Sister Sledge
Encyclopedia
Sister Sledge is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge (born August 21, 1957) Debbie Sledge (born July 9, 1954), Joni Sledge (born September 13, 1955), and Kathy Sledge
Kathy Sledge
Kathy Sledge , the youngest of five sisters, Carol,Debra,Joni and Kim. She is an American singer who has had several hits on the International Pop and Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, including "Take Me Back To Love Again," which hit #1 in 1992. She is the granddaughter of former opera singer...

 (born January 6, 1959). They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs. Williams' Grandchildren."

Chart history

Sister Sledge were born and raised in Philadelphia and began singing at the young ages of four through eight in local Philadelphia churches like Williams Temple CME and Second Macedonia Baptist Church. Their professional music career launched when they entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 in 1975 with "Mama Never Told Me." The young girl band (often mirrored to "The Jackson Five") released their first two albums "Circle Of Love" and "Together" in 1975 and 1977, solidifying international success. The group became a "household name" under the production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 skills of Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...

 and Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...

 of Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...

. This association gave them their biggest successes during 1979: the popular anthem "We Are Family
We Are Family (song)
"We Are Family" is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to...

" (#1 R&B, #2 Pop in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

) and "He's the Greatest Dancer
He's the Greatest Dancer
"He's the Greatest Dancer" is a disco song written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers and recorded by Sister Sledge for their 1979 breakout album We Are Family ....

" (#1 R&B, #9 Pop in the U.S.) Both song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

s were included on their eight song 1979 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 We Are Family. Their next album was 1980's "Love Somebody Today," which included the songs "Got to Love Somebody" (#6 R&B, #64 Pop in the U.S., #34 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

) and "Pretty Baby."

Collaborating with producer Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...

 in 1981, they released the album "All-American Girls," yielding two hits (the title track, which reached #3 R&B and #79 Pop in the U.S. and #41 Pop in the UK, and "Next Time You'll Know," which reached #28 R&B in the U.S.) The sisters continued singing new material throughout the 1980's and 1990's. They achieved an international #1 selling song with "Frankie
Frankie (song)
"Frankie" is a song by Sister Sledge that was released as a single in 1985. It is taken from their album When the Boys Meet the Girls.-Overview:The song was written by Denise Rich, after dreaming the song while on a flight from the US to Switzerland...

" in 1985 (#1 in the UK for 4 weeks). In 1992, Kathy, lead singer, recorded her first solo album "Heart," which spawned the #1 Billboard Dance hit "Take Me Back To Love." Her sisters recorded the album "African Eyes" in 1998, as well as the "Live in Concert"" album in 1997. In 2004 they headlined the International Food and Wine Festival at the Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...

 theme park. In 2003, Debbi and Joni performed with two other girls in the PBS special, "My Music: 70's Soul Superstars," which is also available on DVD.

Their most popular songs have been re-released several times in the UK, often in newly-remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

ed versions, keeping their sound timeless and up-to-date. "We Are Family" is regarded as one of the most popular songs of all time. An updated version of "He's the Greatest Dancer
He's the Greatest Dancer
"He's the Greatest Dancer" is a disco song written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers and recorded by Sister Sledge for their 1979 breakout album We Are Family ....

" by Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...

 sampled was included in the backing music in his Top 3 UK hit "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
"Gettin' Jiggy wit It" is a single by Will Smith from his album Big Willie Style. Released in early 1998 and co-written by Nas, it was Smith's first hit produced by Poke & Tone, who replaced his long-time partner Jazzy Jeff, though the record-scratching techniques of Jazzy Jeff can be heard in the...

" from the 'Willie Style album and Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...

 covered the sisters recording 2007, making it an international top 40 hit.
Sister Sledge was voted by VH1 as one of the most successful girl groups of all time, second only to the Supremes. We Are Family was voted the No.2 biggest record of all time, and subsequently inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The sisters continue to perform collectively and individually as soloist with guest vocalist. The original group members were reunited in 2011 on Oprah Winfrey's "Women Who Rock" episode, highlighting their "We are Family" as one of the most requested songs of all time.


The video for "Frankie" was made in its entirety in the city of Glen Cove, NY, the hometown of its producer, Suzy Benfato. Location sites included the high school, a local disco and many downtown spots, as well as her neighbor's pool.

Their song "Il Macquillage Lady" was sampled by Daft Punk
Daft Punk
Daft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...

 for their 2001 hit single Aerodynamic
Aerodynamic (song)
"Aerodynamic" is an instrumental track by Daft Punk featuring a prominent guitar solo. The track was released on March 28, 2001 as the second single from the Discovery album.-Composition:...

.

Studio albums

Year Album Chart positions US
certifications
Record label
US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

US
R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

1975 Circle of Love 56 Atco
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...

1977 Together Cotillion
Cotillion Records
Cotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records and was active from 1968 through 1985. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", reached the R&B charts. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded...

1979 We Are Family 3 1 7 Platinum
1980 Love Somebody Today
Love Somebody Today
Love Somebody Today is a 1980 album by Sister Sledge. The album which, just like 1979's highly successful We Are Family, was both written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic and includes three due to the anti-disco backlash largely overlooked single releases; "Got To...

31 7
1981 All American Girls 42 13
1982 The Sisters 69 17
1983 Bet Cha Say That to All the Girls 169 35
1985 When the Boys Meet the Girls 52 19 Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

1997 African Eyes Fahrenheit
2003 Style Empowerment
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified

Compilation albums

Year Album Chart positions Record label
US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

US
R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

1987 Freak Out: The Greatest Hits of Chic and Sister Sledge
Freak Out: The Greatest Hits of Chic and Sister Sledge
Freak Out: The Greatest Hits of Chic and Sister Sledge is a greatest hits album of recordings by American R&B bands Chic and Sister Sledge, released by Atlantic Records/WEA in the UK in 1988...

72 WEA Int'l
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...

1992 The Best of Sister Sledge (1973-1985) Rhino
1993 The Very Best of Sister Sledge (1973-1993) 19
1999 The Very Best of Chic & Sister Sledge
The Very Best of Chic & Sister Sledge
The Very Best of Chic & Sister Sledge is a compilation album of recordings by American R&B bands Chic and Sister Sledge, released by Rhino Records/Warner Music in 1999...

WEA Int'l
2002 The Essentials Rhino
2005 Good Times: The Very Best of the Hits & the Remixes
Good Times: The Very Best of the Hits & the Remixes
Good Times: The Very Best of the Hits & the Remixes is a 2 CD compilation album of recordings by American R&B bands Chic and Sister Sledge, released by Warner Music in 2005, an expanded re-release of 1999's single-disc compilation The Very Best of Chic & Sister Sledge...

(with Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...

)
WEA Int'l
2006 The Definitive Groove Collection Rhino
"—" denotes the album failed to chart

Singles

Year Single Chart positions
US
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

US
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

US
Dance
US
A/C
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...

UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

1971 "Time Will Tell"
1973 "The Weatherman"
"Mama Never Told Me" 20
1974 "Love Don't You Go Through No Changes on Me" 92 31 5
1975 "Protect Our Love" 7
"Circle of Love (Caught in the Middle)"
"Love Has Found Me"
1976 "Thank You for Today 78
1977 "Cream of the Crop" 100
"Blockbuster Boy" 61
"Baby, It's the Rain"
1978 "I've Seen Better Days"
1979 "He's the Greatest Dancer
He's the Greatest Dancer
"He's the Greatest Dancer" is a disco song written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers and recorded by Sister Sledge for their 1979 breakout album We Are Family ....

"
9 1 1 6
"We Are Family
We Are Family (song)
"We Are Family" is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to...

"
2 1 30 8
"Lost in Music" 35 17
"Got to Love Somebody" 64 6 34 34
1980 "Reach Your Peak 101 21
"Let's Go on Vacation" 63
1981 "All American Girls" 79 3 6 41
"Next Time You'll Know" 82 28
"He's Just a Runaway" 32
1982 "My Guy
My Guy
"My Guy" is a 1964 number-one hit single recorded by Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's dedication to the goodness of her man .The single became the biggest hit ever for Wells, Motown's first female star, and reached the...

"
23 14 2
"All the Man That I Need
All the Man That I Need
"All the Man That I Need" is a song written by American songwriters Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded under the name "All the man I need" by singer Linda Clifford, in 1982, for her album I'll Keep on Loving You. Pitchford and Gore had in mind Clifford and her husband...

" (feat. David Simmons)
45
1983 "B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Baby)" 22
"Gotta Get Back to Love" 56
1984 "Thinking of You" 11
"Lost in Music" ('84 remix) 4
"We Are Family" ('84 remix) 33
1985 "Frankie
Frankie (song)
"Frankie" is a song by Sister Sledge that was released as a single in 1985. It is taken from their album When the Boys Meet the Girls.-Overview:The song was written by Denise Rich, after dreaming the song while on a flight from the US to Switzerland...

"
75 32 15 1
"Dancing on the Jagged Edge" 71 50
1986 "When the Boys Meet the Girls" 89
"Here to Stay" (from the Playing for Keeps
Playing for Keeps (film)
Playing for Keeps is a 1986 comedy film directed and written by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein. It stars Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn and Leon W. Grant as a trio of inner-city teenagers attempting to strike it rich by turning a hotel into a rock 'n' roll resort...

 Soundtrack
)
78
1993 "We Are Family" ('93 remix) 5
"Lost in Music" ('93 remix) 14
"Thinking of You" ('93 remix) 17
"—" denotes the single failed to chart

Cover versions of Sister Sledge songs

  • "All the Man That I Need
    All the Man That I Need
    "All the Man That I Need" is a song written by American songwriters Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded under the name "All the man I need" by singer Linda Clifford, in 1982, for her album I'll Keep on Loving You. Pitchford and Gore had in mind Clifford and her husband...

    " was originally done by Linda Clifford
    Linda Clifford
    Linda Clifford is an American R&B, disco and house music singer and actress, who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Runaway Love" and "Red Light"....

     in 1981 and was covered by Whitney Houston
    Whitney Houston
    Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...

     in 1991, becoming her ninth number-one hit.
  • "Mama Never Told Me" was covered by Tracie
    Tracie
    Tracie is the 1999 studio effort released from R&B singer Tracie Spencer. Two singles, "It's All About You " and Still In My Heart, were released from the album...

     & The Questions
    The Questions
    The Questions were a Scottish pop band, active during the late 1970s and early 1980s.-History:Although they emerged from the same scene as Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and The Bluebells, The Questions were distinguished from their peers for their blue-eyed soul sound. ...

     in 1983. The recording was released on a compilation album entitled "Love The Reason" by Paul Weller's Respond
    Respond
    A respond is a half-pier or half-pillar which is bonded into a wall and designed to carry the springer at one end of an arch....

      label.
  • "Thinking of You" was a UK hit single for Maureen Walsh in 1990; it was also covered by 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor
    2 Brothers on the 4th Floor
    2 Brothers on the 4th Floor is a Eurodance band, consisting of the Dutch brothers Martin and Bobby Boer. Since their creation in 1990, the group has been fronted by Dutch singer Desire Claudette.-Early career, 1990-1993:...

     in 1997, Monday Michiru
    Monday Michiru
    Monday Michiru Sipiagin is a Japanese American actress, singer, and songwriter whose music encompasses and fuses a wide variety of genres including jazz, dance, pop, and soul...

     in 1999, Paul Weller in 2004, and Sin Palomo in 2005. It was also sampled by Eclipse in 1999 on the dance hit "Makes Me Love You"
  • "Lost In Music" was covered by The Fall in 1993 on the album The Infotainment Scan.
  • "We Are Family" was covered by Babes in Toyland
    Babes in Toyland (band)
    Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...

     in 1995, the Spice Girls
    Spice Girls
    The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...

     in 1998, Jump5
    Jump5
    - History :Siblings Brandon and Brittany Hargest had competed on the same dance team as Lesley Moore, and were familiar with Chris Fedun and Libby Hodges through the competitive dance circuit. The mother of Hodges held an open casting call to find additional members to form a new pop group with her...

     in 2003, and Jordan Pruitt
    Jordan Pruitt
    Jordan Lynne Pruitt is an American recording artist. She started writing songs at age nine. After recording a demo album in 2006, Pruitt was discovered by producer Keith Thomas and later signed to Hollywood Records....

     in 2007.
  • "Lost in Music" was covered by Wackside sampling Sister Sledge in 2002.
  • "He's The Greatest Dancer" was covered by Dannii Minogue
    Dannii Minogue
    Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...

     in 2006, and sampled by Tony Touch on "I Wonder Why" in 2000.
  • "We Are Family" was covered by Groovestylerz in 2007.
  • "We Are Family" was covered by Home Made Kazoku
    Home Made Kazoku
    is a Japanese hip hop trio signed to Ki/oon Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.-Biography:Home Made Kazoku is a trio, consisting of members Micro, Kuro, and DJ U-Ichi. The band was originally formed in 1996 under a different name. The band was in a state of flux with regard to membership until...

     in 2007.
  • "Thinking of You" was remixed by Solitaire in 2004. Samples of the same music were used in Eclipse's dance hit "Makes Me Love You" in 1999.
  • "Lifetime Lover" was sampled by The Vanden Plas
    The Vanden Plas
    The Vanden Plas is the name of the UK-based electronic music group led by Richard Reynolds, who released their critically acclaimed debut single, Santa Margherita, in 2003 on Independiente Records...

     in 2003 for their single "Lifetime Lovers".
  • "Thinking of You was covered by the Swedish music collective Blacknuss.
  • "B.Y.O.B." was covered by Angela Clemmons in 1987.

See also


External links

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