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Nile reveals the moment when, as a teenager, he first picked up a guitar, and why he has never looked back. He tells about his session work before following his dream with Chic.

Nile reveals the moment when, as a teenager, he first picked up a guitar, and why he has never looked back. He tells how his musical talent led him to become a highly successful session musician before following his dream to write his own music with Bernard Edwards for Chic.

Nile tells the story of how he and Bernard, young and broke, surreptitiously sneaked into a recording studio at night to record what became Chic's first hit, Everybody Dance. Nile plays this song for us and we see him and Chic in concert playing it too - along with lots of their greatest hits.

The film uncovers the source of inspiration for many of Nile's songs - being turned away from Studio 54 led him to write Le Freak, while others, including Lost in Music, have their roots in Nile's troubled and difficult childhood, and how he hears music all the time - a subject he speaks about candidly.

Top producer Mark Ronson and Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes describe Nile's use of complex chord patterns and his unique guitar-playing style. While Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge reveals the joyous and exacting way Nile worked with them to produce their internationally successful album We Are Family and the hit single He's the Greatest Dancer.

Throughout the film Nile demonstrates, in a series of short masterclasses, how he writes and develops his music.

Nile is an astonishing storyteller and his contributions are both searingly honest and inspiring throughout the film.

1 hour

Last on

Fri 4 Feb 2022 23:30

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    David Bowie

    Let's Dance

  • 00:00

    Sigala

    Give Me Your Love

  • 00:02

    Chic

    Good Times

  • 00:02

    Daft Punk

    Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)

  • 00:03

    Giggs

    Signs

  • 00:08

    The James Taylor Quartet

    Quick Fire

  • 00:12

    The Meters

    Cissy Strut

  • 00:14

    Chic

    I'll Be There

  • 00:16

    Chic

    Everybody Dance

  • 00:17

    Archie Bell & the Drells

    Tighten Up (Part 1)

  • 00:27

    Roxy Music

    Love Is the Drug

  • 00:29

    Roxy Music

    Love Is The Drug (1999 Digital Remaster)

  • 00:29

    Chic

    Strike Up The Band 

  • 00:34

    Chic

    Le Freak

  • 00:35

    Barbra Streisand Duet With Neil Diamond, Neil Diamond

    You Don't Bring Me Flowers (Album Version)

  • 00:37

    Sister Sledge

    We Are Family

  • 00:44

    Irigy Hónaljmirigy

    Midtro10

  • 00:45

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra: A Rahbari.
  • 00:49

    Chic

    My feet keep dancing

  • 00:51

    Sister Sledge

    We Are Family - Single Version

  • 00:56

    Sister Sledge

    He's The Greatest Dancer

  • 00:56

    Sister Sledge

    He's The Greatest Dancer

  • 00:58

    Madonna

    Like A Virgin

  • 00:59

    Duran Duran

    The Reflex

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Nile Rodgers
Executive Producer Philip Armstrong-Dampier
Director Christopher Bruce
Director Francis Hanly
Editor Nigel Timperley

Broadcasts

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