With a track record that includes David Bowie, Madonna, Daft Punk, Diana Ross and many others, Nile Rodgers, co-founder and leader of Chic, is one of the greatest producers and guitarists of the last 50 years, and a legendary songwriter as well — he’s not only a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he’s been its chairman for eight years. He is also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the “Musical Excellence” category.
Yet even those accolades are just a small segment of the story of his extraordinary life and career: In a far-reaching, nearly 100-minute interview with Variety‘s Jem Aswad for New York Music Month — presented by Variety and Berklee NYC School of Music — at his longtime home base, New York’s Power Station Studios, Rodgers spoke about most of the above as well as his musical background, his early years as a member of bands on “Sesame Street” and at the Apollo Theater in Harlem — the latter with a classic story involving Screaming Jay Hawkins — the formation and multiplatinum success of Chic, the many records he’s made at the Power Station, and lots more, including a brief story about Frank Sinatra. (New York Music Month is an initiative of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.)
As anyone who has met Rodgers knows, he’s quite a raconteur, so a linear article about the interview is almost impossible. Scroll down for an hour-long video of the interview — but first, some brief excerpts to whet the appetite:
“When [Bowie] and I first met, it was totally by accident. I was going to this new nightclub called the Continental, and as I was walking in, I saw my good friend Billy Idol walking in, too. [Stands up] I have to act this out, because otherwise you won’t get it. So we both notice this guy at the back of the room by himself. And Billy goes [thick British accent], “Bloody hell! That’s David Fuckin’ Bowie!” — he pronounces it like “BOW-ee,” because that’s how they say his name in England — and then he barfs! [Laughter]
“So I didn’t barf, right? So I [got to Bowie first]. I’m over here talking to David, and Billy walks over and does this number … [he mimes wiping vomit on his sleeve, then extends hand]. And David shakes his hand! I was like, ‘You are the coolest fucking guy in the world!’”
On working with — and walking out on — Madonna:
“Madonna was heaven to me — I’ve never worked with an artist who worked that hard in my life. And she didn’t even really have to work that hard. We had only met once — just like with Bowie — and just from that one meeting, she decided ‘This guy is going to make my record.’ She came to my apartment and played all these demos and said, ‘Nile, if you don’t love all these songs, we can’t work together.’ I listened to all the songs, and I said, ‘Well, Madonna, I don’t love all these songs, but when I finish with them, I will.’
“So I guess I didn’t say the wrong thing because I didn’t get fired! She was great — the only negative thing I could say about Madonna… because I did quit the record, but I’ll show you how quickly I was re-hired. Every time an assistant would have to go to the bathroom, she wanted to make sure she was the boss — ‘Time is money and the money is mine!,’ she’d say — she said, ‘Well make sure he asks me before he goes!’ ‘Madonna, the guy has to go to the bathroom!’
“Finally she was mistreating the guy so much that I got really upset and just said, ‘Forget it, I can’t work with you anymore.’ I was walking out of the studio, and she comes to the door and goes ‘Nile, do you think I’m sexy?’
“‘Yeah Madonna, you’re one of the sexiest people I’ve ever met.’
“Then she comes with a brilliant answer: ‘Well, that didn’t stop the rest of them!’ (Laughter)
“I mean, I thought I’d be making Madonna records for the rest of my life. I only made one, but our relationship has always been fantastic. A couple of years ago, she celebrated her birthday — I built a little roller-skating rink in Central Park and we skated together. We had so much fun — she said, ‘You just got me out here because you want me to fall on my ass!’ I said, ‘No, Madonna. All the other skaters work for me, so if you fall on your ass, we’re all going to fall on our asses!’”
On returning to the Power Station, 50 years after it opened:
“Fifty fucking years — I feel so old now! Chic was the first band to record here, and when a studio starts making hits, everybody thinks it’s magical. We cut a hit, and the next song was a hit, then the next song was Sister Sledge [“We Are Family”], that was a hit. Next thing you know, everybody was recording here! The incredible artists that I’ve worked with in these rooms — [Bowie], Peter Gabriel, Madonna, Sheena Easton. So I feel happy every time I come here, but I do feel sadness because I’ve lost so many people that I’ve recorded in all these rooms.”
“When I was a kid, I used to work at an airport in Los Angeles, Van Nuys Airport [where many private planes embarked], and I used to see Frank Sinatra. He used to say to me, ‘Hey kid, why do you think they call it show business?’ ‘I don’t know, Mr. Sinatra. Why do they call it show business?’ ‘Because you’ve got to put on a show to do the business!’”
