Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Making of Coming to America

Walking on Planet C

The Making of Coming to America


Yesterday I talked about John Landis reaching out to me and how I was really happy to hear from him. The rest of the day I thought a lot about the time I spent making the soundtrack for "Coming to America." It was my first big orchestral film score and I detail the story in my book, "Le Freak."

I wanted to share yet another behind-the-scenes video. This time of me conducting the orchestra for Dottie's big scene.

I'm sure you'll remember Dottie - Cleo McDowell's faithful poodle - as she chases away Darryl "Prince of Soul-Glo" Jenks.

Thank you again John, for giving me that opportunity and for an amazing time during The Making of Coming to America.

 


John Landis and I discussing the music for the scene when Cleo McDowell finds out that Akeem is a Prince and is trying to keep him from leaving


Here's the finished scene with the revised score

 

Le Freak:
An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny
Written by Nile Rodgers

Category: Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Biography & Autobiography - Composers & Musicians; Music - Popular
Format: eBook, 336 pages
On Sale: October 2011
Price: $ 12.99
ISBN: 978-0-679-64403-3 (0-679-64403-2)

Available as a hardcover and eBook.

You will hear a Nile Rodgers song today. It will make you happy.

Today's pop music—genre-crossing, gender-bending, racially mixed, visually stylish, and dominated by dance music with global appeal—is the world that Nile Rodgers created. In the 1970s and 1980s, he wrote and produced the songs that defined that era and everything that came after: "Le Freak," "Good Times," "We Are Family," "Like a Virgin," "Modern Love," "I'm Coming Out," "The Reflex," "Rapper's Delight." Aside from his own band, Chic, he worked with everyone from Diana Ross and Madonna to David Bowie and Duran Duran (not to mention Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Prince, Rod Stewart, Robert Plant, Depeche Mode, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Grace Jones, Bryan Ferry, INXS, and the B-52's), transforming their music, selling millions of records, and redefining what a pop song could be.

Read more about order the memoir here:
"Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny"