Documentaries
The title for Nile Rodgers:
How to Make It in the Music Business (Sky Arts, Sky 020, Thursday, 7.45pm) is a wee bit of a misnomer – after 40 years of hit-making, perhaps it should be “How to Stay Relevant in the Music Business”, something that has eluded musicians half Rodgers’ age.
The guitarist, producer, songwriter and lead singer of 1970s funk/disco outfit Chic has become something of a national treasure in the UK and was recently appointed chief creative adviser at Abbey Road Studios.
In this three-part BBC series, he discusses his life in music
and the inspiration for many of his songs, including Le
Freak, Good Times and Everybody
Dance. There are loose bons mots that pay lip service to the title, such as “Protecting Your Copyright” and “Keep Up with New Technology”.
The latter is particularly relevant to Rodgers, who has had No 1 hits 40 years apart after co-writing Get Lucky with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams.
In the past, he wrote hits for Sister Sledge, Madonna, Diana Ross and David Bowie. More recently, he’s collaborated with EDM superstars such as Avicii and Sigala and written songs with Laura Mvula, Christina Aguilera and Keith Urban.
“People want to work with him,” says one commentator. “It’s an instant line to this pedigree. Like a bit of vintage dust in your mix.”