Nile Rodgers on band speak: the language only he and Bowie understood

Our guest this episode, Nile Rodgers, has left an indelible mark on American music, as a guitarist, producer, and leader of the band Chic. Nile was just named one of the “30 Greatest Living American Songwriters” by the New York Times. He co-wrote the #1 hits “Good Times,” and “Le Freak,” for Chic. Nile also co-wrote “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk, “Let’s Dance” with David Bowie, “I’m Coming Out” for Diana Ross, and “We Are Family” for Sister Sledge. And his life has been as incredible as his musical catalogue.

0:00 Introduction

1:17 Diana Ross, "Upside Down," and "I'm Coming Out"

5:04 Working with Diana Ross

6:16 On songwriting: "I'm a good song rewriter"

8:32 The most Nile Rodgers song: "Everybody Dance"

9:27 The guitar lesson that changed everything

12:44 The art of chucking

14:09 Meeting Bernard Edwards

16:03 Growing up on the Lower East Side

18:00 His mother, his father, and a "variation on a Mormon theme"

21:50 A Thanksgiving Day drug overdose

23:47 Sponsor break – The FLAG Art Foundation

25:43 Writing songs alone on the NYC subway

27:13 Nina Simone's last concert

30:27 How his life shaped his music

31:54 Chic's success and why he didn't want to be out front

37:14 First big concert – 70,000 people and a Heineken

39:08 The night his heart stopped six times

44:27 What makes him such a great collaborator

46:40 Working with Bowie on "Let's Dance"

47:51 Being labeled a "disco producer" and proving them wrong

50:05 Still going strong at 73

New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ (youtube.com/@alchemywithanthonymason) so you never miss one.

⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (instagram.com/alchemywithanthony), ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (tiktok.com/@alchemywithanthony) & ⁠Facebook⁠ (facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588795681875).

For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media

For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com

For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show

About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation (flagartfoundation.org)⁠⁠:

The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (instagram.com/flagartfoundation).

About Anthony Mason:

Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.