''C'est Chic'' is the second studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

in 1978.

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, selling six million copies in the US. The album also contains the hit single " I Want Your Love" (number 5 R&B, number 7 Pop, number 4 UK). ''C'est Chic'' was the band's most commercially successful album, reaching number 4 on ''Billboard'''s

album chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often ...

and topping the US R&B chart for eleven weeks. ''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 The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

, selling over a million copies. In the UK it peaked at number 2 and has been certified Gold by the BPI. 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 It was withdrawn and replaced with the ''C'est Chic'' version with a less risqué cover.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

/ Warner Music 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 Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

by Atlantic.

Track listing

All songs written by

Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player and record producer, known primarily for his work in disco music with guitarist Nile Rodgers, with whom he co-founded Chic. In 2017, Edwards was selected as the ...

and

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

; except where indicated.

''C'est Chic''

;Side one # "Chic Cheer" – 4:42 # " Le Freak" – 5:27 # "Savoir Faire" – 5:01 # "Happy Man" – 4:17 ;Side two # " I Want Your Love" – 6:55 # "At Last I Am Free" – 7:08 # "Sometimes You Win" – 4:26 # "(Funny) Bone" – 3:41 #*(LP only hidden track- moog solo)

''Très Chic''

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

Personnel

;Musicians * Alfa Anderson –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

(A2, B1, B2, B3) * Diva Gray – lead vocals (A2) * David Lasley – vocals * Luci Martin – vocals *

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

– vocals * Robin Clark – backing vocals on "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Everybody Dance" *

– guitar, vocals * Raymond Jones – Fender Rhodes electric piano * Robert Sabino –

clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

, acoustic piano,

electric piano An electric piano is a musical instrument which produces sounds when a performer presses the keys of a piano-style musical keyboard. Pressing keys causes mechanical hammers to strike metal strings, metal reeds or wire tines, leading to vibrations ...

* Andy Schwartz – clavinet, acoustic piano, electric piano on "At Last I Am Free" *

– bass guitar; lead vocals (A4, B3) * Tony Thompson –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Sammy Figueroa Sammy Figueroa (born November 16, 1948, The Bronx, New York) is an American percussionist. At 18 he joined the band of bassist Bobby Valentín and also co-led the Brazilian/Latin fusion group Raíces. Selected Discography Jon Faddis Jon Faddis (born July 24, 1953) is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator, renowned for both his playing and for his expertise in the field of music education. Upon his first appearance on the scene, he became known ...

– trumpet * Ellen Seeling – trumpet * Alex Foster – saxophone * Jean Fineberg – saxophone * Barry Rogers – trombone * Jose Rossy – tubular bells * The Chic Strings: ** Marianne Carroll – strings ** Cheryl Hong – strings ** Karen Milne – strings * Gene Orloff – concert master ;Production *

– producer for Chic Organization Ltd. *

– producer for Chic Organization Ltd. * Marc Kreiner, Tom Cossie – associate producers * Bob Clearmountain – sound engineer * Burt Szerlip – engineer * Jeff Hendrickson – assistant engineer * Ray Willard as "Positively No Way Ray (Willard?)" – assistant engineer * Bob Defrin – art direction * Joel Brodsky – photography * All songs recorded and mixed at Power Station in New York. Mastered at Atlantic Studios, N.Y.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

{{Authority control Chic (band) albums 1978 albums Atlantic Records albums Albums produced by Nile Rodgers Albums produced by Bernard Edwards Albums with cover art by Joel Brodsky