This Is Niecy
Encyclopedia
This Is Niecy is the debut album by Gary, Indiana
singer Deniece Williams
. Released in 1976 on Columbia Records
. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire
's Maurice White
along with Charles Stepney
.
reached number 25 on the US pop singles chart, number 2 on the R&B singles chart and number 1 on the UK singles chart. This Is Niecy has been certified gold in the United States by the RIAA.
A digitally remastered version of the album was made available in 2005, and it included 1 bonus track
which was a shorter version of Free.
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
singer Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
. Released in 1976 on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
's Maurice White
Maurice White
Maurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
along with Charles Stepney
Charles Stepney
Charles Stepney was a producer, arranger, songwriter and musician famous for his Orchestral Psychedelic soul sound with Chicago's Cadet/Chess records in the 1960s/1970s and afterwards with Earth, Wind & Fire....
.
Reception
The album went to number 3 and number 33 on the Black and Pop album Charts respectively. The single FreeFree (Deniece Williams song)
"Free" is a popular song by Deniece Williams which was included on her album This Is Niecy. Written by Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts and Susaye Greene and produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney...
reached number 25 on the US pop singles chart, number 2 on the R&B singles chart and number 1 on the UK singles chart. This Is Niecy has been certified gold in the United States by the RIAA.
A digitally remastered version of the album was made available in 2005, and it included 1 bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
which was a shorter version of Free.
Track listing
- "It's Important to Me" (4:21)
- "That's What Friends Are For" (4:27)
- "Slip Away" (3:49)
- "Cause You Love Me Baby" (4:08)
- "FreeFree (Deniece Williams song)"Free" is a popular song by Deniece Williams which was included on her album This Is Niecy. Written by Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts and Susaye Greene and produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney...
" (5:57) - "Watching Over" (3:53)
- "If You Don't Believe" (7:54)
Personnel
- Deniece WilliamsDeniece WilliamsJune Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
- Lead and Backing Vocals - Maurice WhiteMaurice WhiteMaurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
- Drums, Backing Vocals - Verdine WhiteVerdine WhiteVerdine White is the bassist for Earth, Wind & Fire and the younger brother of fellow band member Maurice White. White is known for his high energy and dancing while playing his bass guitar during Earth, Wind & Fire concerts.-Early life:...
- Bass - Freddie White - Drums, Percussion
- Jerry PetersJerry PetersJerry Peters is an American songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, conductor and arranger. He is best known for writing the hit song Going In Circles" by The Friends of Distinction.-Career:...
- Piano, Electric Piano - Al McKayAl McKayAl McKay is a guitarist, songwriter, producer and former member of the American funk band Earth, Wind & Fire. Al used to lead his own group Al McKay's L.A...
- Guitar - George Bohanon, Randy Aldcroft - Trombone
- Gale Robinson, Sidney Muldrow - French Horn
- Oscar BrashearOscar BrashearOscar Brashear is an American jazz trumpeter and session musician.After studying at DuSable High School he worked briefly with Woody Herman before going on to join Count Basie '68-9, returning to freelance in Chicago with Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon and James Moody...
, Steve Madaio - Trumpet - Ernie WattsErnie WattsErnest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
, Plas JohnsonPlas JohnsonPlas John Johnson Jr. is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most familiar as the lead on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme"....
, Ray Pizzi, Terry Harrington - Woodwind - Sidney Barnes - Backing Vocals
Charts
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||
| 1977 | This Is Niecy This Is Niecy This Is Niecy is the debut album by Gary, Indiana singer Deniece Williams. Released in 1976 on Columbia Records. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White along with Charles Stepney.-Reception:... |
33 | 3 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance |
||
| 1976 | "It's Important to Me" | — | — | 13 |
| 1977 | "Free" | 25 | 2 | — |
| "Cause You Love Me, Baby" | — | 74 | — | |
| "That's What Friends Are For" | — | 65 | — | |