(In Loving Memory... His Music Lives On)

BERNARD EDWARDS was born in Greenville, North Carolina. He move to New York City at age 10, played reeds at P.S. 164, in Brooklyn, NY, tenor sax, in JHS and electric bass at the High School for the Performing Arts. “We came from a black neighborhood, and immediately we moved into an Italian/Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn (Borough Park). All of sudden, I was turned on to the Beatles, Manfred Mann and all that stuff.

When he entered the High School for the Performing Arts, he abandoned the horns for the electric bass and was soon into a straight-ahead, James Brown-rooted R&B trip that he’s never forsaken. “I’ve always listened to all forms of music,” says Bernard. “The Beatles, the Yardbirds, Hendrix, James Motown. I heard different things, and I studied classical music when I was playing in school. I loved James Jamerson; to me he was the greatest. He influenced music a great deal. I learned how to play by sitting home and listening to tunes like ‘How Sweet It Is’, and figuring out every note that he played. Then I’d go onstage and throw those licks into other songs.” His other models were Chuck Rainey and Jerry Jemmott.

Playing for about thirty years in three-piece bands, approximately twenty-five of those years with Nile Rogers (co-founder of CHIC) is where Bernard perfectly the feel for his craft and honed his characteristic chops. Those heavily syncopated, stuttering, dance- rhythmic melodies, which formed the basis of his (dynamic) approach. “My style developed,” he said, “because I was always in bands that had to sound big. I had to play melodies and horn line; we’d have breaks where me and the guitar player would cover a horn selection

But despite the invaluable experience that came with their backing a variety of other artists, Edwards and Rodgers shared a need. “I always wanted to have my own band.” Bernard states. “So decades ago Nile and I formed CHIC.”

Bernard and Nile met through the mother of Nile’s then girlfriend, who worked with Bernard in the United States Post Office. The two musicians initially differed on their approaches to rock stardom, but as they came to know each other better, they found that they shared a fondness for the febrile power riffs wrapped in smooth, unpreachy packaging. After gigging occasionally at small New York clubs, the two joined The Big Apple Band, backing up a group called New York City (‘I’m Doing Fine Now’). The group toured the U. S. and Europe from 1972 to 1975. When NYC disbanded Bernard and Nile began laying down dance tracks in early 1977. It wasn’t long before they were generating a very loud buzz ‘on the street.’ In September, 1977, they played an opening act spot at Radio City Music Hall, and shortly thereafter, CHIC became an Atlantic Records recording group with Bernard and Nile as: Producers/Arrangers/Performers.

CHIC’s debut single, “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsash)”, was released by Atlantic Records in September of 1977. It sped quickly to the top of the Pop and R&B charts, attaining RIAA gold certification in February, 1978. The debut album, “CHIC”, was rush-released in November 77’, and it too, went gold, spawning one hit single after another.

In the fall of 1978, as CHIC was finishing up it’s first mammoth tour with dates in Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo, when a new single, “Le Freak”, hit the U.S. streets. “Le Freak” eventually because the biggest-selling 45 in the history of WEA Organization, surpassing four million in unit sales. The summer of 1979, found CHIC back on the road pilling up gold and platinum here and abroad. Canada honored the group for the emergence of “Le Freak” as the biggest-selling single in their Nation’s history. The record has reached gold status in Belguim, Italy, South Africa, England, France, Brazil, and most of the rest of the world. “C’est Chic”, the LP from which the single was culled, sold more than two million copies (RIAA double platinum) in this country. “I Want Your Love”, the second single off the album, was certified gold. “Good Times”, the first single from CHIC’S third Atlantic LP, “risqué”, was certified gold only three weeks after its release in June, 1979. Later, “risqué” went on to become RIAA certified platinum.

Bernard and Nile, who wrote, arranged, and conducted and produced the music, attributed CHIC’S remarkable crossover appeal to their long experience on the road, playing simple, unvarnished rock and soul. For that reason, CHIC’S live show counters the belief that dance music will not wash with a sit-down audience.

Somehow, in a miracle of non-stop energy and, a bit of cosmic time-stretching, CHIC masterminds Bernard and Nile had as part of the activities of the CHIC ORGANIZATION, Ltd., become involved with other artists. The dynamic duo wrote, and produced & performed Sister Sledge’s, “We are Family”, LP and has the satisfaction of watching it sell more than a million copies (RIAA platinum) in America and abroad. The hit-making continued with the Sister Sledge hit, “He’s the Greatest Dancer”, from the “Love Somebody Today”, LP.

Moreover, they wrote, produced and performed Diana Ross’ biggest selling multi-platinum album titled “Diana”, LP. From this they created such hit singles as “Upside Down” and I’m Coming Out:”, which sold million upon millions of copies of records, including a sampled copy version by the late, great Notorious B.I.G. (“More Money, More Problems”), Other productions included Blondie’s Debbie Harry’s solo album “Koo Koo”, LP, the “Soup for One”, (movie soundtrack), featuring such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, Carly Simon and Sister Sledge. There was, as well, a beautifully written, produced and performed album for Johnny Mathis, that is, still to this date, unreleased.

In later years, Bernard and Nile has gone their separate ways (in terms of co-producing), Albeit, Bernard has continued to play on many of Nile’s projects (providing that “special groove). Take, for example, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, LP, produced by Nile Rodgers. That LP was basically the CHIC rhythm section: Bernard Edwards (bass), Nile Rodgers (guitar), and the late Tony Thompson (drums). Other production of Niles’ where Bernard performed includes: David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”, LP and Duran Duran’s “The Wild Boys”, just to name a few.

Glance over the past several years of Billboard’s & Rolling Stone charts and you’ll see his production credits which reads like a who’s who in the music business: POWER STATION’S, “Some Like It Hot”, “Communications”, “Get It On”(Bang a Gong)” from the Power Station, LP; ROD STEWART’S LP’S; ROBERT PALMER’S (“Addicted to Long”); DIANA ROSS’(“Telephone), Swept Away, LP; DURAN DURAN’S (“A View To A Kill, JODY WATLEY, ABC, MISSING PERSONS, and many, many other too numerous to mention.

Currently, CHIC (Nile Rodgers, et.al.) have re-grouped to record a new up coming CD slated for release in April 2006, coinciding with the10th Anniversary of the death of Bernard Edwards and dedicated to his memory. The CD will include many remixed CHIC standards recorded for themselves, as well as other groups previously produced & written by the Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers team. All the same suggests, CHIC will always be current and, in vogue.