We Are Family (album)

Last updated
We Are Family
SIster Sledge We Are Family 1979.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 22, 1979
RecordedAugust–November 1978
Studio Power Station, New York City
Genre Disco, R&B, soul
Length43:56
Label Cotillion
Producer Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
Sister Sledge chronology
Together
(1977)
We Are Family
(1979)
Love Somebody Today
(1980)
Singles from We Are Family
  1. "He's the Greatest Dancer"
    Released: February 3, 1979
  2. "We Are Family"
    Released: April 1979
  3. "Lost in Music"
    Released: April 1979 [1]
  4. "Thinking of You"
    Released: June 1984

We Are Family is the third studio album by the American R&B vocal group Sister Sledge, released on January 22, 1979, in the United States and on April 30, 1979, in the United Kingdom by Cotillion Records. The album was written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic, and includes four hit singles: the title track, "He's the Greatest Dancer", "Lost in Music" and "Thinking of You", all of which have been sampled, remixed, and reissued in the decades after the album's release. The album reached number one on the Top R&B Albums chart and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most commercially successful album. In 2013, NME named it among the 500 greatest albums of all time. [2]

Contents

Background

Chic worked with Sister Sledge, who had signed to Atlantic in 1973, at the inspiration of Atlantic president Jerry L. Greenberg. Nile Rodgers remembered later; " That's why we came up with We Are Family. [–] Everything he said about them gave us a picture of them. You've got to remember, we never even met them. [-] All of the content on that record came from that one day with the president [–] I was fascinated and enthralled by the concept of people who loved music who could be in the midst of the whole disco era." [3]

We Are Family is one of two albums produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers in 1979, the other being Chic's third album Risqué including hit singles "Good Times" and "My Forbidden Lover". Edwards and Rodgers would only show the songs to Sister Sledge once the sisters were in front of the studio microphones. [4] Rodgers has written that of the various albums produced by The Chic Organization for themselves and others, "pound for pound, I think We Are Family is our best album hands down." [5]

The lead vocals to "We Are Family" were recorded in a single take by the then 19-year-old Kathy Sledge. [6] "He's the Greatest Dancer" was the first single from the album and became the group's first major hit, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B chart. We Are Family was digitally remastered and reissued on CD by Rhino Records in 1995.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [8]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Pitchfork 8.6/10 [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Smash Hits 7/10 [12]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]

The New York Times wrote that Edwards and Rodgers "have distilled disco down to its seductive essentials... The result is a spare, spacious elegance." [14]

Track listing

All songs written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.

  1. "He's the Greatest Dancer" – 6:16
  2. "Lost in Music" – 4:52
  3. "Somebody Loves Me" – 4:59
  4. "Thinking of You" – 4:31
  5. "We Are Family" – 8:24
  6. "Easier to Love" – 5:05
  7. "You're a Friend to Me" – 5:31
  8. "One More Time" – 3:17

Re–mastered CD bonus tracks

The re–mastered CD was released in 1995.

  1. "We Are Family" (Sure Is Pure Remix) – 8:05
  2. "We Are Family" (Steve Anderson DMC Remix) – 8:13
  3. "Lost in Music" (Sure Is Pure Remix) – 8:38
  4. "Lost in Music" (1984 Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers Remix) – 6:37

Personnel

Sister Sledge

with:

Technical

Charts

See also

Related Research Articles

Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. In 1979, they released their breakthrough album We Are Family, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and included the 1979 US top-10 singles "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family". "We Are Family" earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nile Rodgers</span> American record producer and musician

Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. is an American record producer, guitarist, composer, and philanthropist. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Edwards</span> American bassist and record producer (1952–1996)

Bernard Edwards was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 53rd greatest bassist of all time by Bass Player magazine.

<i>Risqué</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Chic

Risqué is the third studio album by American disco band Chic, released on Atlantic Records on July 30, 1979. One of the records that defined the disco era, the album became highly influential not only within the movement, but also in other styles such as hip hop, art rock and new wave. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 414 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are Family (song)</span> 1979 single by Sister Sledge

"We Are Family" is a song recorded by American vocal group Sister Sledge. Composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, they both offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released in April 1979 as a single from the album of the same name (1979) and began to gain club and radio play, eventually becoming the group's signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He's the Greatest Dancer</span> 1979 single by Sister Sledge

"He's the Greatest Dancer" is a 1979 song by the American vocal group Sister Sledge. Released on February 3, 1979, the song was written and composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and recorded for the group's successful 1979 album We Are Family. Billboard named the song No. 66 on its list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chic (band)</span> American rhythm and blues band

Chic, currently called Nile Rodgers & Chic, is an American disco band that was formed in 1972 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It recorded many commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " (1977), "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" (1978), "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" (1979), and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979). The group regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement "that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom". In 2017, Chic was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eleventh time.

American disco group Chic released a number of albums in the period 1977 to 1983. After 1983's Believer the group did not record a studio album until 1992's Chic-Ism. The band has since continued to tour and release live and compilation albums. The group's first studio album in 26 years, titled It's About Time was released in September 2018. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards produced for a series of artists in the years 1978 to 1982. They sometimes produced under the name 'The Chic Organization'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost in Music</span> 1979 single by Sister Sledge

"Lost in Music" is a song by American vocal group Sister Sledge, released in July 1979 as the third single from their third studio album, We Are Family (1979), an album entirely written, produced, and arranged by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. The "intoxicating" song was a no. 35 hit on the American R&B charts. In 1984 and 1993, "Lost in Music" was re-released in new remixes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want Your Love (Chic song)</span> 1979 single by Chic

"I Want Your Love" is a song by American band Chic from their second studio album C'est Chic (1978). Featuring a solo lead vocal by Alfa Anderson, the song became a very successful follow-up to their hit single "Le Freak".

<i>Chic</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Chic

Chic is the debut album by Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1977. The cover art featured two models, Valentine Monnier (left) and Alva Chinn (right), uncredited in a photograph taken by Frank Laffitte.

<i>Love Somebody Today</i> 1980 studio album by Sister Sledge

Love Somebody Today is the fourth studio album by the American R&B vocal group Sister Sledge, released on March 16, 1980, by Cotillion Records. The album includes three singles: "Got to Love Somebody", "Reach Your Peak", and "Let's Go on Vacation", which all charted on the US Pop and R&B/Soul charts from late 1979 until 1980.

<i>King of the World</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Sheila and B. Devotion

King of the World is the final album by French disco act Sheila and B. Devotion, released on June 27, 1980. The album which was both written and produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of American R&B band Chic includes the hit "Spacer" which reached No. 18 on the UK charts in early 1980 and was a Top 10 hit in most of Europe, selling more than 5 million copies worldwide. The album displays some elements unusual in Chic productions, such as prominent guitar solos in place of the breakdowns that were normally a staple part of the Chic sound, and some unusual lyrical subject matter, such as the sci-fi themed "Spacer" and a humorous song about credit cards.

<i>Soup for One</i> (soundtrack) 1982 soundtrack album by the Chic Organization

Soup for One is the soundtrack album to the movie Soup for One by American R&B band Chic et al., released by Mirage Records in 1982. The album reached number 168 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number 42 on the R&B chart. Besides three previously released tracks, Chic's "I Want Your Love" from 1978 album C'est Chic, Sister Sledge's "Let's Go On Vacation" from 1980s Love Somebody Today and "Jump, Jump" from Debbie Harry's KooKoo, the album contains five songs specifically written and produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers for the movie.

<i>Live at the Budokan</i> (Chic album) 1999 live album by Chic

Live at the Budokan is a live album by American band Chic, released on Nile Rodgers' label Sumthing Else in 1999.

<i>The Very Best of Chic & Sister Sledge</i> 1999 greatest hits album by Chic

The Very Best of Chic & Sister Sledge is a compilation album of recordings by American R&B bands Chic and Sister Sledge, released by Rhino Records/Warner Music in 1999. An expanded two-disc edition of the compilation was released by Warner Music in 2005, under the title Good Times: The Very Best of the Hits & the Remixes.

<i>Freak Out: The Greatest Hits of Chic and Sister Sledge</i> 1988 greatest hits album by Chic & Sister Sledge

Freak Out: The Greatest Hits of Chic and Sister Sledge is a greatest hits album of recordings by American R&B bands Chic and Sister Sledge, released by Atlantic Records in 1988. The compilation was one of the first to be released on Compact Disc, and includes remixes of "We Are Family" and "Lost In Music" and "Le Freak".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thinking of You (Sister Sledge song)</span> 1984 single by Sister Sledge

"Thinking of You" is a song released as a single by Sister Sledge in 1984 that became a hit in the UK. It was originally recorded for their 1979 album, We Are Family, and was included as the B-side to their UK top 20 single "Lost in Music". "Thinking of You" was written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, and, like many Sister Sledge hits, was built on the rhythmic foundations of their famous guitar and bass line arrangements.

<i>Up All Night</i> (The Chic Organization album) 2013 compilation album by Nile Rodgers presents The Chic Organization

Up All Night is a compilation album by Nile Rodgers and The Chic Organization, released in 2013. It contains recordings written, played and produced by Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for various artists including Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Sheila & B. Devotion, Deborah Harry, Norma Jean Wright, Carly Simon, Johnny Mathis and their own group Chic. In its original form, the album included every UK Top 40 hit single produced by Chic, excepting remixes. The Johnny Mathis track was widely publicised as being previously unreleased, though it had in fact appeared on Mathis' own Ultimate Collection CD in 2011.

<i>The Very Best of Sister Sledge 1973–93</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Sister Sledge

The Very Best of Sister Sledge 1973–93 is a greatest hits album by American vocal group Sister Sledge, released in 1993. Featuring the biggest hit singles of Sister Sledge, the album also includes two new Sure Is Pure remixes of "We Are Family" and "Lost in Music", both released as singles in 1993 and reaching number 5 and 14 in the UK Singles Chart respectively.

References

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  2. "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 400-301". www.nme.com/. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. Turn The Beat Around, Peter Shapiro, p.163
  4. Bourne, Kay (1 Feb 1979). "Sledges play together family stays together". Bay State Banner. No. 17. p. 15.
  5. Rodgers, Nile (2011). Le Freak. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN   978-1-84744-314-4.
  6. Turn The Beat Around, Peter Shapiro, p.165
  7. Henderson, Alex. "We Are Family – Sister Sledge". AllMusic . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  8. Christgau, Robert (1981). "S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved March 12, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
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  10. Beta, Andy (December 12, 2018). "Chic / Sister Sledge: The Chic Organization 1977–1979". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  11. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 643.
  12. Starr, Red (May 3–16, 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits . Vol. 1, no. 11. p. 25.
  13. Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 303.
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