SISTER SLEDGE - HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER

Publicació: 3 de febrer de 1979

Llistes: EUA: #9  Regne Unit: #6

"He's The Greatest Dancer" va ser escrita i produïda per Bernard Edwards i Nile Rodgers, líders de la banda Chic. Sister Sledge havien gravat per a Cotillion Records durant quatre anys, amb només dos èxits menors al 1975: "Mama Never Told Me" (#20 al Regne Unit) i "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" (núm. 92 als EUA). Estaven considerant deixar el segell i seguir amb els seus estudis acadèmics (les quatre germanes de Sister Sledge finalment es van graduar a la Temple University), quan Edwards i Rodgers les van fitxar i van produir el seu tercer àlbum, "We Are Family". "He's The Greatest Dancer" es va llançar com a senzill principal de l'àlbum i va ser el seu primer gran èxit. El següent senzill, la cançó del títol de l'àlbum va tenir un èxit encara més gran.

Potser inspirada en el personatge de John Travolta a Saturday Night Fever, aquesta cançó tracta d'un xulo de discoteca que ho deixa tot a la pista de ball. Inusual en aquell moment, hi ha algunes mencions de productes de marca a la cançó: Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci.

Edwards i Rodgers havien triomfat amb el seu grup Chic i se'ls va donar l'oportunitat de produir qualsevol banda del segell. Van triar Sister Sledge perquè eren joves, amb un clar talent i disposades a seguir els seus consells.

Kathy Sledge va ser la cantant solista, tan en aquesta com a "We Are Family". Era la més jove de les quatre germanes Sledge amb només 19 anys quan es va gravar la cançó. Segons Kathy, Bernard Edwards i Nile Rodgers volien guardar aquesta cançó per a la seva banda Chic i fer que Sister Sledge enregistrés "I want your love", però van acabar triant aquesta última i donant a les Sledge "He's The Greatest Dancer". "Crec que Bernard era el lletrista, i sentia que aquesta cançó era més indicada per a nosaltres, i tenia raó".

Nile Rodgers recorda que les membres de Sister Sledge estaven "furioses" quan se'ls va demanar que cantessin la frase de la lletra "My crème de la crème please take me home", "per a elles, aquesta frase era una mica suggerent". Kathy Sledge deia: "Vaig ser molt ingènua, em vaig sentir com: 'Sí, porta'm a casa, et casaràs amb mi'". Segons Rodgers, la seva frase "les va fer semblar dones fàcils", i van suggerir un ajust a la lletra: "My crème de la crème, please don't go home”. Rodgers va dir que tan ell com Edwards es van negar a canviar la lletra "perquè sabíem el món sobre el qual estàvem escrivint, òbviament, més que el de les Sledge perquè ni tan sols havien estat en una discoteca. No tornarà a casa perquè "He's The Greatest Dancer" (és el millor ballarí) i s'hi quedarà més temps que tu". Més tard, Rodgers va descriure el seu enfrontament i el d'Edwards amb les Sister Sledge com una ordre: "canteu això", i va admetre haver-les menyspreat perquè ni tan sols coneixien les Sister Sledge abans de les sessions.

L'àlbum "We Are Family" es va gravar al mateix temps que el segon àlbum de Chic, "C'est Chic". Molts dels mateixos músics van tocar en ambdós àlbums, que van ser gravats a The Power Station a la ciutat de Nova York. "He's The Greatest Dancer" i "I Want Your Love" de Chic van tenir èxit al mateix temps, ambdós assolint el pic a les llistes americanes el maig de 1979.

Luther Vandross va fer de cantant de suport. Era un jove cantant de la discogràfica que encara buscava el seu primer èxit.

Will Smith va utilitzar el ritme de "He's The Greatest Dancer" pel seu gran èxit de 1998 "Gettin' Jiggy wit it". Molts dels seus joves fans ni tan sols sabien que era un sampler.

SISTER SLEDGE - HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER

Released: February 3, 1979

Charted: US: #9  UK: #6

This was written and produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, leaders of the disco band Chic. Sister Sledge had been on Cotillion Records for four years, with just two minor hits to show for it, both in 1975: "Mama Never Told Me" (#20 in the UK) and "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" (#92 in the US). They were considering leaving label and pursuing their academic interests (all four of the sisters in Sister Sledge eventually earned degrees from Temple University), when Edwards and Rodgers took them on and produced their third album, “We Are Family”. "He's The Greatest Dancer" was released as the lead single from the album and was their first big hit, and the next single, the album’s title track was even bigger. The track gives Sister Sledge a number one hit on both Billboard's Dance and R&B charts in March 1979.

Perhaps inspired by John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever, this song is about a disco pimp who knocks 'em dead on the dance floor. Unusual at the time, there are some brand-name product mentions in the song, as we hear about the designers he's wearing: Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci.

Edwards and Rodgers had proven themselves with their group Chic and were given the opportunity to produce any band on the label. They chose Sister Sledge because they were young, clearly talented, and willing to go along with whatever they came up with.

Kathy Sledge sang lead on this one and also on "We Are Family." She's the youngest of the four Sledge sisters in the group, 19 when the song was recorded. According to Kathy, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers planned to keep this song for their band Chic and have Sister Sledge record "I want your love," but they ended up keeping that one and giving the sisters "He's The Greatest Dancer." "I think Bernard was more of the lyricist, and he felt like this song would be better for these girls to sing, and he was right."

Nile Rodgers recalled the Sister Sledge members being "furious" at being asked to sing the lyric "My crème de la crème please take me home", "to them that line is a bit suggestive”. Kathy Sledge says it went over her head. "I was very naive," she told: "I felt like, 'Yeah, take me home - you're gonna marry me.'" According to Rodgers his line “made them seem like loose women", and they suggested a lyric adjustment to "My crème de la crème, please don't go home." Rodgers says he and Edwards refused to change the lyric "because we knew the world that we were writing about obviously more than Sledge’s did because they had never even been in a disco. He ain't going to go home because he’s the greatest dancer. He's gonna stay there longer than you." Rodgers later described his and Edwards's approach with Sister Sledge as one of "sing this," and admitted to "misrepresenting" them because Rodgers and Edwards had not even met Sister Sledge before the sessions.

The “We Are Family” album was recorded around the same time as Chic's second album, “C'est Chic”. Many of the same musicians played on both albums, which were both recorded at The Power Station in New York City. "He's The Greatest Dancer" and Chic's "I Want Your Love" were popular at the same time, both peaking on the American charts in May 1979. 

Luther Vandross sang backup. He was a young singer at the record label still looking for his first hit.

Will Smith lifted the "He's The Greatest Dancer" groove for his massive 1998 hit "Gettin’ Jiggy wit it". Many of his young fans didn’t know it was a sample.