22 August, 1980.

It would appear that the inner jukebox is in the mood for camping it up at the disco this morning. Not my style at all but I guess there are worse songs to start a day with.

This was written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of seventies disco sensation Chic, who were commissioned by Diana Ross to write material for a new album after she saw the group in concert. Allegedly, Rodgers came up with this song after seeing three drag queens dressed as Ross in a nightclub.

When a DJ pointed out the meaning of ‘coming out’ in the gay community, and warned that the song could threaten her career, Ross apparently confronted the songwriters in tears and demanded to know why they wanted to ruin her.

At the time Ross was leaving Motown and Rodgers convinced her it was more about her emerging from the control of the record label, what’s more it would be the perfect song for her ‘coming out’ on stage as a concert opener. Rodgers later admitted that it was the only time he had ever lied to an artist as the song had actually been inspired by her gay following.

The song has indeed become a gay anthem over the decades and, despite her initial fears, did nothing to harm her career. In fact, Ross celebrated a top ten hit with this in the US, France and Ireland whilst in the UK it spent ten weeks on the charts and peaked at number thirteen.