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Le Freak

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"Le Freak"
Song
B-side"You Can Get By"
"Savoir Faire"

"Le Freak" is a song by American R&B band Chic. It was the band's third single and first Billboard Hot 100 and R&B number-one song.[2][3] Along with the tracks "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer", "Le Freak" scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks.[4] The single achieved sales of seven million[5] and also scored number seven in the UK singles chart.

Billboard magazine ranked it as the number 3 song for 1979.[6] The song was ranked number 21 on Billboard magazine's top 100 songs of the first 55 years of the "Hot 100" chart.[7]

Lyrics

Part of the lyrics mention "Stompin' at the Savoy", referencing a song of the same name composed by Edgar Sampson. They also invite the listener to "Come on down to the 54", a reference to Studio 54, which was a popular nightclub in New York City at that time.

History

This song commemorates Studio 54 for its notoriously long customer waiting lines, exclusive clientele, and discourteous doormen. According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, the song was devised during New Year's Eve of 1977, as a result of he and bassist Bernard Edwards' being refused entrance to Studio 54, where they had been invited by Grace Jones, due to her failure to notify the nightclub's staff. He said the lyrics of the refrain were originally "Fuck off!" rather than "Freak out!"[8]

"Le Freak" was the first song to score the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 three separate times. MC Lyte sampled the song "Woo Woo (Freak Out)" featuring Brownstone's Nicci Gilbert, which first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 movie Woo and also appeared on her album Seven & Seven, titled "Woo Woo (Party Time)" which released three months later. This record remained until 2008, when three different songs, "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis, "Whatever You Like" by T.I., and his follow-up single "Live Your Life", featuring Rihanna all achieved this feat. Bruno Mars also managed this in 2011 with "Grenade", as did The Weeknd with his 2015 single "Can't Feel My Face".

In 1987, an acid house-styled re-mix was issued under the title "Jack Le Freak". It reached #18 in the United Kingdom, becoming Chic's last top 40 hit to date in that country.

In 2010, "Le Freak" was covered by the electronica band Millionaires for the MTV movie Turn the Beat Around. The bass line from the song was used by American industrial rock group My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult for their track, "Waiting for Mommie" on the Confessions of a Knife... album that was released in 1990 by Wax Trax! Records.

The song is also used in the films Heavy Weights, The Last Days of Disco, Mystery Men, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Shrek 2, Son of the Mask, Roll Bounce, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Furry Vengeance, Toy Story 3, Super 8, Buddy, and Think Like a Man Too.

The song was used in the 2nd episode of the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars as a "Lip Sync For Your Legacy" song. It was performed by contestants Alaska and Katya. each seeking to win $10,000 and the power to eliminate a competitor.

The song appears in a 2016 TV commercial for Walmart.[9]

Track listing and formats

Atlantic 7" 3519, September 21, 1978
  • A. "Le Freak" (7" Edit) – 3:30
  • B. "Savoir Faire" – 4:57
Atlantic promo 12" DSKO 131, 1978 / Atlantic 12" DK 4700, 1978
  • A. "Le Freak" – 5:23
  • B. "Savoir Faire" – 4:57
Atlantic 12" DK 4620, 1978 / Atlantic Oldies promo 12" DSKO 178, 1979
  • A. "Le Freak" – 5:23
  • B. "You Can Get By" – 5:36

Charts

Preceded by Billboard Dance Club Songs number-one single (with "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer")
November 25, 1978 – January 6, 1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one single
December 2, 1978 – December 30, 1978 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Sreisand and Neil Diamond
"Too Much Heaven" by The Bee Gees
 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
December 9, 1978
December 23, 1978 – December 30, 1978
January 20, 1979 – February 3, 1979 		Succeeded by
"You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
"Too Much Heaven" by The Bee Gees
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? by Rod Stewart
Preceded by
"Too Much Heaven" by The Bee Gees
 RIANZ New Zealand Singles Chart number-one single
January 28, 1979 – February 18, 1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
"C'mon Aussie C'mon" by The Mojo Singers
 Kent Music Report number-one single
February 26, 1979 - March 26, 1979 		Succeeded by

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] 2× Platinum 300,000^
France (SNEP)[30] Platinum 700,000[29]
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 500,000^
United States (RIAA)[33] Platinum 4,000,000[32]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Heather Phares. "Disco Fever, Vol. 2 [SPG] on Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 6, 2013. "disco hits like Chic's "Le Freak,""
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 116.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Chic > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 56.
  5. ^ Haden-Guest, Anthony (February 24, 1986). New York Magazine: "Jewel of a Nile", p. 49. New York Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  6. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1979
  7. ^ a b Bronson, Fred (August 2, 2013). "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  8. ^ "CLASSIC TRACKS: Chic – 'Le Freak'". Sound On Sound Magazine. 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  9. ^ "Saatchi & Saatchi New York: Walmart 'Freak Out', 'Holiday Helpers', 'The Man' and 'Fairy Princess'". Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  10. ^ "Chic – Le Freak" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  11. ^ "Chic – Le Freak" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ^ "Le Freak in Canadian Top Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  13. ^ "Le Freak in Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  14. ^ "Le Freak in Canadian Disco Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  15. ^ "Le Freak in Canadian Top 15 12inch Chart (with Macho man)". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  16. ^ "Le Freak in French Chart". Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc. Retrieved June 16, 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Chic"
  17. ^ a b "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  18. ^ "HPI – Settimana del 20/01/79". Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  19. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Chic" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  20. ^ "Chic – Le Freak" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ^ "Chic – Le Freak". Top 40 Singles.
  22. ^ "Chic – Le Freak". VG-lista.
  23. ^ John Samson. "Le Freak in South African Chart". Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  24. ^ "Chic – Le Freak". Singles Top 100.
  25. ^ "Chic – Le Freak". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. ^ a b "Chic". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  27. ^ "Chic – Le Freak" (in French). Les classement single.
  28. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Chic – Le Freak". Music Canada. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  29. ^ "Les Singles en Or :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  30. ^ "French single certifications – Chic – Le Freak" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  31. ^ "British single certifications – Chic – Le Freak". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 29, 2012. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Le Freak in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  32. ^ Perrone, Pierre (April 27, 1996). "Obituary: Bernard Edwards". The Independent. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  33. ^ "American single certifications – Chic – Le Freak". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
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