Forever In Vogue (5)

In 1983 they released Believer, in some ways a return to the more female led vocals of before, yet it retained a contemporary sound and even included a rap on one of the songs. Not only was the album received badly, it was hardly promoted, mainly due to the trend in R&B at the time away from live sounds and any ideas about a 'band'. Nile and 'Nard split the group and did not work together as producers again during the eighties. Both released solo projects. Niles first album Adventures In The Land of the Good Groove (1983) saw him edge closer towards the simplification he had sought in Chic. Not only in lyrics, but to an undiluted 'groove', reduced to interplay between his guitar, bass, keyboards and beats, born out by songs like Yum Yum and Most Down. It also included performances from both Nard and Tony Thompson. A second album, B Movie Matinee (1985), saw him continue this process. Amongst more amusing titles like Plan 9 and Doll Squad came stronger outings like Stay Out of the Light and State Your Mind, which despite being one of the few songs not written by Nile actually sounds more like a Chic song than anything else he recorded at this time. These were popular with dance audiences but failed to reach a wider audience. Then came Outland, a return to the idea of a band, equally unsuccessful. In fact only 'Nard had any amount of success as an artist at this time as producer/member of The Power Station, and possibly only because the group members of popular bands at the time, notably Duran Duran.

It was in production that Nile and 'Nard would excel during the decade. And it was Niles first solo production which was also to be the most important of their careers, since it changed forever the scope of artist they could work with. The song was Let's Dance (1983), the artist was David Bowie. For all intensive purposes it is a Chic record, and when listened to as such, its no surprise to find that both 'Nard and Tony played with Nile on that record. Out of desperation with session musicians he called on his old friends, even though lines of communication were already breaking down. Yet another massive hit, the following album was one of the biggest of Bowie's career. The important thing to note is the change of direction, and artist, from this point on, both summed up by the word 'pop'. Indeed, its not difficult to see the attraction. Unlike so many of their peers, Niles and 'Nard had never separated music into dance or rock, soul or pop, black or white. Pop and rock acts still appreciated lives sounds and live performances, even if soul didn't, and you always feel there was an element of the unfulfilled rock musician about them both. Separately they notched up hits for Peter Gabriel, Duran Duran (including Notorious), Thompson Twins, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, Al Jarreau, Mick Jagger, Brian Ferry, INXS. In 1984 Niles produced the immensely cheeky Like A Virgin for Madonna, a song which consolidated her image and turned her into a megastar.

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