C'est Chic
1978 studio album by Chic
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C'est Chic is the second studio album by American band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1978.[3]
| C'est Chic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 11, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:23 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards | |||
| Chic chronology | ||||
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| Cover of Très Chic | ||||
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| Singles from C'est Chic | ||||
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Release
C'est Chic includes the band's signature hit "Le Freak", which topped the US Hot 100 chart, US R&B, and US Club Play in October 1978,[4] selling six million copies in the US. The album also contains the hit single "I Want Your Love" (number 5 R&B,[4] number 7 Pop,[4] number 4 UK[5]).
C'est Chic was the band's most commercially successful album, reaching number 4 on Billboard's album chart and topping the US R&B chart for eleven weeks.[6] C'est Chic was Billboard'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 the RIAA,[7] selling over a million copies. In the UK it peaked at number 2[5] and has been certified Gold by the BPI.[8]
The European version was originally called Très Chic, with the cover featuring a woman wrapped around a neon light tube. It was withdrawn and replaced with the C'est Chic version with a less risqué cover. Très Chic had a different track listing.
C'est Chic was released on compact disc by Atlantic Records/Warner in 1991 (catalogue number 7567-81552-2). The album has been digitally remastered and re-issued twice: first in 2011 by Warner Music Japan and then in 2018 at Abbey Road Studios by Atlantic.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [11] |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10[12] |
| Rolling Stone | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[15] |
The Globe and Mail deemed C'est Chic "a sleekly elegant variation" of disco.[16] The Los Angeles Times opined that, aside from "Le Freak", the album "consists of pedestrian disco pieces and plodding R&B ballads."[2]
Track listing
All songs written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers; except where indicated.
C'est Chic
- Side one
- Side two
- "I Want Your Love" – 6:55 ⓘ
- "At Last I Am Free" – 7:08
- "Sometimes You Win" – 4:26
- "(Funny) Bone" – 3:41
- (LP only hidden track – moog solo)
Très Chic
- Side one
- "Chic Cheer" – 4:42
- "Le Freak" – 5:23 ⓘ
- "I Want Your Love" – 6:55 ⓘ
- "Happy Man" – 4:17
- "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (Edwards, Kenny Lehman, Rodgers) – 3:35
- Side two
- "Savoir Faire" – 5:01
- "At Last I Am Free" – 7:08
- "Sometimes You Win" – 4:26
- "(Funny) Bone" – 3:41
- "Everybody Dance" – 3:22
Personnel
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[28] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[29] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[30] | Gold | 10,000* |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[31] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[32] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover Versions
Robert Wyatt had a top 20 UK Indie Chart hit with a cover of "At Last I Am Free" in 1980.[33]