Nile Rodgers felt like he was listening to ghosts when he heard old tapes of him and his Chic bandmates.
The ‘Le Freak’ hitmaker has revealed he was inspired to make Chic’s first album for 23 years after he was sent old recordings of him working in the studio with original band members such as Bernard Edwards, who passed away in 1996, and Tony Thompson, who died in 2003.
He said: "The thing that motivated me was listening to the banter in-between the tracks, and there’s nothing that sounds like that because we’re talking through a talkback mic which was in the centre of the studio.
"So I felt like I was listening to ghosts because all of the guys in my band have passed away. It was amazing, and it was scary, because there’s nothing that sounds like that with the talkback mic in the middle of the studio. It was like a time capsule."
The 62-year-old star – who returned to the spotlight in 2013 after collaborating with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams on hit single ‘Get Lucky’ – went on to admit that hearing the tapes made him want to release more material before it was too late.
Speaking on ‘The Chris Evans Breakfast Show’ on BBC Radio 2, he explained: "I realised that I didn’t have much time on this earth, especially after listening to the tapes and hearing all my mates had died.
"So I just thought I would play as much music and do as much as I can, and do as many concerts as I could, and then I went on this four year tour which was absurd. That’s when I co-wrote ‘Get Lucky’ with Daft Punk and Pharrell and those guys, and then [worked with] Avicii."
Nile Rodgers felt like he was listening to ghosts
