Chic co-founder and super producer Nile Rodgers, along with his longtime manager Merck Mercuriadis, joins Straight Up to chat about how they’ve made a decades-long professional partnership work, what they love most about each other and why they’ve never had an argument (except a small one in this episode).

They also told us all about their new business venture, Hipgnosis, which is essential to anyone who loves music and cares about the fair treatment of performing artists and songwriters. It is completely changing the way the music industry works by challenging the power of the big record companies, redressing an uneven power balance that has been corroding the music industry for decades. 

How? By buying some of the most famous songs in the world, because Hipgnosis believes that songs are just as valuable as gold and oil, completely unaffected by economic cycles, and basically just about the safest investment you can make. By buying up these songs and "actively managing" them, they are giving these old songs a new lease of life, protecting their cultural legacy, while giving songwriters more money.

Merck and Nile also chat about why songwriters are so undervalued, how it feels to disrupt music industry from the inside when its top execs are the people they go on holiday with, and the UK artists they love right now.

Thank you to our three wonderful sponsors:

Q Acoustics, which has just launched the most handsome active speakers on the market, ideal for music lovers who want rich, beautiful, widescreen sound as well as a living room upgrade. The Q Active 200 speakers will transform your interiors and listening experience in equal measure. Check them out at qacoustics.co.uk. 

Eve bar, our favourite Covent Garden bar from Adam Handling, which serves some of the most luxurious and theatrical cocktails in the city. Their espresso martini (laced with white chocolate) will have you coming back every Friday. Book a table at evebar.co.uk and you can buy their beautiful cocktails for home delivery at adamhandling.co.uk/hame. 

VOX, which has everything any amateur or professional guitarist needs for the home and studio, from noise-cancelling headphones to retro-looking electric guitars and amps. Check their brand-new VOX Bobcat V90 & S66 semi-hollow body guitars and VH-Q1 smart noise-cancelling headphones for guitarists voxamps.com.

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