This Is Niecy Explained

This Is Niecy is the debut album of American R&B singer Deniece Williams released on August 13, 1976 by Columbia Records.^[1] The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the Billboard 200.^{[2] [3]} The album has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA and Silver in the UK by the BPI.^{[4] [5]}

Overview

The album was remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in 2013 by Big Break Records.

Critical reception

With a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, Andy Kellman of Allmusic declared "This Is Niecy is a great complement to Earth, Wind & Fire's Spirit, released the same year -- not only for its overlapping personnel, but also for its greatness." David O' Donnell of the BBC noted "what really shines from the album is Williams' distinctive soprano voice, range and acrobatic vocal ability which confirms her as one of the greatest R&B and soul singers of her time." Sheila Prophet of Record Mirror gave the album a four out of five star rating. calling This Is Niecy "a great first album", Prophet added "Niecy's voice combines the silkiness of Diana Ross with the exuberance of Linda Lewis".

Singles

Singles from the album were "Free" which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.^{[6] [7] [8]}

Personnel

• Deniece Williams – lead and backing vocals
• Maurice White – drums, backing vocals
• Freddie White – drums, percussion
• Verdine White – bass
• Al McKay – guitar
• Jerry Peters – acoustic piano, electric piano
• George Bohanon, Randy Aldcroft – trombone
• Gale Robinson, Sidney Muldrow – French Horn
• Oscar Brashear, Steve Madaio – trumpet
• Ernie Watts, Plas Johnson, Ray Pizzi, Terry Harrington – woodwinds
• Sidney Barnes – backing vocals

Production

• Producers – Charles Stepney and Maurice White
• Engineer – George Massenburg
• Assistant Engineers – Steve Hodge and Dean Rod
• Mastered by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
• Design – Ron Coro and Norm Ung
• Photography – Ethan Russell and Jimmy Shea
• Management – Cavallo-Ruffalo Management

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Position
US Billboard 200[9]	55
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10]	19

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions
		US Pop	US R&B	US Dance	UK Pop Singles
1976	"It's Important to Me"	-	-	13	-
1977	"Free"	25	2	1	1
	"Cause You Love Me, Baby"	-	74	-	-
	"That's What Friends Are For"	-	65	-	8

Notes and References

1. Book: Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. August 1976. Columbia Records.
2. Web site: Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy (Top Soul Albums). Billboard. billboard.com.
3. Web site: Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy (Billboard 200). Billboard. billboard.com.
4. Web site: Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. RIAA.com.
5. Web site: Deniece Williams: This Is Niecy. bpi.co.uk.
6. Web site: Deniece Williams: Free (Hot Soul Songs). Billboard. billboard.com.
7. Web site: Deniece Williams: Free (Hot 100). Billboard. billboard.com.
8. Web site: Deniece Williams. Official Charts. officialcharts.com.
9. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1977. Billboard. September 24, 2021.
10. Web site: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1977. Billboard. September 24, 2021.