Chér (1966 album)
1966 studio album by Cher
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Chér is the third studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on September 5, 1966 by Imperial. Cher collaborates again with Sonny Bono, with Harold Battiste and with Stan Ross. The album is by-and-large a covers album and contains only one song written by Bono. This album was a moderate commercial success, peaking at number 59 on the Billboard 200.[1]
| Chér | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 5, 1966 | |||
| Recorded | 1966 | |||
| Studios | Gold Star (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 33:45 | |||
| Labels | ||||
| Producer | Sonny Bono | |||
| Cher chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Chér | ||||
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Album information
Chér was released in 1966, produced by Sonny Bono and issued by the Liberty Records subsidiary, Imperial Records.
The album again follows the same formula of the two previous albums, with rearranged covers and new songs written by Bono exclusively for her. There's more French influence[2] in the record and more folk. The only hit in Europe generated from this album was her version of Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" from the Michael Caine movie. Although her version was on the film's soundtrack, it didn't fare nearly as well as the Dionne Warwick version—now considered definitive.[2]
During recording sessions, Cher recorded also three other songs: "She's No Better than Me", released on the B-side of the "Alfie" single, "Ma piano (per non svegliarmi)" and "Nel mio cielo ci sei tu", an Italian version of "I Feel Something in the Air" released on the B-side of "Ma piano (per non svegliarmi)".[3] Though not as successful as the two records preceding it, Chér scored a European number-one hit with "Sunny". "Alfie" and "I Feel Something in the Air" also charted, peaking at #26 in Canada, #32 in the US and #43 in the UK.
In December 2005, this album and Cher's next album With Love, Chér were reissued on one CD called Chér/With Love which featured all the tracks from both.
Critical reception
Cash Box described the record as a "powerpacked album" whose songs were "tailored to the inimitable Cher style".[4] Record World wrote that Cher, described as "music's hottest thrush", "lent her talents to songs by Dylan, Bacharach, Simon, Donovan and hubby Sonny", and highlighted "The Twelfth of Never" and "Sunny".[5] In a contemporary review, Billboard wrote that Cher had "a hot contender here for the top of the LP chart", led by her hit "Alfie" and an "exceptional rendition" of "Sunny".[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sunny" | Bobby Hebb | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Twelfth of Never" | 2:14 | |
| 3. | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | 2:45 | |
| 4. | "I Feel Something in the Air (Magic in the Air)" | Sonny Bono | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" | 2:55 | |
| 6. | "Until It's Time for You to Go" | Buffy Sainte-Marie | 2:45 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cruel War" | 3:40 | |
| 2. | "Catch the Wind" | Donovan | 2:13 |
| 3. | "The Pied Piper" |
| 2:24 |
| 4. | "Homeward Bound" | Paul Simon | 2:24 |
| 5. | "I Want You" | Bob Dylan | 2:53 |
| 6. | "Alfie" | 2:48 |
Personnel
- Cher - lead vocals
- Sonny Bono - producer
- Carol Kaye, Don Peake, Dr. John - guitar
- David Cohen, Mike Post - 12-string guitar
- Lyle Ritz - electric bass guitar
- Cliff Hills - upright bass
- Gabriel Mekler - piano
- Michel Rubini - harpsichord
- Frank Capp - drums
- Gene Estes, Jim Gordon, Jungle Geno - percussion
- George Poole - violin, flute
- Harold Battiste - musical arranger, musical conductor
- Technical
- Stan Ross - sound engineer
- Woody Woodward - art direction
Charts
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 59 |
| US Cash Box Top Pop Albums[8] | 37 |
| US Record World Top 100 LP's[9] | 31 |