"Le Freak" is a 1978 funk-disco song by American R&B band Chic. It was the band's third single and first Billboard Hot 100 and R&B number-one hit 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 7 million[5] and also scored number seven in the UK Singles Chart.
| "Le Freak" | ||||
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 One of the US editions | ||||
| Single by Chic | ||||
| from the album C'est Chic | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | September 21, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | January 1978 | |||
| Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
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| "Le Freak" on YouTube | ||||
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] In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[8]
Lyric
The lyric mentions "Stompin' at the Savoy", a 1933 song composed by Edgar Sampson. It also invites the listener to "Come on down to 54": that is, Studio 54, a popular nightclub in New York City at the time.
History
This song commemorates Studio 54 in New York City 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 1977, as a result of his 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!";[10] for the documentary How to Make It in the Music Business, he said that 'fuck off' was what the doorman had said to him when he slammed the door on them; first it was changed to "freak off" after Rodgers mused that they wouldn't be able to say 'fuck off' on the radio, but that sounded "terrible", so he changed it to 'freak out'.[11]
"Le Freak" was the first song to score the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 three separate times. It spent a total of six non-consecutive weeks at the position.
In 1987, an acid house-styled re-mix was issued under the title "Jack Le Freak". It reached number 18 in the United Kingdom, becoming Chic's last top 40 hit to date in that country.
MC Lyte sampled the song "Woo Woo (Freak Out)" featuring Nicci Gilbert of the group Brownstone, which first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1998 movie Woo and was also included on her album Seven & Seven, titled "Woo Woo (Party Time)", which released three months later.
Reception
Cash Box wrote it is "a handclapping disco song bolstered by solid bass work and airy vocals."[12]
In 2015, the 1978 recording of the song by Chic on Atlantic Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[13]
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
Personnel
- Alfa Anderson – lead vocals[10]
- Diva Gray – lead vocals[10]
- David Lasley – vocals
- Luci Martin – vocals
- Luther Vandross – vocals
- Nile Rodgers – guitar,[10] vocals
- Raymond Jones or Andy Schwartz – Fender Rhodes electric piano[10]
- Robert Sabino – acoustic piano,[10] clavinet, electric piano
- Bernard Edwards – bass guitar,[10] vocals
- Tony Thompson – drums[10]
- Sammy Figueroa – percussion
- The Chic Strings:[10]
- Gene Orloff – concert master
- Production staff
Charts
| Chart (1987) (Jack Le Freak) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart[21] | 13 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[29] | 19 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[3] | 15 |
| US Dance/Electronic Singles Sales (Billboard)[3] | 21 |
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
| France (SNEP)[33] | 192 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1978) | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[34] | 132 |
| Chart (1979) | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[35] | 8 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[36] | 42 |
| New Zealand[37] | 8 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[38] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[39] | 3 |
| US Cash Box [40] | 1 |
All-time charts
| Chart (1958–2018) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[41] | 24 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[43] | 2× Platinum | 448,000[42] |
| France (SNEP)[44] | Gold | 500,000* |
| Italy (FIMI)[45] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[46] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[48] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ / 4,000,000[47] |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 7,000,000[5] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
In popular culture
This song was used in a 2010 film Toy Story 3 scene in which Ken models his outfits for Barbie.[49] It was also shown in the 2004 film Shrek 2, when the fairytale creatures were partying in Shrek Swamp. This song also appears in the 1995 film Heavyweights during one of Tony Perkis’ exercise regimens with the struggling campers.