Niecy
1982 studio album by Deniece Williams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Niecy is an album by American singer Deniece Williams, 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 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Label | ARC/Columbia | |||
| Producer | Thom Bell, Deniece Williams | |||
| Deniece Williams chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Niecy | ||||
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- Deniece Williams – vocals
- Thom Bell – keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements and conductor
- George Merrill – synthesizers, backing vocals
- Bobby Eli – guitars
- Bill Neale – guitars, strings (4)
- Bob Babbitt – bass guitar, Piccolo bass
- Charles Collins – drums
- Ed Shea – percussion
- Larry Washington – percussion
- Don Renaldo – strings, horns
- Joseph B. Jefferson – backing vocals
Production
- Thom Bell – producer
- Deniece Williams – producer
- Joe Tarsia – second engineer
- Dirk Devlen – second engineer
- Michael Tarsia – second engineer
- Mike Reese – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
- Bill Neale – production coordinator
- Nancy Donald – design
- Allan Luftig – photography [1]
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |