You are amazing. I couldn't remember the Martha Velez song but I remembered hearing it and tucked it away for almost ten years before co-writing "We Are Family." Thanks!!!!
You are the reason I play guitar, your line on I'm coming out by Diana Ross was the coolest guitar line I ever heard when it came out in 1980 and I was 5.
It's great seeing Bernard Edwards and his life's work get some love. He's every bit the genius as his jazz fusion contemporaries, imo. Gone too soon. The world needed more of his unshakable groove and great "chucking" technique.
Niles Rodgers told the best story in regards to his close friend and associate Bernard Edwards. Edwards had not disclosed to Rodgers that he [Edwards] was terminally ill. While on tour in Japan Chic was playing and Rodgers noticed that Edwards dropped out on bass to create space and make an old groove fresher. It wasn't until after the show that Rodgers found out Edwards had blacked out on stage during that "new funky break". Rodgers said that even when Bernard Edwards was deathly ill he was the funkiest and most creative person he'd ever known. Niles found Bernard dead later that night in their Tokyo hotel.
The real genius of this bass line is how it breaks the "on-the-one" funk rule by anticipating and staying off the downbeat allowing the kick drum to punch through all on its own in the mix. Instantly classic!
I was 11 years old. My dad took me to a few Bucco games that summer of ‘79. I fell in love with baseball, and the Pirates. A long-suffering love that still abides. Last summer I got to swing Willie Stargell’s bat at the Louisville Slugger factory, and I was 11 years old again. Thanks for this video.
Man.....Philly and Chic ruled my neighborhood! Nile and Bernard changed the entire industry! And I bought a MusicMan, in 2005, because of Bernard Edwards! And NO ONE, played 16th-note octaves like Bernard! And that World Series, with Pops, with Dave Parker, Burt Blyleven, Omar Moreno, Bruce Kison and Kent Tekulve!
Oh my gosh - what memories. I’m not from PA, but I can remember seeing these Pirates and hearing this song every time on MLB weekly recaps - then they won it all after 3-1! I had The Cobra’s trading card, and I saw the Pirates play the Braves in Atlanta that year thanks to my dad’s business trip. Will never forget Stargell’s pre-pitch bat routine - great stuff for a 13 year old. Those were the days.
The music of the mid 70s. Iconic in every way. Bernard was a great bass player, may he rest in peace. His bass lines were simple yet powerful; think Good Times. Both from New York, he and Gordon Edwards, another great bassist. Wonder are they related?
Bernard a la classe. C'est un de mes bassistes préférés. J'aime son son, j'aime son rythme. Son élégance. J'ai écouté des centaines de fois « Take It Off ». C'est toujours un émerveillement.
I'm from Pittsburgh and I remember all of that. I actually have pictures with Sister Sledge from back then. It was a great time in the city of Pittsburgh.
My personal favorite Edwards bass line is "I Want Your Love." Edwards and Rogers worked widely. Edwards has some master grooves on Debbie Harry's solo album "KooKoo."
@@leroywilliams6380 Love that too. I am impressed that he could sing and play those intricate lines at the same time, like he does on "Forbidden Lover."
Pop Stargell's warm up swing at the plate was the coolest thing in baseball back in my youth. That and Kent Tekulve's sidearm pitch. If I remember right, they played Rubberband Man for Kent. Late 70s were all about the funk. On the subject of music, I dig how the bassline anticipates the one, a hint of Afro-Cuban in there. Nice video!
I'm a St. Louis boy born in 73 but that 79 World Series is the first one I really remember. I got vague memories of the Dodgers vs Yankees in 77 and 78. But that 79 stood out to me because of both Baltimore and Pittsburgh had the bird mascots and both teams had bright and colorful uniforms.
As a kid living in and around Pittsburgh, I practiced the famous wind up of Willie Stargell right before he hit. He was my favorite player. My uncle would watch the Pirates' games on tv with the volume down so he could listen to the radio because the announcer was so much better. I remember that song too and ever since. I had all Chic on vinyl.
My favorite Pops story was back in the 70's when my Cards teams used to suck, we set in the right field nose bleeds. The usher ran us off because no one else was sitting up there. So we moved, and I'll be dammed, Pops smoked one up to where we were sitting! I'm still bitter about that to this day!
Heart-broken Orioles fan. Pop Stargell beat us in '71 too with Roberto Clemente! My hero was the great Frank Robinson stepping to the plate, scooping up some dirt and some spit in has hands rubbing into his bat a twirling it around. Sweet sweet memories and great music!
Thank you professor Paul. I have ALWAYS appreciated 'Nards understated bass lines and how the absolutely complimented Niles superb and complex rhythm work. Throw in some great cord work by Ray Jones and the Disco Era was blessed with it's most successful act! Thanks again PD for the nostalgic, informative, and entertaining video!
I was just 1 year old when the Pirates won that series, and I wish I'd been older. Just seems like one of the most fun teams to watch in history. Love your videos, man. They inspire my own playing and ideas. :)
I was young then too and I remember that during that season people of ALL races were truly family. That song and the Pirates brought us all together. A far cry from the division of today.
Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers are produced The Power Station... which had Tony Thompson on drums! Those three guys contributed so much to music in-general that very little would be the same without them.
THANKS FOR TALKING ABOUT CHIC!!! Consider a video on BERNARD EDWARDS & NILE ROGERS, JIMMY JAM & TERRY LEWIS, KENNY GAMBLE & LEON HUFF, not to compete or compare them, but TO APPRECIATE them!
I was 23 at the time, that was quite a while ago. Living in Omaha Ne at the time I was able to see Jaco, Charles Meeks, Ralphe Armstrong with Jean-Luc Ponty, and afew others.
Another great thing about this bass line: the chord change accents arrive an eighth note early every two bars, giving an extra offbeat push to the groove. Also lets the downbeat kick drum land in the clear.
A related hit in 2013 (?) was Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”, with Nile doing his magic and Nathan East on bass. Also notice the phrasing of the “Get Lucky” lyrics “we’ve come too far to forget who we are…” using the same idea, with vocal accent on the and of 4…
I find your channel fascinating! I love your analysis! I play guitar, but enjoy all the theory, history, and play throughs you present. Everything is extremely well done!
That song is forever bittersweet for this Orioles fan that was heart broken by that '79 world series. We enjoyed that sing at reunions and parties until the that bleepin world series loss😂😂😂 Always loved Chic. My bad plays Faith Evan's Love like This and it fun to groove to that Barnard Edwards bass line!
You had to go there..... I was a big Orioles fan and they threw away that three game lead. I can't hear this song without going right back to that World Series. Thanks a lot!
What a cool bassline. It's been played by every wedding band for the last 40 years and almost every bass player covering it plays it wrong. Those octave jumps aren't so easy to get smooth! But what a great opportunity to play a great part. It's a disgrace to just fake it.
Aw man I didn't even know the Yowsa Yowsa Yowsa song ( as we kids used to call it) was Chic! And We Are Family... those harmonies are gold . It's like Raiders of the Lost Chords. Can pop/urban/R&B songwriters even put together changes like that nowadays? As a budding songwriter I used to not "like" dominant chords until I realized that they were they backbone of blues, soul, and songs like WAF!
I was born a year after that season. I remember when I first heard that the Pirates used We Are Family as a theme song. I thought it was funny because I just knew it as this cheesy disco song.
Another great job my brother. May I suggest music from Slave especially the Stone Jam album, title cut is one my favorites but you really can’t go wrong with almost any cut from that LP. May be a great album for your “from the bottom series. Again great job!
Opening instrumentals in "He's The Greatest Dancer": later sampled in the catchy start of Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy With It. Sister Sledge & Will Smith? All from Philadelphia.
