Here's an article that may be of interest...
Nile Takes All The Mystique Out Of Chic (from The Herald )
Interesting interview. Now I wish Nile would hurry up and release the long-awaited Chic box set AND the Johnny Mathis album already! :icon_razz:
The Johnny Mathis album isn't Nile's to release. AFAIK that rests with Sony.
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:icon_confused::icon_confused::icon_confused:
there's something wrong with this part of the story:
The origins of Chic date back to Rodgers meeting Edwards at the Apollo, where the pair formed an act called New York City And The Big Apple Band. With a minor hit in 1973 with I'm Doing Fine Now (later covered by The Pasadenas) and a tour support to the Jackson Five, Rodgers and Edwards were earning a solid living as working musicians. However, when they started being congratulated on a hit by another band, Walter Murphy And The Big Apple, things had to change.
Nile Takes All The Mystique Out Of Chic (from The Herald )New York City
Members Names: Tim McQueen, John Brown, Ed Shell, Claude Johnson
:icon_question::icon_question::icon_question: :icon_question:
"Oh, Disco Fu-unk !!!!"....
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you'd still be waiting for me at the airport
while my ship was coming in
When I read that part, I wondered too.
Till I went looking...
From allmusic.com
Before New York City, the four had recorded and gigged under the name Tri-Boro Exchange — a city bridge that links three boroughs (it was suggested by producer Wes Farrell). One single was released on Buddah Records. Farrell convinced Philly legend Thom Bell to produce some tracks for the group, including "I'm Doing Fine Now," written by Sherman Marshall and Bell — it went to number 17 pop in 1973.
On the strength of the hit they started making personal appearances. Backing them on the road was the Big Apple Band, whose members included the late Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, who later formed Chic.
allmusic ((( New York City > Biography )))
Is there a connection with the New York City Band that featured Luther Vandross on vocals & did 'Sunnyside' in '79?
...ya gotta beat the street......
I think they are a different band all together.
allmusic ((( New York City Band > Overview )))
That "New York City Band" is actually the title of a 1979 movie that also released a soundtrack album of the same name. The band was a Harold Wheeler production with playing by Wheeler and other studio musicians of the time, including Hiram Bullock, and fronted by Vandross's vocals. It bore no relation to the New York City Band, the group, of "I'm Doin' Fine Now" fame.
It just sounds like Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards' band was the road band. MFSB is definitely playing on the New York City studio recordings.
What I don't understand is why did they have to change the name if they were using Big Apple Band since '73? Walter Murphy's first Big Apple Band LP didn't come out until '75. And his band probably wasn't even a real, touring band. Just a bunch of studio guys.
New York City only did one or two LPs with Thom Bell and that was it. I don't think they did any more recordings after that period. I have the Sequel CD, which I think contains two LPs on the one CD. I think it gives a detailed description of what happened to them. They were just a vocal group as far as I know.
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