back to their band rehearsal space in a huff, and started jamming. Originally, the line was “Aaaah… F*CK YOU!” Then they realized they were onto a groove and it became one of their hits after they… adjusted the line. 💃🕺
Per Wikipedia: This song commemorates Studio 54 in New York City for its notoriously long customer waiting lines, exclusive clientele, and discourteous doormen. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the song was devised during New Year's Eve 1977, as a result of his and bassist Bernard Edwards' being refused entrance to Studio 54, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to her failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "F*^k off!" rather than "Freak out!"; for the documentary "How to Make It in the Music Business", he said that 'f*^k off' was what the doorman had said to him when he slammed the door on them; first it was changed to "freak off" after Rodgers mused that they wouldn't be able to say 'f*^k off' on the radio.
I'm glad you explained the story, I just didn't have the strength to get into it all! Lol Studio 54 was legendary and notorious and it amazes me how many under 40 and especially under 30 have never heard of it.
Bernard Edwards was a legendary bass player. His bass lines have been sampled by a lot of rappers. If you have ever heard any Sister Sledge, that is Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in the background.
@@Chris.Davis.2 Yeah he also was on "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out" iconic Diana Ross songs. I think "Modern Love" by David Bowie too. I know he toured with him on that tour. Some other hits I'm probably missing. Dude was a hella of a drummer.
Diana Ross as well "Upside Down" definitely hear the Mile scratch! Tony Thompson drummer for "The Power Station", along with bass and lead guitarists from Duran Duran! Robert Palmer on lead vocals. "Bang A Gong" ROCKS remake from T-Rex.
@@calebclunie4001 The list is extensive for both of them together, and separately: David Bowie, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger, Missing Persons, INXS, The Power Station, The Honeydrippers, Deborah Harry, Norma jean Wright, Teddy Pendergrass, Johnny Mathis, Daft Punk, The B-52's, Fonzi Thornton, and many more! Luther Vandross worked with them in their earlier days.
Whew. You don't get much more "70's disco groove soul" than this. In the latter half of the 1970's, this was one of the HOTTEST groups on the planet. "Le Freak" was their biggest hit, but by no means their only one. "Good Times" is instantly recognizable (and has been sampled by many artists), as is "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", and "I Want Your Love". This was just too BIG a song to avoid your ears forever. Glad you finally got to it! (Also - it's pronounced like "shiek", not "cheek". It's an actual English word that means "elegantly and stylishly fashionable".) And by the way, if you want to do another Parliament song, do "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucka)".
I loved Chic! I had the 45 of Dance dance dance That's still a cool song to my 54 year old ears!😎👍 And why aren't they in the R& R Hallvof Fame?? They made some of the best Disco songs of the 70s. I bet you can still attend a party, or wedding where Le Freak of Good times is playing! Timeless Disco music!
dont forget about the court case against "the sugar hill gang" when they sampled "good times" and released "rappers delight" which put a squash on Rappers sampling music then claiming it for themselves. that is why Rappers Delight is the only record that actually has two release dates. but google only says its the latter one in the 1980. which is not true. i had it in my hands in 77-78. still got it. :) and yes I could rap the whole 15 min version by myself within 4 months without missing a beat or word. :)
This song is pure pop perfection. It is one of the greatest disco songs ever!!! It was also a generational hit and the first song to go to number one three times. Simply amazing.
@@richobrien729 Yep. Performed from a flatbed truck right in front of Studio 54 -- to express their anger at being refused entrance. And the line of people outside, waiting to get in, loved it.
One of the best! His drums has the power of Led Zeppelin and he was chosen to play at Live Aid by Robert Plant. Why? He was self taught as a drummer. Tony Thompson learned drum listening to Led Zeppelin records and knew all of the Bonham parts. Phil Collins did not. Watch the performance.
Chic's best known song is probably "Good Times" from 1979, which y'all have probably also heard parts of in passing, like with this 1978 one. "Good Times" has another iconic disco bass line from bassist Bernard Edwards, but a hit they had with a really crazy bassline is "Everybody Dance" from 1977. J. will love it. And that sound that J. finds a little more subdued than he'd like was typical of some of the popular disco of the time, Silver Convention, Sister Sledge, A Taste of Honey, etc, as was the use of references to high fashion like this band's name and the line in this, "Le Freak, c'est chic," French for "It's in style." Another popular disco group of the late seventies was named GQ after a men's fashion magazine and there's a hit disco song from 1979 by Sister Sledge called "The Greatest Dancer" where part of the lyrics just list designer names some guy is wearing at a club: "Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci." (This sort of thing is part of the reason some hard rock types hated disco.) There's an interesting story behind this song. The original title was going to be "Fuck Off," because the doorman at Studio 54 wouldn't let a couple members of the group in, so they went home and wrote a pissed-off song by that name. The bassline and structure were so good that they decided to make it into an actual marketable song, which they gave new lyrics and a new title after a trendy dance of the time called the Freak.
When Nile and Bernard go off that is the highlight of the song for me. The synergy is incredible. Many would argue that this is one of the best disco songs of all time.
Agreed. I just adore the love and respect they had for one another which is so apparent here. Big shout out to Tony Thompson on drums too. He's holding it all down.
Literally anything that Nile Rogers touches is great. I have this album on vinyl, and it's FIRE from start to finish. The songs are fun, the production and playing are super tight, and it's perfect.
You have to understand that this was the height of the disco era and "beats" like this were new to many people so this song got a lot of air time. Studio 54 was packed and everyone was dancing.
Yay!! Was hoping you'd get around to CHIC!! 💃🏼 they have other hits like, I Want Your Love, Dance Dance Dance, & Good Times! Sister Sledge is another group to check out, We Are Family, He's The Greatest Dancer, & All American Girls. Also Pointer Sisters, Automatic, Slow Hand, He's So Shy, Dare Me & Fire. Keep smiling!! 🎶🥰🎶
Ahh yeah, I remember this came out in the late summer beginning 6th grade!! It’s pronounced “Sheek”. Nile Rodgers has also been a big time producer for many acts including David Bowie, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger and Madonna.
@@you2449 over the years he has produced or written hits for Madonna...David Bowie...Duran Duran...Sister Sledge...Diana Ross In his late seventies he continues to tour
Yes. Thats Bernard Edwards with that fantastic funky bass. He also played great bass on Chic's "Good Times", which was sampled by The Sugarhill Gang on their 1979 hit "Rappers Delight"
One of the few "Disco" groups that played their own instruments. And as already stated, Rodgers is an excellent musician that is still active today. another good reaction! Freak OUT!!!
When I found he did the solo on Madonna's "Dress You Up" - that's a totally different sound, but I can absolutely believe it, since he was the producer for that album.
Nile and his buddies had been standing in line forever to get into the hottest club, Studio 54, in New York one night. They couldn't get in, were pissed off, so they went home and wrote this song in 2 seconds and it became the biggest disco hit!
Wait, what? You've never heard Le Freak by Chic? Wha--??? Like-- how? How have you existed in this world without hearing of Chic? Like, Nile Rogers? What? I'm flabbergasted. My gast is truly flabbered.
Love Chic! Memories as a kid trying to record this song from the radio and could never get that beginning “Ahhhh Freak Out.” 🎶 ahh…Good times! (which is another great song by them!)
Nile Rodgers is an absolute legend. He is the leader and creator of Chic. He is honestly on a level we can't comprehend and so well respected/loved. He is a composer, producer, and musician. He has written songs and produced EVERYBODY!!!! And, I mean EVERYBODY!!! For example he wrote one of Madonna's best classics: "Holiday". This is classic disco. I saw Chic open up for Chaka Khan and believe me, they were just as good as she was!!! That show was a party.
You guys need to react to "Good Times" and "I Want Your Love" by Chic as well. Chic was an enormously influential band across almost all genres. The bass line from their song "Good Times" formed the foundation of the rap song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. The drummer played on a ton of 80s hits like "Like A Virgin" by Madonna and "Some Like It Hot" by Power Station (you guys reacted to it, he's in the video). And the guitarist--Nile Rodgers--became a massively successful producer and produced a ton of hits over the decades.
Chic(like "sheek")'s got a nice sound, eh!? A long string of hits from 1977- "Le Freak" "Everybody Dance" "Good Times" "I Want Your Love" "Dance, Dance, Dance" "My Forbidden Lover" (more)
Certainly one of the most enduring songs from the disco era. It has survived decades now and is still a fun song to listen to (and dance to I would assume).
So this was one of those times us old heads got to sit back in delight and watch happen what we knew would happen, which was Jay's ears opening up to one of the truly epic Bernard Edwards baselines--that, together with Nile Roger's signature funk guitar style, moved *so* many feet on the dance floor in those years when "disco" hadn't yet become a dirty word. It was a wondrous time for dance music, and no one did it better than those two geniuses.
Nilke Rogers, the guitar player on the left, wrote this song after NOT getting into Studio 54. It didn't begin as Freak Out, it was F__k Off, because he couldn't get in. The irony was he was invited in after this song went to #1.
Chic's bassist Bernard Edwards is - BY FAR - the most sampled bassist in Hip-Hop, and that started from the very beginning. DJ Kool Herc used to loop his bass line from Good Times during parties, which soon led to MCs rapping over the bassline, which then led to the Sugarhill Gang writing Rapper's Delight over that bassline (though they had the studio band re-create it for their recording), and since then, Edwards has been sampled thousands of times. He's one of the Big Daddies of funk bass, and was a huge influence on so many bands. Notable is Duran Duran - he was John Taylor's hero, and when Duran Duran got famous, they sought out Edwards and Nile Rogers, with Edwards becoming a mentor for John Taylor. In addition to producing Duran Duran records, Rogers and Edwards put together the side project The Power Station with Andy and John Taylor from Duran Duran, along with their Chic drummer Tony Thompson and fronted by Robert Palmer. Rogers & Edwards produced Robert Palmer's next solo album Riptide, which featured Addicted To Love, and also featured Power Station members Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor, and John Taylor as studio musicians. But during the late 70s and very early 80s, when Disco was at its peak, Chic was one of the top 5 disco acts, right up there with the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and KC And The Sunshine Band. Le Freak was an absolutely monster hit that got played hourly on Top 40 stations for 2 years straight, and you couldn't go to a ball game, roller rink, or bowling alley and not hear it constantly.
Love watching Jay when he likes the song so much, he chair dances. It is also awesome seeing the two of you like the songs that we oldsters loved back in the day. It goes to show that good/great/fun music is ageless.
I remember this song and was fascinated with how it came about. I wouldn't do it justice by repeating what I heard in a "Studio 54" documentary, so I found this writing: This song commemorates Studio 54 in New York City for its notoriously long customer waiting lines, exclusive clientele, and discourteous doormen. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the song was devised during New Year's Eve 1977, as a result of his and bassist Bernard Edwards' being refused entrance to Studio 54, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to her failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "F*ck off!" rather than "Freak out!";[10] for the documentary "How to Make It in the Music Business", he said that 'f*ck off' was what the doorman had said to him when he slammed the door on them; first it was changed to "freak off" after Rodgers mused that they wouldn't be able to say 'f*ck off' on the radio, but that sounded "terrible", so he changed it to 'freak out'. Cool uh?
Chic was a 70's Supergroup, they had hits coming out all the time "Everybody Dance", "Good Times", "Dance Dance Dance" and my fave "I Want Your Love" and lots more. Btw, it's pronounced in the French term "sheek" 😊
Omg!! Memory lane!! I was in Mazatlan Mexico at the age of 14, when me and my best friend walked into a bar at the hotel( not weird in Mexico in 1979). These guys were performing and I instantly fell in love !! To this day still jamming to this iconic band!!
Love Bernard Edwards bass on this track. Nile Rogers has a very distinctive guitar style. Not to mention he’s a world class producer and a lovely guy as well.
I’m glad you both dug the bass in this song. The late great Bernard Edwards was one of the funkiest in the pocket baas players there ever was, sadly he’s not talked about that much as being one of the greats. Guitarist Nile Rogers, who’s still very active, of course is talked about a lot - and rightly so - as both a great guitarist and influential producer.
Nile Rogers is a genius. He played a HUGE role in creating and producing Daft Punk's 2013 album "Random Access Memories" which went platinum, hit #1 on the charts and won multiple Grammys. Well deserved, it's one of my favorite albums.
This is a big tune from the late '70s, they're a funk group and their name is pronounced, 'Sheek' = Chic, other tracks to check out; 'Dance, Dance, Dance (Yousah, Yousah, Yousah)', 'Everybody Dance', 'I Want Your Love', 'Good Times', and 'Chic Cheer', there are other tracks by them too, but these are their best known ones.
There was a dance called the “Freak” that everyone would do to this song when it played at the disco. There was a period in disco that had specific dances. You had dances like the ““Rock” and the “Dog” which were also huge in the Disco days.
Yesss, I remember doing the "le freak" dance step to this song when I was a little girl! I still remember it too! This was a very popular song we would play at our house "disco parties" with school friends.
👋🏾WAT UP ROBSQUAD!. Just An *FYI: The Group Chic is Pronounced "SHEEK." Its A French Word. They Actually Sanged They're Name In The Song..Right After The Say "AH, FREAK OUT!" 🎶"LE FREAK, C'EST CHIC."🎶 (which means.."its cool/hip to have money")..💯FACTS!💯
You guys need to look up the documentary stuff on Nile Rodgers and look at how many musicians he worked with- such a huge influence, and you can’t mistake a Nile Rodgers guitar riff! From Chic to David Bowie and Duran Duran all the way to Daft Punk, he’s timeless!
Shout out to Nile Rodgers. The bassist Bernard Edwards (RIP) was also a major musician of the group. Btw the violin was featured a lot in Disco and R&B in the late 70s/early 80s.
Sounds of the 70's for sure along with Rose Royce, Donna Summer, KC and The Sunshind band and the Stylistics all remind me of being a young kid in the 70's ahhhh good times for sure.
Nile Rodgers (guitarist) and Bernard Edwards (RIP) (bass guitarist) were one of the earlier "super producers) besides creating Chic (pronounced sheek). Chic's songs were huge hits in dance clubs and charts. Both Nile and Bernard taught themselves to play guitar and both have a signature sound, which set Chic apart from other bands. Nile's most recent/famous collaboration was with Daft Punk and Pharrell.
Good Times was a huge hit ny Chic but became a secondary hit when it was sampled for one of the first rapping hits by the Sugar Hill Gang. Both were huge heavy rotation Top 40 radio and billboard charting hits. Mike Rogers is one of the best bassists and music producers in the industry.
Studio 54 was crazy in the 70's, I used to shoot fashion in NYC and got invitations to the Ford and Elite modeling agency parties. The place was insane, the actual invitation for one of their parties was an oversized t-shirt with the agency's name on the front, you had to wear it to get in. Some models wore them as dresses, some cut them up in crazy designs. That party actually had a swimming pool that they placed in the middle of the dance floor! There was also a catwalk above the dance floor that slid back and forth, people were jumping off into the pool! Those were the days...
Absolute banger by Chic. J if you love the bass guitar you must check out the brothers Johnson’s Stomp! One of the best bass guitar solos in my opinion please check it out.
Nile Rogers, the guy who started "Chic" (and lead guitarist) and Bernard Edwards (R.I.P.) on bass, were masters at music. Chic also did much of the music for the disco group, Sister Sledge. Nile also started and performed in the 90's band "Daft Punk", and he also later became a promoter and producer of many other bands. You should check out "Good Times" and "I Want Your Love" by them.
Chic was always about the groove and not about the song. The production was always geared toward highlighting the musical groove. The mildly catchy songs were just a bonus. It may take few listens but the songs will sink into your brain and you'll sing along dancing your *ss off.
This song is iconic and one of those songs that I could listen on an endless loop and absolutely enjoy it. Nile Rodgers created a classic with this song.
This wasnt power this was disco it was made to dance so not to be so powerful. I was in 5th grade when this was a huge hit. Nile Rodgers a legend in music.
The story of how this song came about is hilarious. Niles Rodgers came up with the chorus after he was denied entry to Studio 54. The original lyric was, "Awwwww... F*** off!" The fact that the lyrics eventually paid homage to Studio 54 is just hilarious to me. 😅
This is one of those songs that transports me back in time. My 17 year old sister's high school boyfriend was a party DJ in a small but affluent college town in west Texas. The summer I turned 12 she would regularly take me along to his gigs. These were not club like gigs and for the most part did not run past 11pm so it wasn't like I was bar hopping at 12. For the most part I just loved to dance and I was much more up on the current music scene than my peers were.
Toy Story 3, when Barbie and Ken do their thing, La Freak plays. :) This was the era my grandma enjoyed most, and my my Mum was a teen in. My Grandma and her friends doing her moves across the floors to this and so many funky bands of the time.
I agree 100% with your comment!! I will just add that I am always upset when young people say "oh I must have heard the chorus somewhere in a movie or in passing", and then go on to be "lukewarm" or even dismissal of the original that is in front of them! They rarely give real "props" to the original artists who actually created it from scratch, in order for some movie or rapper (40 years later), to take a "snippet of the song" and "claim it" as their own. Sad! It's important to always give respect to the original artists/songwriters who created the "magic" in the first place! Enjoy! Cheers, Sam.
Thx so so much from Germany. We danced to Chic and Sister Sledge in late 70‘s and early 80‘s til today 😉. Please please have a look at Robbie Williams „Angels“ live at Knebworth. It will blow u away. Germany love u both. Greets Axel S.
You can't talk about the Disco era and not talk about Chic, they had some great songs. Also check out: " I Want Your Love", "Good Times", "Dance, Dance, Dance", "Everybody Dance", and "My Forbidden Lover".
ouch! your reaction was like an arrow in my heart! this song was HUGE in 1978. it was one of the best selling singles of all time when it came out and ended up as the primary sample in "rappers delight" which i thought, at the time, was the first rap single. it's funny how it hurts a little when you don't like the songs we love. still love you guys.
Niles Rodgers, one of the BEST musicians of all time. Best PRODUCER as well. Just an amazing human. And his guitar STYLE. Singular.
Agreed. Loved him on Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" with Pharrell!
Woah… you get on that dance floor and “freak out”….Niles Rodgers guitar makes you freak out even more!
This gal has been waiting since '78 to see him & Chic play live & this is my year. I'm so excited. He's the absolute architect of so many musical masterpieces.
Have y'all done any of the group , "slave". That's where you'll hear some good bass.
The guitarist is Nile Rodgers, he dose a lot of producing now. Did y'all do David Bowie's, "let's dance"? He produced that, and I think that whole album.
@@dolphinbear661 I'm a little jealous. Okay, a lot.
Pronounced "Sheek": Chic, meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. I too hit the dance floor many a time to this one 🙂
It's also 'Le Freak', not 'La Freak'.
We always just called it FREAK OUT. gave us an excuse to do just that...
🤭😂😂😂
@@PaulWhytcross shush karen
@Vicki Roman thanks so much for explaining the pronounciation and definition of the word. Are you that condescending or just assume everyone is an idiot?
They should see a video of the dance to this song.
Chic is SUCH a great group. “Good Times” was a big hit for them. Also PLEASE react to “I Want Your Love”. I know you’ll enjoy it. Nile Rogers (guitar) and Bernard Edwards (bass) not only wrote and produced for Chic, but a ton of other artists like, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Sister Sledge, Carly Simon, etc.
Don’t forget the wonderful drumming of Tony Thompson.
"I Want Your Love" -- especially the long version -- is an absolute must.
@@toddwestphal7953 Tony Thompson...The Power Station!
@@rddav1 yes.
"I Want Your Love" is a must! "Everybody Dance", and "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", too!
Good old Disco... Yeah, that bass line is really nice and actually makes the song work. But that funky bass was a staple in Disco
Jay & Amber, you'll love their "Good Times" and "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"!!
"Dance Dance Dance" if they show the Soul Train video has got the BEST "Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah"
Good Times will absolutely give J the bass. So will “Everybody Dance” which has astonishing bass playing from Bernard Edwards! Another one to add to the list!
I Want Your Love as well
This song was written one night when Grace Jones was performing at Studio 54 back in the 70s, and Grace invited the band to come by. When they got there, the doorman had never heard of Chic, and they weren’t on the guests list. So he told them to take a hike and stop claiming to know Grace Jones.
They went back to their band rehearsal space in a huff, and started jamming. Originally, the line was “Aaaah… F*CK YOU!”
Then they realized they were onto a groove and it became one of their hits after they… adjusted the line. 💃🕺
True. True.
Kool Info!👍🏿
Well now that just changed my life
In the day! Loved rocking out to this song, haven't heard it in years, thanks guys 😍 and yes , Rogers is a genius!
No lies detected!
Per Wikipedia: This song commemorates Studio 54 in New York City for its notoriously long customer waiting lines, exclusive clientele, and discourteous doormen. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the song was devised during New Year's Eve 1977, as a result of his and bassist Bernard Edwards' being refused entrance to Studio 54, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to her failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "F*^k off!" rather than "Freak out!"; for the documentary "How to Make It in the Music Business", he said that 'f*^k off' was what the doorman had said to him when he slammed the door on them; first it was changed to "freak off" after Rodgers mused that they wouldn't be able to say 'f*^k off' on the radio.
I was hoping someone would tell this story 🌞
Came to comments to say pretty much the same thing.
The even crazier thing is that after the song came out, I believe they were again denied entry into 54 WHILE THIS SONG WAS PLAYING INSIDE. LOL
I'm glad you explained the story, I just didn't have the strength to get into it all! Lol
Studio 54 was legendary and notorious and it amazes me how many under 40 and especially under 30 have never heard of it.
You all are my people
Bernard Edwards was a legendary bass player. His bass lines have been sampled by a lot of rappers. If you have ever heard any Sister Sledge, that is Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in the background.
Is the drummer Tony Thompson who was drummer for Power Station?
Edit sorry, got my answer in another post, I do that a lot.😂👍🖐
@@Chris.Davis.2 Yeah he also was on "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out" iconic Diana Ross songs. I think "Modern Love" by David Bowie too. I know he toured with him on that tour. Some other hits I'm probably missing. Dude was a hella of a drummer.
@@martinwarford1389 Chic had legit talent!!
Diana Ross as well "Upside Down" definitely hear the Mile scratch! Tony Thompson drummer for "The Power Station", along with bass and lead guitarists from Duran Duran! Robert Palmer on lead vocals. "Bang A Gong" ROCKS remake from T-Rex.
Rest Easy Tony Thompson, Bernard Edwards, & Robert Palmer 🙏🏼 You will live on through your music!!
Nile Rodgers is a musical genius. My high school basketball team did our pregame warm ups to this song.
Ours too!!!! 9th grade!!!
@@bakilacat1 For as popular as that song was back then it probably isn't much of a coincidence
@@VikingJeff what city u in them?
@@bakilacat1 '78-'79 would have been Chaumont, NY.
@@VikingJeff NC for me. Good times!
Nile Rodgers is one of the most talented dudes out there, he's worked with people like Madonna , Bowie , Duran Duran & Daft Punk.
Also David Bowie
Don't forget co-producer and writing partner bassist Bernard Edwards (R.I.P.), and drummer Tony Thompson (R.I.P.).
Also Diana Ross.
@@calebclunie4001 The list is extensive for both of them together, and separately: David Bowie, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger, Missing Persons, INXS, The Power Station, The Honeydrippers, Deborah Harry, Norma jean Wright, Teddy Pendergrass, Johnny Mathis, Daft Punk, The B-52's, Fonzi Thornton, and many more! Luther Vandross worked with them in their earlier days.
@@helenjarvis7755 I mentioned Bowie. I'd be here all week if I listed everyone! 🤣
Whew. You don't get much more "70's disco groove soul" than this. In the latter half of the 1970's, this was one of the HOTTEST groups on the planet. "Le Freak" was their biggest hit, but by no means their only one. "Good Times" is instantly recognizable (and has been sampled by many artists), as is "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", and "I Want Your Love". This was just too BIG a song to avoid your ears forever. Glad you finally got to it! (Also - it's pronounced like "shiek", not "cheek". It's an actual English word that means "elegantly and stylishly fashionable".) And by the way, if you want to do another Parliament song, do "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucka)".
It’s an English word now, but it was adopted from French.
“𝙻𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔, 𝚌’𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚌!” is French for “The Freak, that’s stylish.”
@@OaktownPirate510 The first French words I ever heard in my life (at age 9)!
I loved Chic! I had the 45 of Dance dance dance That's still a cool song to my 54 year old ears!😎👍 And why aren't they in the R& R Hallvof Fame?? They made some of the best Disco songs of the 70s. I bet you can still attend a party, or wedding where Le Freak of Good times is playing! Timeless Disco music!
All classic Roller Disco songs.
dont forget about the court case against "the sugar hill gang" when they sampled "good times" and released "rappers delight" which put a squash on Rappers sampling music then claiming it for themselves. that is why Rappers Delight is the only record that actually has two release dates. but google only says its the latter one in the 1980. which is not true. i had it in my hands in 77-78. still got it. :) and yes I could rap the whole 15 min version by myself within 4 months without missing a beat or word. :)
This song is pure pop perfection. It is one of the greatest disco songs ever!!! It was also a generational hit and the first song to go to number one three times. Simply amazing.
MY FIRST 45 RECORD!!!!
So Disco! So Iconic!
So New York City!
I'm glad they couldn't get into Studio 54 that night! Look what revenge they got!!!
I think it was my first 45 too 😁
Grace Jones had invited him. She had a hand in all this, too
First draft of the song wasn't "Freak Out", it was "F*** Off".
@@richobrien729 Yep. Performed from a flatbed truck right in front of Studio 54 -- to express their anger at being refused entrance. And the line of people outside, waiting to get in, loved it.
My people! Anyone care to dance?
The late great Tony Thompson on drums. Also in Powerstation and played live with Led Zeppelin at Live Aid.
One of the best! His drums has the power of Led Zeppelin and he was chosen to play at Live Aid by Robert Plant. Why? He was self taught as a drummer. Tony Thompson learned drum listening to Led Zeppelin records and knew all of the Bonham parts. Phil Collins did not. Watch the performance.
"Stomp" by The Brothers Johnson. Fun for dancing.
Every club on earth played this and you did not stay seated when they did. Everybody danced when they played this.
"Le Freak" is one of those songs that has been sampled by other artists so that is why you may recognize parts of it
If you've heard "Rappers Delight", they exclusively used the music from "Good Times" by Chic. They sued Sylvia Robinson and WON.
Yes and Queen used the same bass line for “Another One Bites the Dust”
And then they started playing a bit of Rapper's Delight during Good Times. 😜
@@hustledude Only the first 3 notes are the same.
The number Rap song to make it big 1st It was Released in the summer of 1979
Do we really need this bit of information?
Chic's best known song is probably "Good Times" from 1979, which y'all have probably also heard parts of in passing, like with this 1978 one. "Good Times" has another iconic disco bass line from bassist Bernard Edwards, but a hit they had with a really crazy bassline is "Everybody Dance" from 1977. J. will love it.
And that sound that J. finds a little more subdued than he'd like was typical of some of the popular disco of the time, Silver Convention, Sister Sledge, A Taste of Honey, etc, as was the use of references to high fashion like this band's name and the line in this, "Le Freak, c'est chic," French for "It's in style." Another popular disco group of the late seventies was named GQ after a men's fashion magazine and there's a hit disco song from 1979 by Sister Sledge called "The Greatest Dancer" where part of the lyrics just list designer names some guy is wearing at a club: "Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci." (This sort of thing is part of the reason some hard rock types hated disco.)
There's an interesting story behind this song. The original title was going to be "Fuck Off," because the doorman at Studio 54 wouldn't let a couple members of the group in, so they went home and wrote a pissed-off song by that name. The bassline and structure were so good that they decided to make it into an actual marketable song, which they gave new lyrics and a new title after a trendy dance of the time called the Freak.
Good Times never Made the top 40 here in Australia peaking at 48 there other charting tune was Dance Dance Dance peaking at 28 in 1977
Bernard Edward's is a beast on the bass..R.I.P Bernard..🎸🎸🎸🎸
When Nile and Bernard go off that is the highlight of the song for me. The synergy is incredible. Many would argue that this is one of the best disco songs of all time.
Agreed. I just adore the love and respect they had for one another which is so apparent here. Big shout out to Tony Thompson on drums too. He's holding it all down.
@@welshtoro3256 Yup. Mad respect for TT.
A Disco staple! They even mention Studio 54 in the lyrics.
Niles Rodgers, Bassist Bernard Edwards and Drummer Tony Thompson (Power Station, David Bowie)… Now that’s musicianship at the highest level…
Literally anything that Nile Rogers touches is great.
I have this album on vinyl, and it's FIRE from start to finish. The songs are fun, the production and playing are super tight, and it's perfect.
People of a certain age remember this one from the roller rink.
CHIC is the best! Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards are iconic. Nile produced Sister Sledge, Debra Harry, Madonna, Diana Ross, and David Bowie.
This one and "Good Times' were their 2 #1 songs.
You have to understand that this was the height of the disco era and "beats" like this were new to many people so this song got a lot of air time. Studio 54 was packed and everyone was dancing.
Yay!! Was hoping you'd get around to CHIC!! 💃🏼 they have other hits like, I Want Your Love, Dance Dance Dance, & Good Times! Sister Sledge is another group to check out, We Are Family, He's The Greatest Dancer, & All American Girls. Also Pointer Sisters, Automatic, Slow Hand, He's So Shy, Dare Me & Fire. Keep smiling!! 🎶🥰🎶
Nile Rodgers...respect.The man is a genius. Harmonies always on point.
Ahh yeah, I remember this came out in the late summer beginning 6th grade!! It’s pronounced “Sheek”. Nile Rodgers has also been a big time producer for many acts including David Bowie, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger and Madonna.
Yep. His sound is a major part of Let's Dance.
to the extent that his guitar's name is...the hit maker....in recent years he had a monster hit with Daft Punk...Get Lucky
@@rafaelrosario5331 Wow! *$$$* good for him!
@@you2449 over the years he has produced or written hits for Madonna...David Bowie...Duran Duran...Sister Sledge...Diana Ross
In his late seventies he continues to tour
OMG everyone was dancing to this tune, even in Düsseldorf, Germany. Thank you for remembering the late 70s
Yes. Thats Bernard Edwards with that fantastic funky bass. He also played great bass on Chic's "Good Times", which was sampled by The Sugarhill Gang on their 1979 hit "Rappers Delight"
One of the few "Disco" groups that played their own instruments. And as already stated, Rodgers is an excellent musician that is still active today. another good reaction! Freak OUT!!!
When I found he did the solo on Madonna's "Dress You Up" - that's a totally different sound, but I can absolutely believe it, since he was the producer for that album.
Nile and his buddies had been standing in line forever to get into the hottest club, Studio 54, in New York one night. They couldn't get in, were pissed off, so they went home and wrote this song in 2 seconds and it became the biggest disco hit!
With the "Freak Out" the sanitized version of "F*** Off"😂
@@bradsullivan2495 yep. I remember that 🤣
Nile Rodgers is indeed a genius, but Bernard Edwards was an incredible bassist. It's a shame he died so young.
Wait, what? You've never heard Le Freak by Chic? Wha--??? Like-- how? How have you existed in this world without hearing of Chic? Like, Nile Rogers? What? I'm flabbergasted. My gast is truly flabbered.
Same thought here!
Well, they’re not as old as dirt for one thing.
Rapper's Delight is Chic's "Good Times". A lot of early rap used their bass and beat lines...
Another song that came out around the same time as this one is called "He's The Greatest Dancer" (by Sister Sledge). Another disco gem.
"Definitively not bad" For an iconic song from an iconic group? OMG !
Guess a Ferrari is not a bad car either? 😲
Beyonce is not a bad looking woman, and Casablanca is not a bad movie!
Love Chic! Memories as a kid trying to record this song from the radio and could never get that beginning “Ahhhh Freak Out.” 🎶 ahh…Good times! (which is another great song by them!)
Ah yes. Trying to record songs off the radio and then rewinding over and over trying to write down the lyrics! 🤭😄
@@mozzetti1 Yes! The only way to learn the lyrics lol! And what about waiting hours for your fav song to come on to record!!!
Nile Rodgers is an absolute legend. He is the leader and creator of Chic. He is honestly on a level we can't comprehend and so well respected/loved. He is a composer, producer, and musician. He has written songs and produced EVERYBODY!!!! And, I mean EVERYBODY!!! For example he wrote one of Madonna's best classics: "Holiday". This is classic disco. I saw Chic open up for Chaka Khan and believe me, they were just as good as she was!!! That show was a party.
You guys need to react to "Good Times" and "I Want Your Love" by Chic as well.
Chic was an enormously influential band across almost all genres. The bass line from their song "Good Times" formed the foundation of the rap song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. The drummer played on a ton of 80s hits like "Like A Virgin" by Madonna and "Some Like It Hot" by Power Station (you guys reacted to it, he's in the video). And the guitarist--Nile Rodgers--became a massively successful producer and produced a ton of hits over the decades.
@Daniel Jaimes - That bass line is epic...
It's not a take on Disco, it IS Disco! "The 54" Studio 54
Chic(like "sheek")'s got a nice sound, eh!? A long string of hits from 1977- "Le Freak" "Everybody Dance" "Good Times" "I Want Your Love" "Dance, Dance, Dance" "My Forbidden Lover" (more)
Certainly one of the most enduring songs from the disco era. It has survived decades now and is still a fun song to listen to (and dance to I would assume).
The Genius of the LEGENDARY Iconic Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards
Ft Campbell Air Base Club New Years Eve 78-79 night - when the ball dropped this was the jam ! Memories baby - great post
So this was one of those times us old heads got to sit back in delight and watch happen what we knew would happen, which was Jay's ears opening up to one of the truly epic Bernard Edwards baselines--that, together with Nile Roger's signature funk guitar style, moved *so* many feet on the dance floor in those years when "disco" hadn't yet become a dirty word. It was a wondrous time for dance music, and no one did it better than those two geniuses.
Nilke Rogers, the guitar player on the left, wrote this song after NOT getting into Studio 54. It didn't begin as Freak Out, it was F__k Off, because he couldn't get in. The irony was he was invited in after this song went to #1.
Dancing all night long 🎶🎶🎶💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺🥁🥁🥁🎸🎸🎸remember this song comes out at the clubs🎺🎺🎺
Chic's bassist Bernard Edwards is - BY FAR - the most sampled bassist in Hip-Hop, and that started from the very beginning. DJ Kool Herc used to loop his bass line from Good Times during parties, which soon led to MCs rapping over the bassline, which then led to the Sugarhill Gang writing Rapper's Delight over that bassline (though they had the studio band re-create it for their recording), and since then, Edwards has been sampled thousands of times. He's one of the Big Daddies of funk bass, and was a huge influence on so many bands. Notable is Duran Duran - he was John Taylor's hero, and when Duran Duran got famous, they sought out Edwards and Nile Rogers, with Edwards becoming a mentor for John Taylor. In addition to producing Duran Duran records, Rogers and Edwards put together the side project The Power Station with Andy and John Taylor from Duran Duran, along with their Chic drummer Tony Thompson and fronted by Robert Palmer. Rogers & Edwards produced Robert Palmer's next solo album Riptide, which featured Addicted To Love, and also featured Power Station members Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor, and John Taylor as studio musicians.
But during the late 70s and very early 80s, when Disco was at its peak, Chic was one of the top 5 disco acts, right up there with the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and KC And The Sunshine Band. Le Freak was an absolutely monster hit that got played hourly on Top 40 stations for 2 years straight, and you couldn't go to a ball game, roller rink, or bowling alley and not hear it constantly.
Love watching Jay when he likes the song so much, he chair dances. It is also awesome seeing the two of you like the songs that we oldsters loved back in the day. It goes to show that good/great/fun music is ageless.
I remember this song and was fascinated with how it came about. I wouldn't do it justice by repeating what I heard in a "Studio 54" documentary, so I found this writing: This song commemorates Studio 54 in New York City for its notoriously long customer waiting lines, exclusive clientele, and discourteous doormen. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the song was devised during New Year's Eve 1977, as a result of his and bassist Bernard Edwards' being refused entrance to Studio 54, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to her failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "F*ck off!" rather than "Freak out!";[10] for the documentary "How to Make It in the Music Business", he said that 'f*ck off' was what the doorman had said to him when he slammed the door on them; first it was changed to "freak off" after Rodgers mused that they wouldn't be able to say 'f*ck off' on the radio, but that sounded "terrible", so he changed it to 'freak out'. Cool uh?
Definitely! The lyrics even includes something to the effect "come on down to 54".
@@ColoradoGrami it was one crazy place in it's heyday.. lol
@@ruthmcfadden744 Yes, indeed.
“Good times” is another great one of theirs
Omg memories! Yes there’s a dance too! Lol and believe me I was the first one on the dance floor 🤣 fun times!
Chic was a 70's Supergroup, they had hits coming out all the time "Everybody Dance", "Good Times", "Dance Dance Dance" and my fave "I Want Your Love" and lots more. Btw, it's pronounced in the French term "sheek" 😊
Crazy for this in Junior High! Thanks! Great watching you guys...luv you both!
Omg!! Memory lane!! I was in Mazatlan Mexico at the age of 14, when me and my best friend walked into a bar at the hotel( not weird in Mexico in 1979). These guys were performing and I instantly fell in love !!
To this day still jamming to this iconic band!!
Used to skate to this at the local roller rink when I was a teenager!! They had a jukebox at the rink and someone was always selecting this song...
I never get tired of hearing the work of the great Nile Rodgers!
Love Bernard Edwards bass on this track. Nile Rogers has a very distinctive guitar style. Not to mention he’s a world class producer and a lovely guy as well.
I’m glad you both dug the bass in this song. The late great Bernard Edwards was one of the funkiest in the pocket baas players there ever was, sadly he’s not talked about that much as being one of the greats. Guitarist Nile Rogers, who’s still very active, of course is talked about a lot - and rightly so - as both a great guitarist and influential producer.
Nile Rogers is a genius. He played a HUGE role in creating and producing Daft Punk's 2013 album "Random Access Memories" which went platinum, hit #1 on the charts and won multiple Grammys. Well deserved, it's one of my favorite albums.
I’ve always loved this band. Nile Rodgers is a heckuva of a guitarist, and has produced many, many songs.
This is a big tune from the late '70s, they're a funk group and their name is pronounced, 'Sheek' = Chic, other tracks to check out; 'Dance, Dance, Dance (Yousah, Yousah, Yousah)', 'Everybody Dance', 'I Want Your Love', 'Good Times', and 'Chic Cheer', there are other tracks by them too, but these are their best known ones.
There was a dance called the “Freak” that everyone would do to this song when it played at the disco. There was a period in disco that had specific dances. You had dances like the ““Rock” and the “Dog” which were also huge in the Disco days.
Yesss, I remember doing the "le freak" dance step to this song when I was a little girl! I still remember it too! This was a very popular song we would play at our house "disco parties" with school friends.
👋🏾WAT UP ROBSQUAD!. Just An *FYI: The Group Chic is Pronounced "SHEEK." Its A French Word. They Actually Sanged They're Name In The Song..Right After The Say "AH, FREAK OUT!"
🎶"LE FREAK, C'EST CHIC."🎶 (which means.."its cool/hip to have money")..💯FACTS!💯
One of the most iconic disco tunes from back in the day. Brings back memories of dances in the Late 70's. There was a dance step associated with it.
"Sheeeeq" meaning classy. Love this era best!!
You guys need to look up the documentary stuff on Nile Rodgers and look at how many musicians he worked with- such a huge influence, and you can’t mistake a Nile Rodgers guitar riff! From Chic to David Bowie and Duran Duran all the way to Daft Punk, he’s timeless!
Shout out to Nile Rodgers. The bassist Bernard Edwards (RIP) was also a major musician of the group. Btw the violin was featured a lot in Disco and R&B in the late 70s/early 80s.
The only song that ever got me on the dance floor.
And just like that, you´ve met Mr Bernard Edwards the bass player. Genius...
Sounds of the 70's for sure along with Rose Royce, Donna Summer, KC and The Sunshind band and the Stylistics all remind me of being a young kid in the 70's ahhhh good times for sure.
Nile Rodgers (guitarist) and Bernard Edwards (RIP) (bass guitarist) were one of the earlier "super producers) besides creating Chic (pronounced sheek). Chic's songs were huge hits in dance clubs and charts. Both Nile and Bernard taught themselves to play guitar and both have a signature sound, which set Chic apart from other bands. Nile's most recent/famous collaboration was with Daft Punk and Pharrell.
Good Times was a huge hit ny Chic but became a secondary hit when it was sampled for one of the first rapping hits by the Sugar Hill Gang. Both were huge
heavy rotation Top 40 radio and billboard charting hits. Mike Rogers is one of the best bassists and music producers in the industry.
Studio 54 was crazy in the 70's, I used to shoot fashion in NYC and got invitations to the Ford and Elite modeling agency parties. The place was insane, the actual invitation for one of their parties was an oversized t-shirt with the agency's name on the front, you had to wear it to get in. Some models wore them as dresses, some cut them up in crazy designs. That party actually had a swimming pool that they placed in the middle of the dance floor! There was also a catwalk above the dance floor that slid back and forth, people were jumping off into the pool! Those were the days...
Next you have to try “Good Times,” Chic’s huge 1979 hit that has one of the most famous baselines in recorded history.
they and that song directly inspired "Another One Bites the Dust"
I believe Sugar Hill Gang (Rapper’s Delight) was sued for using the beat from Good Times without permission
In 1979 this was the jam! We danced our booties off
Absolute banger by Chic. J if you love the bass guitar you must check out the brothers Johnson’s Stomp! One of the best bass guitar solos in my opinion please check it out.
Agree!
Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson!
Hell yes.
Stomp is insane!
Nile Rogers, the guy who started "Chic" (and lead guitarist) and Bernard Edwards (R.I.P.) on bass, were masters at music. Chic also did much of the music for the disco group, Sister Sledge. Nile also started and performed in the 90's band "Daft Punk", and he also later became a promoter and producer of many other bands. You should check out "Good Times" and "I Want Your Love" by them.
Chic was always about the groove and not about the song. The production was always geared toward highlighting the musical groove. The mildly catchy songs were just a bonus. It may take few listens but the songs will sink into your brain and you'll sing along dancing your *ss off.
Nile Rogers was the guitarist in the Steve Winwood Higher Love video with Chaka Khan singing
This song is iconic and one of those songs that I could listen on an endless loop and absolutely enjoy it. Nile Rodgers created a classic with this song.
Early breakdancing used to rock to this tune. But this was like a Disco #1.
This wasnt power this was disco it was made to dance so not to be so powerful. I was in 5th grade when this was a huge hit.
Nile Rodgers a legend in music.
Taking me back to American Bandstand and Soul Train! Fun times
The story of how this song came about is hilarious. Niles Rodgers came up with the chorus after he was denied entry to Studio 54. The original lyric was, "Awwwww... F*** off!" The fact that the lyrics eventually paid homage to Studio 54 is just hilarious to me. 😅
I keep wanting to sing "Find a spot outside the door" instead of "Find a spot out on the floor" 🤪
This is one of those songs that transports me back in time. My 17 year old sister's high school boyfriend was a party DJ in a small but affluent college town in west Texas. The summer I turned 12 she would regularly take me along to his gigs. These were not club like gigs and for the most part did not run past 11pm so it wasn't like I was bar hopping at 12. For the most part I just loved to dance and I was much more up on the current music scene than my peers were.
“Good Times” live at the Budokan is my favorite. It even has some rap in it.
Toy Story 3, when Barbie and Ken do their thing, La Freak plays. :)
This was the era my grandma enjoyed most, and my my Mum was a teen in. My Grandma and her friends doing her moves across the floors to this and so many funky bands of the time.
Niles Rodgers, producer extraordinaire....👍🤩👍
All the school dances and after school parties in 8th grade featured this song heavily. It's still on my playlist. Love it!
Jay: I usually agree with your reactions 100%, but what's wrong with you? "Le Freak" is one of the greatest disco/R&B songs ever made. C'mon, son...!
I agree 100% with your comment!! I will just add that I am always upset when young people say "oh I must have heard the chorus somewhere in a movie or in passing", and then go on to be "lukewarm" or even dismissal of the original that is in front of them! They rarely give real "props" to the original artists who actually created it from scratch, in order for some movie or rapper (40 years later), to take a "snippet of the song" and "claim it" as their own. Sad!
It's important to always give respect to the original artists/songwriters who created the "magic" in the first place!
Enjoy! Cheers, Sam.
Thx so so much from Germany. We danced to Chic and Sister Sledge in late 70‘s and early 80‘s til today 😉. Please please have a look at Robbie Williams „Angels“ live at Knebworth. It will blow u away. Germany love u both. Greets Axel S.
One of my songs growing up. Boogie Oogie Oogie, next...?
You can't talk about the Disco era and not talk about Chic, they had some great songs. Also check out: " I Want Your Love", "Good Times", "Dance, Dance, Dance", "Everybody Dance", and "My Forbidden Lover".
Absolutely!
Rose Royce Car Wash great song and you can do the movie Car Wash 1976 version on your movie channel.
Car Wash yes.
ouch! your reaction was like an arrow in my heart! this song was HUGE in 1978. it was one of the best selling singles of all time when it came out and ended up as the primary sample in "rappers delight" which i thought, at the time, was the first rap single. it's funny how it hurts a little when you don't like the songs we love. still love you guys.