Sister Sledge ~ We Are Family ~ The International Women's Day Club Mix

Описание: H A P P Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L W O M E N 'S D A Y 2 0 2 6

Remixed with love by their lovin' Kim Jong-Un!

Gotdamn. Do I wish I was a North Korean woman gettin' my boogie on in the DPRK, or do I wish I was a North Korean woman gettin' my boogie on in the DPRK? People's Korea's lovin' Kim Jong-Un is payin' some serious tribute to the Queens of the country with this classic Disco hit from 1979; "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge.
Every since it's debut and going gold, becoming the number one R&B and number two pop song on the American charts in 1979 and number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs, this song has built a timeless legacy over it's nearly 50 years, getting several remixes along the way, the first one being in 1984 by Bernard Edwards; 1993 by Sure Is Pure and Steve Anderson (1/2 of Brothers In Rhythm); and a 1998 by Marley Marl, in tribute to the late Larry Levan.
In 2017, the song would be selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". As if that's not enough, Billboard magazine named the song number 20 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time". Not bad for a first song by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, who were hesitant to take up Atlantic Records' President Jerry L. Greenberg on his request, when he had asked them to write and produce for other artists on the label. Wanting to build up their reputation, Rogers and Edwards,, "asked Greenberg to let them work with the least established act he had signed; if they got a hit record, then they could take on the challenge of writing for someone bigger."* I guess the duo would be on the hook to take the president up on his challenge! Richard Smith from Melody Maker commented, "Everybody from the women's movement to troupes of cheerleaders claimed the mighty "We Are Family" as their own anthem, but it's always had a special place in the hearts of gay men. Appropriation or intention? Chic were quite canny – it was New York's gay clubs that had broken them and songs like this were a way of paying back the debt."**

*Nile Roidgers in conversation, Music Matters interview, 2007, Hong Kong
**Smith, Richard (January 30, 1993). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 35. Retrieved May 5, 2023.

Now in 2026, the song get a remix in one of the most unlikely places; Pyongyang in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea to most people) by the Supreme Leader in honor of International Women's Day, and what a fitting song, considering that it's already become an anthem for the women's movement, elsewhere. Contrary to the majority, it has been socialist and communist-leaning countries that have fought for women's rights, among rights of marginalized people. Though the DPRK goes "hard in the paint" for International Women's Day, it's starting to get some recognition in the US.
Now speaking of "hard in the paint", Kimmy goes hard on this remix, opting to open with only the piano and keys and making his mix blossom blossom out by bring in the other instruments in gradually until the drums start the mix moving forward. The mix continues without the strings until the second chorus, coming in with the crowd allowing the song to be focused on it's message and the lead vocals to shine front and center before the mix goes into party mode for the chorus. The mix could easily fade out here for a single or radio mix but instead, the vocals and crowd gradually fade out except for the chorus and then going into a percussive breakdown with a Tom solo. This brought to mind another song with a similar breakdown from around the time: "Don't You Wanna Make Love" by Shotgun. After the brief solo, the mix begins building with the bass and Kathy's adlibs. At two different points on the extended "party outro" it sounds like Kathy goes "sing it Kimmy!" OMG, I wonder if Kimmy heard this too, after all, he had access to the singled out vocal while setting up the levels. Maybe he was all "I'd better not, I might ruin the mix." Hee hee. Now only if he got the Moranbong girls to throw in some additional vocals! Anyway, rather than sing, Kimmy gradually brings up the different instruments while teasing the chorus with only the "We are family" part coming in during the build up until finally the all the instruments are up and the crowd comes back in for one helluva grand finale. The drums drop out as the song comes for it's final conclusion, next the bass but the overall level of the mix getting a little louder, and then all the music (as the arrangement itself probably finished in the studio session) ends leaving Kathy and the girls singing and cheering a Capella to end with a bang. It's a party. Makes me with I were a woman jamming to this in P-Town, DPRK on this very special day!

Now Belarus, Russia, quit blocking this and get yo ass up on it!

#music #remix #wearefamily