Risqué (Chic album)

Risqué (Chic album)
Name	Risqué
Type	studio
Artist	Chic
Released	July 30, 1979
Recorded	1978–1979
Studio	Power Station, New York City
Genre	Disco, funk
Length	36:44
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer	Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
Prev title	C'est Chic
Prev year	1978
Next title	Real People
Next year	1980

Risqué (Chic album) is the third studio album by American band Chic, released in 1979 on Atlantic Records. The album was produced by founding members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards and features a blend of disco and funk that marked the group's peak commercial phase during the late 1970s. Risqué yielded the international hit single "Good Times" and became both a critical touchstone and a cultural lightning rod amid debates over disco's mainstream prominence.

Background and recording

Following the success of C'est Chic and the single "Le Freak", Rodgers and Edwards consolidated Chic's studio approach at Power Station in New York City, working with drummer Tony Thompson, keyboardist Robert Sabino, and vocalist Alfa Anderson. Sessions drew on techniques used by contemporaries such as Giorgio Moroder, Quincy Jones, and producers at Motown during the 1960s and 1970s. Management and label discussions involved executives at Atlantic Records and personalities associated with Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records, reflecting major-label strategies for disco releases. Arrangements incorporated string and horn charts inspired by orchestrators connected to Philadelphia International Records and session players from the New York City session scene.

Composition and lyrics

Musically, Risqué fuses the rhythmic guitar patterns of Rodgers with Edwards's melodic basslines, echoing techniques familiar from James Brown's rhythm sections and the songwriting craft of Stevie Wonder. "Good Times" features a bass groove that later informed recordings by Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash, while "My Feet Keep Dancing" uses polyrhythms that recall work by Sly Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic. Lyrically, tracks explore nightlife and social commentary in the vein of narratives found on albums by Donna Summer and Chaka Khan. Vocal delivery alternates between lead lines by Alfa Anderson and choral arrangements reminiscent of The Jacksons and The O'Jays, with production touches akin to Tom Moulton's remix ethos and the studio precision associated with Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

Release and promotion

Atlantic issued Risqué amid a crowded late-1979 release schedule that included albums from The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and The Bee Gees. Promotional campaigns deployed music videos, radio servicing to stations such as WBLS (FM) and KDAY, and performances on television programs produced by Don Kirshner and Dick Clark. Chic undertook club-focused appearances at venues in Studio 54, Paradise Garage, and Regine's while also playing dates supporting festivals curated by promoters like Bill Graham and agents from William Morris Agency. Press coverage appeared in outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard (magazine), and The New York Times.

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews in publications such as NME, Melody Maker, and Village Voice varied, with some critics praising Rodgers and Edwards's production and others critiquing disco saturation mirrored in commentary from Robert Christgau. Retrospective assessments in compilations by AllMusic and histories by authors linked to Da Capo Press and Continuum International have re-evaluated the album's artistry, noting its craft alongside cultural debates exemplified by events like the Disco Demolition Night incident. Music scholars referencing institutions such as NYU and UCLA have examined Risqué within studies of late-20th-century popular music.

Commercial performance and chart history

Risqué reached high positions on national charts, earning top ten placement on the Billboard 200 and spawning singles that topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. "Good Times" achieved number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and influenced the nascent hip hop scene via sampling and interpolation. Internationally, the album performed strongly in markets including the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, and Australia, resulting in certifications from industry bodies like the Recording Industry Association of America and organizations analogous to the British Phonographic Industry.

Legacy and influence

Risqué is frequently cited as a seminal release that shaped production aesthetics used by later artists such as Madonna, Prince, David Bowie, and producers associated with Duran Duran and New Order. The bassline from "Good Times" became foundational for early hip hop recordings including the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and tracks by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Rodgers and Edwards's techniques influenced sampling culture involving labels like Sugar Hill Records and producers operating from studios in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The album is studied alongside milestone records from 1979 in music and appears in curated lists by institutions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and music historians affiliated with Smithsonian Institution exhibitions.

Track listing and personnel

All tracks produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards.

Side one 1. "Good Times" – 8:13 2. "A Warm Summer Night" – 3:09 3. "My Feet Keep Dancing" – 5:12

Side two 4. "Can't Stand to Love You" – 4:44 5. "Risqué" – 3:28 6. "Would You Be My Baby" – 4:06 7. "Savoir Faire" – 6:52

Personnel - Nile Rodgers – guitar, production, arrangement; collaborator with David Bowie, Diana Ross - Bernard Edwards – bass, production, arrangement; collaborator with Rod Stewart, Power Station (band) - Tony Thompson – drums; member of Power Station (band) - Alfa Anderson – lead vocals; associated with Chic - Luci Martin – vocals; toured with Chic - Robert Sabino – keyboards; session work with Paul Simon - Luther Vandross – background vocals; solo artist linked to Cotillion Records - James Mtume – percussion; collaborator with Miles Davis - Gene Orloff – string arrangements; session leader on recordings for Aretha Franklin - Bob Clearmountain – engineering and mixing; worked with Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic Records – label; overseen distribution with partners including Warner Music Group

Category:1979 albums Category:Chic (band) albums