Niecy
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.
Niecy | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 19, 1982 | |||
Recorded | 1981 at Sigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | |||
Genre | R&B, soul | |||
Label | ARC/Columbia | |||
Producer | Thom Bell, Deniece Williams | |||
Deniece Williams chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Robert Christgau | B+[3] |
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
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Waiting by the Hotline" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 3:40 |
2. | "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" | Teddy Randazzo, Bob Weinstein, Lou Stallman | 4:10 |
3. | "Love Notes" | Deniece Williams, Skip Scarborough | 4:22 |
4. | "I Believe in Miracles" | Deniece Williams, Bill Neale | 2:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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5. | "How Does It Feel" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 5:50 |
6. | "Waiting" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 4:32 |
7. | "Now is The Time for Love" | Deniece Williams, Thom Bell | 4:09 |
8. | "A Part of Love" | Deniece Williams, Kevin Bassinson | 3:39 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Bob Babbitt – bass guitar, Piccolo bass
- Thom Bell – keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements, conductor
- Charles Collins – drums
- Bobby Eli – guitar
- Joseph B. Jefferson – backing vocals
- George Merrill – synthesizer, backing vocals
- Bill Neale – guitar, strings (4)
- Don Renaldo – strings, horns
- Ed Shea – percussion
- Larry Washington – percussion
- Deniece Williams – lead vocals
Technical
- 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
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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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
- Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. ARC/Columbia Records. 1982.
- Kantor, Justin. "Deniece Williams: Niecy". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
- 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.