Today’s classic song of the day was a huge dance hit back in the disco era, “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. Released as a single in April of 1979, this one hit #2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. More important, it was a #1 smash on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. It was even selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Register as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
“We Are Family” was written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the group Chic. It was the first song they wrote for another act other than their own group. The backing on the record was provided by Chic’s rhythm section—Nile Rodgers on guitar, Bernard Edwards on bass, and Tony Thompson on drums. Not surprisingly, “We Are Family” sounds more than a little like a Chic record.
The title and lyrics of “We Are Family” reference the fact that Sister Sledge is a literal sister act, comprised of four sisters—Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. (Kathy sang lead on “We Are Family.”) Nile Rodgers said the song was inspired by notes he took when first learning about the group from Atlantic Records president Jerry Greenberg:
“That’s why we came up with ‘We Are Family.’ Everything he said about them gave us a picture of them. You’ve got to remember, we never even met them… All of the content on that record came from that one day with the president… I was fascinated and enthralled by the concept of people who loved music who could be in the midst of the whole disco era.”
“We Are Family” was all over the airwaves the summer between my junior and senior years of college. Every bar, every dance club, every dive you walked into was playing this one and everyone was up dancing and singing along. It’s a happy, catchy track, but with a very positive family-friendly message, which is why it endures today.
So here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, the official music video for “We Are Family.” Everybody get up and sing along now:
We are family
I got all my sisters with me
We are family
Get up, everybody, and sing
