Nile Rodgers admits making music under his own name isn’t "that big of a deal" to him.
The ‘Everybody Dance’ hitmaker has worked with a whole host of musicians over the years from Madonna, the late David Bowie and Prince, to Stefflon Don and Anderson .Paak, and he says being in the studio working on other artists’ projects is much more enjoyable for him than releasing his own work.
Speaking to Edith Bowman at a Q&A as part of the Backed By American Express initiative, held at London’s Abbey Road Studios, about what inspired him to make the first Nile Rodgers + Chic record in 26 years, ‘It’s About Time’, the 66-year-old music legend said: "A lot of it had to with the fact that I had a couple of pretty big health scares. I realised there was still a lot of music in me.
"I just wanted to get it out. I don’t necessarily have to record music, I love making music, I can just gig and play and record other people’s music or make music with other people.
"I don’t have to make music with my own name on it, it’s not the big of a deal to me anymore."
However, beating cancer twice gave Nile the motivation to "document" his life on the new collection of songs.
He recalled: "After surviving cancer twice, you start to release that maybe you want to document some of these compositions.
"My dad was a great musician and none of his work is documented.
"I just happened to know that when I was a kid I would happen to see him play stuff and that was it. It was as if he didn’t exist.
"Now that I do have the power to document it – I decided let me record as much music as I can."
The ‘Le Freak’ hitmaker also revealed that it wast just before he entered the studio with electronic duo Daft Punk – Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter – to work on their 2013 LP ‘Radom Access Memories’, which featured their hit song ‘Get Lucky’, that he felt inspired to release his own music.
He explained: "It’s interesting that it happened just a little bit before I met Daft Punk.
"I was in the studio recording and recording and it just kept going and I thought, well let’s do something of my own."
‘It’s About Time’ – the follow-up to 1992’s ‘Chic-ism’ – is out on Friday (28.09.19).
Nile Rodgers was speaking to introduce rising star Kyan to industry experts at an exclusive event at Abbey Road Studios. The music legend, has been backing Kyan – as he takes the next steps in his music career – as part of the Backed By American Express initiative. For more information visit: backedby.co.uk
Nile Rodgers: Making my own music isn’t a big deal
