Saturday, October 29, 2011

@NileRodgers - Nile Talks Madonna in New Book

Nile "Boom" Rodgers

To Madonna fans, Nile Rodgers is beyond a legend. Nile and Madonna aligned and created one of the best pop albums of all-time. It's interesting to me that the albums Nile Rodgers produce become the songs and albums that the artists become most known for. He's so brilliant a producer that they have to fight off these songs in order to make way for their new material.

Of course, we all love the hits from the album, Virgin, Material Girl, Angel, Dress You Up but for me, it's the non hits that have remained my favorites since November of 1984. Stay, Pretender, Love Don't Live Here Anymore and Over and Over.

Here are some Madonna excerpts from his new autobiography, Le Freak.

Time is Money and the Money is Mine:

Madonna was exhibiting diva-like behavior long before she became a household name. Among the many recording studio anecdotes was one detailed recounting of Rodgers' time working with Madonna on her 1984 breakout album, Like A Virgin. "Madonna's superintense let's-get-down-to-business attitude sometimes rubbed people the wrong way," he writes. "One day, Madonna's insult slinging went too far. Our assistant had the temerity to go to the bathroom, and she freaked out on him.... 'Where the fuck is he going?' she said loudly enough that he could clearly hear. Unsatisfied, that she's made her point, she then let off a fusillade from her usual arsenal of one-liners: "Time is money, and the money is mine.'" Rodgers confronted the would-be pop star and the argument turned so heated, he quit the record for what would turn out to be "the shortest producer strike in history."

When Nile Quit Drugs:

“She had a birthday party at her house in Miami Beach. I was on a three-day binge and up all the time partying… I didn’t even want to go to sleep. I ran into Madonna at a club called Liquid, and she invited me over for her birthday party. My behaviour, which I don’t remember at all, was not so cool. I am almost positive that I was the last person to leave. And I was carried home, and it was really ugly. I was so embarrassed I didn’t even talk to Madonna for a long time. And then, when I saw her, and I apologised, she looked at me and she said, ‘Oh no, you were just a little drunk.’ I was like, ‘Here I was ready to have a big apology. A little drunk? Do you know I was so embarrassed I haven’t had another drink or drug in my life? It was hardly a little drunk.’ But to her it was nothing. She’s probably seen a lot worse. But thank god it all turned out just fine, and when I look back upon it, it was completely embarrassing, way out of character for me, and it was a resetting of my artistic and moral compass.
Honestly, I haven’t touched drink or drug again – and that was, like, 17 years ago.”
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I put together this video of Madonna in January when I found out Nile was battling cancer. This is every time I could remember when Madonna mentioned Nile's name. Always great love and energy to Nile Rodgers.


Madonna thanks Nile on the Virgin Liner Notes.

8 comments:

  1. I love Nile and really want to get this book!

    On VH1 Classic, they had a short interview with him during his book signing and he talked about working with Madonna and how he has still never met anyone like her. Wish I had it recorded and knew how to upload it.

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  2. Nile's prime. He's always so complimentary when it comes to Madonna and always has been. He was never "too cool" to admit Madonna's talent like so many others.

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  3. Pud what a lovely tribute you made! I love it! From the book cover imagery, to the video collage of all her Virgin interviews.
    Nile is was one of the most important people in Madonna's road to stardom. Like A Virgin is by far the biggest Pop album to date as far as im concerned or at least top 5. YES its up there with Thriller and any Beatles or Elvis album. She hit the world by storm.
    An album that is most classic if listen to it on vinyl its entirety from MG to stay! pls you ROL fans!

    Oh i see Lady Who ripped off Madonna's tag name for Jellybean!

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  4. Pud for sure. I love how Nile always praised Madonna and still does to this day. He credited her as having more R&B soul then most R&B contemporaries. He brought out her Detroit/motown influence and mixed it with the New Wave world.
    So much to read on it. Most of the Wiki page seems correct.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Virgin

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  5. I love those little anecdotes that we didn't know about yet. Although I must've read it a million times in my LAV album, I never knew what she meant by "...before the butter dripped of his noodle".
    Does anyone know?

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  6. i'm gonna downoad this book today and read it after my Steve Jobs book.

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  7. OMG angellovef me too!
    xo

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  8. sivan

    I always thought the Nile comment " butter dripped of his noodle" related to creating the Virgin LP together?

    Pud?

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