"Original Album Series" by CHIC - Five Studio Albums from 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981 on Atlantic Records featuring Bernard Edwards (Bass) and Nile Rodgers (Guitar) (October 2011 UK Atlantic/Rhino 5CD Capacity Wallet in the 'Original Album Series' – Five Mini LP Repro Card Sleeves with Rhino Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...A Warm Sunny Night... "

In truth you forget just how good Bernard Edwards (Bass) and Niles Rodgers (Guitar) were until you rehear their band CHIC in all their Funky Disco Ball glory. And this clever addition to the Original Album Series is going to whet your beak with enough pigeon neck-jerking dance routines to make your missus cringe and reach for the sedative vials. 

These 5 albums in their cool card repro sleeves contain all 8 of their 9 massive hits - two of which ("Le Freak" and "Good Times") went to Number 1 on the American Billboard R&B singles charts. CHIC had a sophistication and groove that put them head and shoulders above all the other on-the-bandwagon groups of the time - and they looked young, up for it and cool. Here are the C'est Chic details...

UK released October 2011 - "Original Album Classics" by CHIC on Atlantic/Rhino 8122797595 (Barcode 081227975951) is a 5CD/5Album Card Sleeve Capacity Wallet with Mini LP Repro Card Sleeves inside that breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (38:41 minutes):
1. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) [Side 1]
2. Sao Paulo
3. You Can Get By
4. Everybody Dance [Side 2]
5. Est-Ce Que C'est Chic
6. Falling in Love With You
7. Strike Up The Band
Tracks 1 to 7 are their debut album "Chic" - released December 1977 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19153 and February 1978 in the UK on Atlantic K 50441

Disc 2 (42:08 minutes):
1. Chic Cheer [Side 1]
2. Le Freak
3. Savoir Faire
4. Happy Man
5. I Want Your Love [Side 2]
6. At Last I Am Free
7. Sometimes You Win
8. (Funny) Bone
Tracks 1 to 8 are their 2nd album "C'est Chic" - released December 1978 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19209 and January 1979 in the UK on Atlantic K 50565

Disc 3 (36:49 minutes):
1. Good Times [Side 1]
2. A Warm Summer Night
3. My Feet Keep Dancing
4. My Forbidden Lover [Side 2]
5. Can't Stand To Love You
6. Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song)
7. What About Me
Tracks 1 to 7 are their 3rd album "Risqué" - released August 1979 in the USA on Atlantic SD 16003 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50634

Disc 4 (37:32 minutes):
1. Open Up [Side 1]
2. Real People
3. I Loved You More
4. I Got Protection
5. Rebels Are We [Side 2]
6. Chip Off The Old Block
7. 26
8. You Can't Do It Alone
Tracks 1 to 8 are their 4th album "Real People" - released July 1980 in the USA on Atlantic SD 16016 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50711

Disc 5 (40:31 minutes):
1. Stage Fright [Side 1]
2. Burn Hard
3. So Fine
4. Flash Back
5. Telling Lies
6. You Love Is Cancelled [Side 2]
7. Would You Be My Baby
8. Take It Off
9. Just Out of Reach
10. Baby Doll
Tracks 1 to 10 are their 5th album "Take It Off" - released December 1981 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19323 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50845

Quite apart from chart hits like "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (No. 6), "Everybody Dance" (No. 12), "I Want Your Love" (No. 5), "My Forbidden Lover" (No. 33) and "Rebels We Are" (No. 8) - you get those albums nuggets you'd completely forgotten about like the gorgeous ballads "A Warm Summer Night" and "Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song)". In fact, the entire "Risqué" album has always been a masterpiece of Soul, Disco and Funk to me. The funky "Chip Off The Old Block" has the girls telling us about "hard knocks" while the mid-tempo and infectious "You Can't Do It Alone" could so easily be a Risqué outtake.

The CHIC sound was centred around the dynamic duo - BERNARD EDWARDS on Bass and NILE RODGERS on Guitar with regular lady vocals who also became synonamous with that Chic-Organization sound - Alfa Anderson, Fonzi Thornton, Luci Martin, Michelle Cobbs and Ullanda McCulloch. The keyboards usually came from a trio - Andy Schwartz, Raymond Jones and Rob Sabrino (he was later with the Kiss-offshoot Frehley's Comet). Produced by Edwards and Rodgers - the CHIC sound also threw in its fair share of strings backing-up those neck-jerking funky Disco grooves. 

And although their commercial shine had diminished by the time they got to "Take It Off" in 1981 - it's an album that's ripe for rediscovery. "Flash Back" is just as catchy as their earlier hits with a distinctive bass opening that stays for the whole of the groove reinforced by great Ronn Matlock type vocals (I think the singer is actually Fonzi Thornton but I could be wrong). "Your Love Is Cancelled" too features a lethal combo of slap bass with bopping keyboards.

"Could you love me...on a warm summer night..." the girls swoon on that Risqué ballad. A couple of tunes into this wicked mini box set and you'll find yourself agreeing...yes, I could. And it's still on UK catalogue in March 2024 at roughly twelve quid or less (five full albums) depending on what site you buy from...