Niecy

Niecy
Studio album by
Deniece Williams
ReleasedMarch 19, 1982
Recorded1981
StudiosSigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenresR&B, soul
Length33:14
LabelARC/Columbia
ProducersThom Bell, Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams chronology
My Melody
(1981)		 Niecy
(1982)		 I'm So Proud
(1983)
Singles from Niecy
  1. "It's Gonna Take a Miracle"
    Released: March 1982
  2. "Waiting by the Hotline"
    Released: June 1982
  3. "Waiting"
    Released: October 1982

Niecy is an album by American singer Deniece Williams, released in 1982 on ARC/Columbia Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Top Soul Albums chart and No. 20 on the Billboard 200.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar
Robert ChristgauB+

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." People described the album as "upbeat, soulful and polished."

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." 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." 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."

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

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Waiting by the Hotline"Deniece Williams, Thom Bell3:40
2."It's Gonna Take a Miracle"Teddy Randazzo, Bob Weinstein, Lou Stallman4:10
3."Love Notes"Deniece Williams, Skip Scarborough4:22
4."I Believe in Miracles"Deniece Williams, Bill Neale2:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."How Does It Feel"Deniece Williams, Thom Bell5:50
2."Waiting"Deniece Williams, Thom Bell4:32
3."Now Is the Time for Love"Deniece Williams, Thom Bell4:09
4."A Part of Love"Deniece Williams, Kevin Bassinson3:39

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

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

References

  1. 1 2 Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. ARC/Columbia Records. 1982.
  2. 1 2 Kantor, Justin. "Deniece Williams: Niecy". AllMusic.
  3. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy". Robert Christgau.
  4. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Niecy". People. May 24, 1982.
  5. ↑ Considine, J D (July 1982). "Rock". Musician. No. 45. pp. 88, 97. ProQuest 964127547.
  6. ↑ Cioe, Christian (July 1982). "Denice Williams: Niecy" (PDF). High Fidelity. Vol. 32, no. 7. pp. 74, 80.
  7. ↑ "Deniece Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Deniece Williams Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.