C'est Chic
Encyclopedia
C'est Chic is the second studio album
by American R&B band Chic
, released on Atlantic Records
in 1978. C'est Chic includes the band's classic hit "Le Freak
" which topped the US Hot 100 chart, US R&B, and US Club Play in October 1978, selling six million copies in the US alone and is to date both Atlantic Records
' and parent company Warner Music's best-selling single ever - a record it's held for nearly thirty years. C'est Chic also contains follow-up single "I Want Your Love" (#5 R&B, #7 Pop February 17, 1979) and the track that has since become the band's anthem; "Chic Cheer".
The C'est Chic album reached #4 on Billboard's album chart and topped the US R&B chart for eleven weeks. C'est Chic was Billboard Magazine's 1979 R&B Album of the Year, claiming the number one spot on Billboard's Year End Review. The album was certified platinum by RIAA, selling well over a million copies.
C'est Chic was transferred to compact disc and re-released by Atlantic Records
/Warner Music in 1991 (catalogue number 7567-81552-2). The album was digitally remastered and re-issued by Warner Music Japan in 2011.
Side A
Side B
satirists Van Kooten & De Bie
in a sketch about two scheming gangsters (Jacobse & Van Es) purchasing an equally dodgy car.
Early 1980 their fellow compatriot Dingetje (more or less the Dutch
Weird Al Yankovic) made it the backing track for Dit is de zender van Illegale Joop chronicling a 27 MC-conversation on soon-to-be-closed pirate-radio.
In 1980 Robert Wyatt released his version of "At Last I Am Free" as a 7" single on Rough Trade Records
. The same recording was later included on the 1981 album Nothing Can Stop Us
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American R&B band Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
, released on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1978. C'est Chic includes the band's classic hit "Le Freak
Le Freak
"Le Freak" is a successful 1978 disco song by the disco band Chic. It was the band's third single album and first Billboard Hot 100 and soul music number-one song. Along with the tracks, "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer", "Le Freak" scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks...
" which topped the US Hot 100 chart, US R&B, and US Club Play in October 1978, selling six million copies in the US alone and is to date both Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
' and parent company Warner Music's best-selling single ever - a record it's held for nearly thirty years. C'est Chic also contains follow-up single "I Want Your Love" (#5 R&B, #7 Pop February 17, 1979) and the track that has since become the band's anthem; "Chic Cheer".
The C'est Chic album reached #4 on Billboard's album chart and topped the US R&B chart for eleven weeks. C'est Chic was Billboard Magazine's 1979 R&B Album of the Year, claiming the number one spot on Billboard's Year End Review. The album was certified platinum by RIAA, selling well over a million copies.
C'est Chic was transferred to compact disc and re-released by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
/Warner Music in 1991 (catalogue number 7567-81552-2). The album was digitally remastered and re-issued by Warner Music Japan in 2011.
Track listing
All tracks written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.Side A
- "Chic Cheer" - 4:42
- "Le FreakLe Freak"Le Freak" is a successful 1978 disco song by the disco band Chic. It was the band's third single album and first Billboard Hot 100 and soul music number-one song. Along with the tracks, "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer", "Le Freak" scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks...
" - 5:23 - "Savoir Faire" - 5:01
- "Happy Man" - 4:17
Side B
- "I Want Your Love" - 6:45
- "At Last I Am Free" - 7:08
- "Sometimes You Win" - 4:26
- "(Funny) Bone" - 3:41
Personnel
- Alfa Anderson - vocals
- Bernard EdwardsBernard EdwardsBernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
- vocals, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Diva Gray - vocals
- Luci Martin - vocals
- David LasleyDavid LasleyDavid Lasley is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his contributions as a background singer for such artists as Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Luther Vandross....
- vocals - Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
- vocals - Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Tony ThompsonTony ThompsonAnthony T. "Tony" Thompson was a session drummer best known as a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, NY.-Chic:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Robert SabinoRobert SabinoRobert Sabino is an American rock keyboardist.. , The New York Times He was born and raised in the Bronx...
- clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, acoustic pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented... - Andy Schwartz - clavinet, acoustic piano and electric piano
- Raymond Jones - Fender Rhodes
- Sammy FigueroaSammy FigueroaSammy Figueroa is an American percussionist born in The Bronx, New York. At 18 he joined the band of bassist Bobby Valentín and also co-led the Brazilian/Latin fusion group Raices....
- percussion - Jose Rossy - tubular bellTubular bellTubular bells are musical instruments in the percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube, 30–38 mm in diameter, tuned by altering its length. Its standard range is from C4-F5, though many professional instruments reach G5 . Tubular bells are often replaced by studio chimes, which are a smaller...
s - Marianne Carroll (The Chic Strings) - stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
- Cheryl Hong (The Chic Strings) - strings
- Karen Milne (The Chic Strings) - strings
- Jon FaddisJon FaddisJon Faddis is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator renowned for both his highly virtuosic command of the instrument and for his expertise in the field of music education...
- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - Ellen Seeling - trumpet
- Alex Foster - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Jean Fineberg - saxophone
- Barry Rodgers - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Gene Orloff - concert master
Production
- Bernard EdwardsBernard EdwardsBernard Edwards born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of the Funk/Disco band Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan.-History:...
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for Chic Organization Ltd. - Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
- producer for Chic Organization Ltd. - Bob ClearmountainBob ClearmountainBob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He has worked with many prominent names in music including Bruce Springsteen , The Rolling Stones , Bryan Adams , Robbie Williams Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He...
- sound engineer - Burt Szerlip - engineer
- Jeff Hendrickson - engineer
- Ray Willard - engineer
- All songs recorded and mixed at Power Station in New York. Mastered at Atlantic Studios, N.Y.
Trivia
In 1979 Chic Cheer was used by DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
satirists Van Kooten & De Bie
Van Kooten en de Bie
Van Kooten en De Bie were a Dutch comedy duo formed by Kees van Kooten and Wim de Bie.The two cooperated for years, before they started to work for the public broadcasting organization VPRO, where they first performed for radio broadcasting, and later took to making shows for television...
in a sketch about two scheming gangsters (Jacobse & Van Es) purchasing an equally dodgy car.
Early 1980 their fellow compatriot Dingetje (more or less the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Weird Al Yankovic) made it the backing track for Dit is de zender van Illegale Joop chronicling a 27 MC-conversation on soon-to-be-closed pirate-radio.
In 1980 Robert Wyatt released his version of "At Last I Am Free" as a 7" single on Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
. The same recording was later included on the 1981 album Nothing Can Stop Us
Nothing Can Stop Us
Nothing Can Stop Us is a compilation album by Robert Wyatt released in 1982.-Concept:Consisting primarily of tracks released as singles and B-sides during the late 1970s and early '80s, it only contains one Wyatt composition...
.
See also
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1978 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1979 (U.S.)
- Billboard Year-EndBillboard Year-EndBillboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November...