Sister Sledge: Joy or Not....

[markydefad]

In another thread, someone asserted that Sister Sledge sounded joyful singing "We Are Family". I countered that I'd heard that in reality, Kathy Sledge was fed each line of that song thru an earpeice by the composers and their producers, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards of Chic. I recall hearing this story told on TV in a documentary by one of the Chic guys--was it on the VH-l Disco Top 100 countdown????

Anyhoo, I've been searching for some validation of this story. In the liner notes to "The Best Of Sister Sledge", I found some info regarding the working relationship of the sisters & Chic.

"The word collaboration is used loosely here. Rodgers & Edwards wrote most of "We Are Family" after hearing previous Sledge records and seeing their stage show. They had, to put it mildly. "a strict way of doing things," as Joni told an interviewer at the time. "they'll teach you the song in the studio because they feel like you shouldn't know anything about it before you go in. They'll teach you line by line and say 'OK, we'll record it up to that much'...they're very strict about what to do with certain parts of a song. They have definite ways of doing it and you have to do it that way."

Chic's m.o. would lead to some particularly nasty clashes with subsequent production client, Diana Ross". No SHIT!!!!! :lol:

I learned that "He's the Greatest Dancer" was originally intended as a Chic song and "I Want Your Love" was intended as a Sister Sledge song. The latter track, with the Sledge Sister back-up vocals was ultimately released as a Chic record with a different lead vocal.

I also learned what they actually are singing in "He's The Greatest Dancer":

"Oh what..Wow!!!"

(I thought it was "I went...Wow"...others thought "I went Wild" or "I wonder why" according to the liner notes.)

[SandraDee]

[quote]
They had, to put it mildly. "a strict way of doing things," as Joni told an interviewer at the time. "they'll teach you the song in the studio because they feel like you shouldn't know anything about it before you go in.
-----------------------------

I've read somewhere that Stock Aitken & Waterman worked in a similar way & this lead to clashes with some acts they produced like Latoya Jackson & Laura Branigan, Latoya walking out of the studio within minutes of recording starting! Some acts felt their creative 'talents' weren't being put to use whereas people like Kylie & Sybil were happy to just be 'puppets' in the SAW empire.
So it looks like Ms Ross & S.Sledge fell into these opposing stances within the Chic Organisation.

[Giovanni]

I also learned what they actually are singing in "He's The Greatest Dancer":

"Oh what..Wow!!!"

(I thought it was "I went...Wow"...others thought "I went Wild" or "I wonder why" according to the liner notes.)

THANK YOU so much for opening up this mystery!!!!!
For more than 20 years now I've been wondering about it. I thought "I'm italian and cannot understand!!!!!" but I feel happy to learn this was a doubtful saying.
By the way my interpretation was "I wonder why"

[Graham_Start]

Well, Rogers and Edwards weren't exactly the greatest lyricists either... in the liner notes to the CD reissue of "Love Somebody Today", one of the Sledge sisters said something like "...There was a line in that song that freaked me out -- 'I need someone to share my popcorn and jellybeans' -- I thought to myself, 'I could write better than this'..."

As weak as that is, they've done far worse. The album that they did for Sheila (and) B Devotion has a song about credit card bills that has what's got to be the worst lyrics written in the history of disco. But I'll save that for another topic... :grin:

[Nano]

No, no, Graham, say it now!!! And Marky, I also thought it was "I wonder why", even knowing the rest of the lyric gave lots of reasons why he was the greatest dancer "indeed" (this word I caught in some Austin Powers movie... indeed).
Now there's another part of the song where I think it says:
"he has the kind of body that would shame madonnas"
which I interpret like "put madonnas to shame", but probably I'm on drugs about this bit. Are you guys in the know?

[markydefad]

Nano,

The line is "he has the kind of body that would shame Adonis" (a Greek God).
Actually, the definition is: in Greek mythology, a youth loved by Aphrodite for his striking beauty or generically, a young man of great physical beauty.

Nothing would "shame" old Madonna. :lol:

_________________
Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-09-05 18:29 ]</font>

[Nano]

Thanks, Mark... or is it Graham?

jazz_pilgrim's alter ego

[markydefad]

Glen or Glenda????

Well, I think I'm Glen.................... and Graham is Glenda :lol:

Glen drinks caffeine-free Diet Coke;
Glenda drinks caffeine-free Diet Pepsi

Diet Coke is The Lord's favorite soft drink!!!

God Bless us every one. :razz:

[Graham_Start]

Diet Coke is the work of Satan. It tastes like malted motor oil, yet 9 out of 10 times, it's the only sugarless drink available in an establishment. Of the three people I know who prefer Diet Coke, two are hardcore alcoholics... which should tell you something right there.

Diet Pepsi is a gift from (insert deity here) to the diabetics of the world.

[HustleBaby]

Marky

Talk about solving a mystery, all these years I thought she was saying "I wonder why". Can you clarify what she is saying in the beginning verses:

One night in the disco,..................?
I was cruisin' with my favorite gang

The place was so boring,..................?
I knew that it wasn't my thing

Who sings "Lost In Music" Chic or Sledge?
It sounds more like Chic.

*DELIGHTFUL*

[Graham_Start]

On 2002-09-05 23:44, HustleBaby wrote:
Marky

Talk about solving a mystery, all these years I thought she was saying "I wonder why". Can you clarify what she is saying in the beginning verses:

Well, since I really am Marky :grin: ...

One night in the disco, on the outskirts of 'Frisco
I was cruisin' with my favorite gang

The place was so boring, full of out-of-towners touring
I knew that it wasn't my thing

Who sings "Lost In Music" Chic or Sledge?
It sounds more like Chic.

It's Sister Sledge. It's also on their "We Are Family" album.

[HustleBaby]

Grahamark

I never had Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" album. I remember my aunt had the 12"inch "WAF" and "He's The Greatest Dancer" was on the B side. Thanks for solving the mystery.

*DELIGHTFUL*

[markydefad]

Well, Grahamark beat me to the lyric explanation.

But I do have a little more info on "Lost In Music". Prior to recording with Rodgers/Edwards, the sisters had been sent by Cotillion Records to record with Munich-based producers Michael Kunze & Sylvester Levay (Silver Convention). The result was a tepidly received 2nd LP "Together". The liner notes say "Levay & Kunze had taken creamy American R&B and turned it robotic. On "Blockbuster Boy", a rare Joni Sledge lead, the pair seems determined to make a Philly soul record without the bubblegum, and the song doesn't really click in either genre."

RE: "Lost In Music", the liner notes continue..."another Joni lead. Spacy and haunting, it's the kind of record that should have come out of the Munich Sledge sessions." The note writer, Sean Ross of Billboard then ponders why it wasn't a bigger hit...might have been "cause it was the 3rd single released from the LP..or because it was overshadowed by Chic's own "Good Times" ...or because it was released late in the summer of 1979, about the time the disco backlash was taking hold here."

BTW, I'm surprised that this thread held interest for so many folks--I thought it was a "no follow-up posts" type. Glad that info was of interest to people.

"Oh what...WOW"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_________________
Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-09-06 01:14 ]</font>

[Graham_Start]

This one is definitely worth getting on CD. Great sound, interesting liner notes, fairly easy to find, and I'm pretty sure it's one of those mid- or low-price titles in the US. Just be sure to hit STOP after the original album ends. The reissue contains 4 atrocious remixes from the 80s and 90s. Surprisingly, the worst offender of these is Edwards and Rodgers' own 1984 remix of "Lost In Music". This is so unbearable that you'll curse the day that the sampler was invented when you hear it. After struggling to sit through it once, I was ready to toss my stereo out the window.

_________________
Or, as they say in the classics:
"I've never seen a man eat so many chicken wings!"

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Graham Start on 2002-09-06 07:24 ]</font>

[Blaxman]

I'm totally agree Graham! I have this CD too!! The remixes are completely annoying!!!
OMG!!!!! It seems the song hiccuping!!! :lol:


Argh!!!