C'est Chic

C'est Chic
Studio album by
Chic
ReleasedAugust 11, 1978 (1978-08-11)
Recorded1978
StudioPower Station, New York City
Genre
Length41:23
LabelAtlantic
ProducerNile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
Chic chronology
Chic
(1977) 		C'est Chic
(1978) 		Risqué
(1979)
Cover of Très Chic
Singles from C'est Chic
  1. "Le Freak"
    Released: September 21, 1978
  2. "I Want Your Love"
    Released: January 29, 1979
  3. "Chic Cheer (1984 Mix by Bernard Edwards)"
    Released: November 1984

C'est Chic is the second studio album by American band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1978.[3]

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 It was withdrawn and replaced with the C'est Chic version with a less risqué cover.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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Christgau's Record GuideB[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
Pitchfork8.4/10[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide9/10[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
  1. "Chic Cheer" – 4:42
  2. "Le Freak" – 5:27 Sampleⓘ
  3. "Savoir Faire" – 5:01
  4. "Happy Man" – 4:17
Side two
  1. "I Want Your Love" – 6:55 Sampleⓘ
  2. "At Last I Am Free" – 7:08
  3. "Sometimes You Win" – 4:26
  4. "(Funny) Bone" – 3:41
    • (LP only hidden track – moog solo)

Très Chic

Side one
  1. "Chic Cheer" – 4:42
  2. "Le Freak" – 5:23 Sampleⓘ
  3. "I Want Your Love" – 6:55 Sampleⓘ
  4. "Happy Man" – 4:17
  5. "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (Edwards, Kenny Lehman, Rodgers) – 3:35
Side two
  1. "Savoir Faire" – 5:01
  2. "At Last I Am Free" – 7:08
  3. "Sometimes You Win" – 4:26
  4. "(Funny) Bone" – 3:41
  5. "Everybody Dance" – 3:22

Personnel

Charts

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.
^ Shipments 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]

See also

References

  1. ^ Molanphy, Chris (January 19, 2021). "These Are the Good Times Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Pop Music". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. December 17, 1978. p. 127.
  3. ^ Bourne, Kay (December 7, 1978). "Disco group 'Chic' produce own success". Bay State Banner. No. 9. p. 17.
  4. ^ a b c "US Singles Charts > Chic". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "UK Charts > Chic". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  6. ^ "US Albums Charts > Chic". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "US Certifications > Chic". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  8. ^ "UK Certified Awards Search > Chic". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  9. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "C'est Chic – Chic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Chic: C'est Chic". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN 0-89919-026-X. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Chic". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  12. ^ Beta, Andy (December 12, 2018). "Chic / Sister Sledge: The Chic Organization 1977–1979". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  13. ^ Walters, Barry (September 8, 2005). "Chic: C'est Chic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  14. ^ Sisario, Ben (2004). "Chic". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 161. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ^ Walters, Barry (1995). "Chic". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 81–82. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  16. ^ Gilday, Katherine (December 20, 1978). "Pop". The Globe and Mail. p. F9.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Buskin, Richard. "Classic Tracks: Chic 'Le Freak'". SoundOnSound. Sound On Sound. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Chic – C'est Chic" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chic – C'est Chic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chic – C'est Chic" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  21. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Chic – C'est Chic". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  22. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Chic – C'est Chic". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  23. ^ "Chic Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  24. ^ "Chic Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  25. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1979". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  26. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  27. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  28. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Chic – C' Est Chic". Music Canada. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  29. ^ "French album certifications – Chic – C'est Chic" (in French). InfoDisc. Select CHIC and click OK. 
  30. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  31. ^ "British album certifications – Chic – C' Est Chic". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  32. ^ "American album certifications – Chic – C'est Chic". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  33. ^ Indie hits : 1980-1989 : the complete U.K. independent charts (singles & albums). Barry Lazell. London: Cherry Red Books. 1997. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4. OCLC 38292499.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)