1982 studio album by Deniece Williams
Niecy |
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Studio album by Deniece Williams |
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Released | March 19, 1982 |
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Recorded | 1981 |
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Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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Genre | R&B, soul |
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Label | ARC/Columbia |
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Producer | Thom Bell, Deniece Williams |
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Deniece Williams chronology |
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Niecy is an album by American singer Deniece Williams which was released in 1982 on ARC/Columbia Records.[1] The album reached No. 5 on the Top Soul Albums chart and No. 20 on the Billboard 200.
Critical reception
With a B+, Robert Christgau found "Williams's exquisite clarity and thrilling range have always slotted her among the perfect angels for me, but there's a lot more to her work with Thom Bell, who finally challenges Burt Bacharach on his own turf, applying strings and woodwinds and amplifiers with a deft economy that textures rather than sweetens. And Williams's lyrics, while never startling, become increasingly personal as her professional confidence grows--she's wrinkling her brow more and her nose less."[3] People described the album as "upbeat, soulful and polished."[4]
Justin Kantor of AllMusic wrote that "Williams enlisted Philly soulmeister Thom Bell as her co-producer (and primary co-writer) a second time on this mellow 1982 release. Building upon the lush balladry of 1981's My Melody, this set inevitably bears a few similarities to its predecessor, but manages a more diverse soundscape."[2] J.D. Considine of Musician wrote: "Williams like the Spinners' Philippe Wynne has the uncanny ability to pull the most out of a tune while maintaining a distinctive vocal personality. Philly Soul lives."[5] Crispin Cioe of High Fidelity found "as a writer, Williams deals in the unabashedly romantic; as a singer she lends her lines an emotionalism that rings true. In Bell's sympathetically rich arranging/production context small sentiments take on grand proportions, and therein lies the album's charm."[6]
Singles
A cover of The Royalettes' "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" was released as a single. The song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, No. 6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Track listing
Original release
Side twoNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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5. | "How Does It Feel" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 5:50 |
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6. | "Waiting" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 4:32 |
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7. | "Now is The Time for Love" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 4:09 |
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8. | "A Part of Love" | Deniece Williams, Kevin Bassinson | 3:39 |
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Personnel
Musicians
- Deniece Williams – vocals
- Thom Bell – keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements and conductor
- George Merrill – synthesizers, backing vocals
- Bobby Eli – guitars
- Bill Neale – guitars, strings (4)
- Bob Babbitt – bass guitar, Piccolo bass
- Charles Collins – drums
- Ed Shea – percussion
- Larry Washington – percussion
- Don Renaldo – strings, horns
- Joseph B. Jefferson – backing vocals
Production
- Producers – Thom Bell and Deniece Williams
- Production Coordinatior – Bill Neale
- Engineer – Joe Tarsia
- Second Engineers – Dirk Devlen and Michael Tarsia
- Mastered by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
- Design – Nancy Donald
- Photography – Allan Luftig
[1]
Charts
Weekly charts | Year-end charts Chart (1982) | Position | US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 32 | |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
1982 | "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
US Billboard R&B Singles | 1 |
US Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles | 6 |
"Waiting by the Hotline" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 103 |
US Billboard R&B Singles | 29 |
"Waiting" | 72 |
References
- ^ a b Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. ARC/Columbia Records. 1982.
- ^ a b Kantor, Justin. "Deniece Williams: Niecy". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy". robertchristgau.com. Village Voice.
- ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Niecy". people.com. People. May 24, 1982.
- ^ Considine, J D (July 1982). "Rock". Musician. No. 45. pp. 88, 97. ProQuest 964127547.
- ^ Cioe, Christian (July 1982). "Denice Williams: Niecy" (PDF). High Fidelity. Vol. 32, no. 7. pp. 74, 80.
- ^ "Deniece Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ "Deniece Williams Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
Studio albums | |
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Duet albums | |
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Compilation albums | - From the Beginning (1990)
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Singles | |
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Duet singles | |
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Related topics | |
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Authority control databases | - MusicBrainz release group
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