Get Lucky is the Story of the Daft Punk Song That Became Stellar
One of the best songs of the 21st century, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” took over the world in the spring of 2013. Upon release, the chart-topping hit was immediately recognized as a classic, and its irresistible groove and catchy chorus have remained a constant on dance floors around the world ever since. The success of “Get Lucky” is based on the creative collaboration between French house duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homen-Christo and two musical legends: Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers and The Neptunes producer Pharrell Williams.
Together, this dream team combined their diverse talents and influences, bridging the worlds of dance music, funk and R&B to create a song that was both retro and futuristic, as well as timeless and fresh. Here’s the story of how Daft Punk hit the jackpot with “Get Lucky”.
These things can’t be created with machines
In an effort to challenge the norms of modern music production, Daft Punk had a very clear concept in mind for their 2013 album, Random Access Memories. Having revolutionized electronic dance music with their unique brand of French house on a trio of records, “Homework,” “Discovery” and “Human After All,” the enigmatic “robots” (aka Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo) set out to create an album that was live and organic, eschewing the computer conveniences of Pro Tools and Auto-Tune in favor of real and authentic instruments. “It’s an infinity of nuance, in shuffles and grooves,” Bangalter told The New York Times, explaining what they wanted to accomplish. “You can’t create things like this with machines.”
Reflecting their desire to evoke the mirror fantasy of ’70s funk, soul and disco, Bangalter and Homem-Christo turned to the talents of legendary Chic band guitarist Nile Rodgers to help realize their vision. “They wanted a classic Neil, almost like we were recording the album back in the day,” Rogers told GQ magazine. Flying into Electric Lady Studios in New York, Daft Punk played Rogers some initial demos, but the guitarist suggested they work together to come up with something new. “As a studio musician, I make records on the spot,” Rogers explained to guitar makers Fender. “I don’t know what song I’m going to play before I get there, but when I get there, I try to come up with the smartest part as quickly as possible.”
Known for his ability to create hits on the fly, Rogers came up with a dazzling chord arrangement and recorded the funky guitar riff that became the basis for “Get Lucky.” At the time, the song was nothing more than a groove-based instrumental, but Bangalter and Homem-Christo knew they had something special on their hands. Rogers’ creative approach to guitar playing not only evoked the timeless feel of Chic’s best songs, but was the Trojan horse that Daft Punk needed to bring their revolutionary musical concept to life.
Nostalgic and forward-thinking, “Get Lucky” not only remains one of the best songs of 2010, but is one of the most celebratory and unifying dance hits of our time. In an era where digital downloads and streaming are blurring genre distinctions, Daft Punk have been able to successfully fuse the sounds of different musical eras and create something truly special. With Nile Rodgers and Pharrell joining them, “Get Lucky” remains out of this world.
