This Is Niecy
| This Is Niecy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 13, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | June – August 1976 | |||
| Studio | Wally Heider Studios Westlake Audio (Los Angeles, CA)</y> Davlen Sound Studios (North Hollywood, CA) Kendun Recorders (Burbank, CA) | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul, quiet storm | |||
| Length | 34:27 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Maurice White, Charles Stepney | |||
| Deniece Williams chronology | ||||
| ||||
This Is Niecy is the debut album of American R&B singer Deniece Williams released on August 13, 1976 by Columbia Records.[1] The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the Billboard 200.[2][3] The album has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA and Silver in the UK by the BPI.[4][5]
Overview
The album was remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in 2013 by Big Break Records.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| BBC | (favourable)[7] |
| Record Mirror | [8] |
| Variety | (favourable)[9] |
David O' Donnell of the BBC noted that "what really shines from the album is Williams' distinctive soprano voice, range and acrobatic vocal ability which confirms her as one of the greatest R&B and soul singers of her time."[7] Sheila Prophet of Record Mirror gave the album a four out of five star rating. Calling This Is Niecy "a great first album", Prophet added "Niecy's voice combines the silkiness of Diana Ross with the exuberance of Linda Lewis".[8]
Singles
Singles from the album were "Free" which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10][11][12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's Important to Me" | Deniece Williams, Clarence McDonald, Fritz Baskett | 4:21 |
| 2. | "That's What Friends Are For" | Deniece Williams, Clarence McDonald, Fritz Baskett, Lani Groves | 4:27 |
| 3. | "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away" | Deniece Williams, Clarence McDonald, Lani Groves | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Cause You Love Me, Baby" | Deniece Williams | 4:08 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Free" | Deniece Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts, Susaye Greene | 5:57 |
| 6. | "Watching Over" | Deniece Williams, Maurice White, Freddie White, Verdine White, Jerry Peters, Al McKay | 3:53 |
| 7. | "If You Don't Believe" | Deniece Williams, Clarence McDonald, Fritz Baskett | 7:54 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Free" (Short Single Version) | 2:52 |
| 9. | "That's What Friends Are For" (Single Version) | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Free" (Long Single Version) | 3:27 |
Personnel
- Deniece Williams – lead and backing vocals
- Maurice White – drums, backing vocals
- Freddie White – drums, percussion
- Verdine White – bass
- Al McKay – guitar
- Jerry Peters – acoustic piano, electric piano
- George Bohanon, Randy Aldcroft – trombone
- Gale Robinson, Sidney Muldrow – French Horn
- Oscar Brashear, Steve Madaio – trumpet
- Ernie Watts, Plas Johnson, Ray Pizzi, Terry Harrington – woodwinds
- Sidney Barnes – backing vocals
Production
- Producers – Charles Stepney and Maurice White
- Engineer – George Massenburg
- Assistant Engineers – Steve Hodge and Dean Rod
- Mastered by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
- Design – Ron Coro and Norm Ung
- Photography – Ethan Russell and Jimmy Shea
- Management – Cavallo-Ruffalo Management
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 33[3] |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 3[2] | |
| UK Pop Albums | 31[12] |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop | US R&B |
US Dance |
UK Pop Singles[12] | ||
| 1976 | "It's Important to Me" | — | — | 13 | — |
| 1977 | "Free" | 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| "Cause You Love Me, Baby" | — | 74 | — | — | |
| "That's What Friends Are For" | — | 65 | — | 8 | |
References
- ^ Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. Columbia Records. August 1976.
- ^ a b "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ a b "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy". RIAA.com.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy". bpi.co.uk.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
- ^ a b O'Donnell, David (2008). "Deniece Williams This Is Niecy Review". bbc.co.uk. BBC.
- ^ a b Prophet, Sheila (May 21, 1977). "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Record Mirror. p. 16.
- ^ "Music-Records: Havens, Parliament, Bridgewater, Connors, Mann, Deodato, Horn, Winchester, Williams Top LPs". proquest.com. Vol. 284, no. 9. Variety. October 6, 1976. p. 62.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Free (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Free (Hot 100)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ a b c "Deniece Williams". officialcharts.com. Official Charts.
External links
- This Is Niecy at Discogs (list of releases)
