Is Nile Rodgers underappreciated for his contribution to David Bowie's iconic 1983 single, as suggested when Bowie strutted into Rodgers' bedroom with a guitar, playing a potential hit?
Nile Rodgers Reflects on His Collaboration with David Bowie on "Let's Dance"
Nile Rodgers, the iconic musician and co-producer of the hit song "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, has shared some fascinating insights about his work on the album that propelled him into second-wave '80s superstardom.
At the time, Rodgers was working off six consecutive flops. Despite this, he felt hurt by the lack of recognition for his work on the album. However, he rearranged and reworked every song on the album, transforming the original "folky" composition of "Let's Dance" into a new arrangement featuring "staccato stabs" and "strict harmonic interpretation."
Rodgers was brought to David Bowie's Swiss chalet in Lausanne, where Bowie showed him the title track that would become the lead from their future smash hit album. Bowie referred to Rodgers as the only person who could make him start a song with a chorus, in reference to Rodgers' re-working of the original composition.
The recording of "Let's Dance" was completed in one or two takes and set the tone for the rest of the album. Stevie Ray Vaughn was brought in to play guitar on the recording at the suggestion of David Bowie. Tony Thompson was brought in to play drums later in the recording process, while Omar Hakim and Carmine Rojas were brought in to replace Rodgers' Chic partners, Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, for the recording sessions in New York's Power Station studio.
Years later, at a charity function for the ARChive of Contemporary Music, David Bowie acknowledged Rodgers' contribution to the "Let's Dance" album. This recognition came after Rodgers had guest-curated a display for the new David Bowie Centre in London, which is set to open on September 13. The new installation is located within the East Storehouse in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in Stratford, London.
The display features correspondence between Nile Rodgers and David Bowie, as well as a bespoke Peter Hall suit worn by Bowie during his Serious Moonlight tour. In his 2011 autobiography Le Freak, Rodgers describes how Bowie pursued him following a chance meeting in a nightclub, hiring the producer with the instruction: "I'd like you to do what you do best - I want you to make hits."
[1] Source [2] Source
- Nile Rodgers, renowned for his collaboration with David Bowie on "Let's Dance," often incorporated music from various genres into his entertainment projects, transforming them into unique and captivating compositions.
- Amidst the successful symphony of "Let's Dance," Nile Rodgers and David Bowie's partnership seamlessly fused music elements, demonstrating how powerful collaborations can generate memorable and iconic entertainment experiences.
