Everybody Dance: Chic and the Politics of Disco

by Daryl Easlea

Few narratives in pop encompass Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Madonna, Duran Duran, Diana Ross, Johnny Mathis and Led Zeppelin. This story is one of them. Chic, led by former Black Panther activist Nile Rodgers and down-home family man Bernard Edwards, are one of the most underrated and pivotal acts in African-American musical history. As artists, they created a discrete R&B sound that just happened to coincide with the disco movement. At the height of their fame, they either released or produced a string of era-defining records but when disco collapsed, so did Chic’s popularity. The group quietly called it a day in 1983. However, Rodgers and Edwards individually produced some of the great pop-dance records of the 80s, working with David Bowie, Robert Palmer, Madonna, Duran Duran and ABC, among many others. Everybody Dance puts the rise and fall of Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, the emblematic disco duo behind era-defining records "Le Freak," "Good Times," and "Lost In Music," at the heart of a changing landscape, taking in sociopolitical and cultural events such as the Civil Rights struggle, the Black Panthers, and the U.S. oil crisis. There are drugs, bankruptcy, uptight artists, fights, and Muppets but, most importantly, an in-depth appraisal of a group whose legacy remains hugely underrated.

Genres: Music

356 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Regular Chic biography, not so much about "the politics of disco" as advertised in the the title.

Would have rated it higher if it had been properly edited, though; the whole thing was a mess in terms of syntax, punctuation, and even spelling consistency (for ex., it wouldn't have been very hard to verify how to properly write "São Paulo," or at least to stick to a single spelling throughout).

[Gracey⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

True pioneers in music! A fascinating read and, as a lifelong fan of disco and Chic, I learnt loads. It was written super thoroughly, which was impressive but it did make it slightly difficult to read at times because of how much detail it goes into… but I guess that’s part of paying homage to one of the greatest bands to exist!

Update: just realised this version on good reads is the 2004 one but I read the updated one - from 2020!

[Jon Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3 1/2 stars. I was hoping for more about the politics of disco. But not a "bad" read.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent: Great mix of American 20th century politics / history with musical information covering the whole Chic imperial phase.

[J Pound · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daryl got some insightful and open interviews and didn't shy away from how the relationships affected the band members, especially regarding Tony Thompson.