"I'll Be There" is a song by the band

CHIC Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictionaries classified ...

featuring

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 1 ...

. It was produced by Rodgers and

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bassist and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco with musician Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the 53rd greates ...

. It was intended to be the lead single for the band's album '' It's About Time'', but due to the deaths of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

, the album changed over the following years. Since Rodgers is the act's founder and only original member, he received billing credit on the song.

Song background

The single pays tribute to the disco era and makes references to Chic-related songs and artists produced by the group. Among the referenced tracks (and acts) mentioned and sampled: *"Got To Love Somebody" by

Sister Sledge Sister Sledge was an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971, the group consists of sisters Joni, Kim, Debbie, and Kathy Sledge. The siblings achieved international success at the height of the disco era. I ...

(using the song's multiple elements) *" Everybody Dance" (sampled vocal lyrics) *"

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

" (sampled vocal lyrics) *" We Are Family" by Sister Sledge (Sound effects from the extended version)

Chart performance

The song reached number one on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

's''

Hot Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set list ...

chart in its June 20, 2015 issue, and was the act's fourth number one overall, and their first number-one single in nearly 23 years when "

Chic Mystique "Chic Mystique" is a song by American disco and R&B act Chic. Written and produced by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bass-player Bernard Edwards, it was released in January 1992 by Warner Bros. Records as the second single from their eight album, '' ...

" peaked at number one, in 1992.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Official Video (US version)
on

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