''I'm So Proud'' is an album by American singer Deniece Williams which was released in 1983 by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The album reached No. 10 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top Soul Albums chart.

Singles

" Do What You Feel" reached No. 9 on the ''

'' Hot Soul Singles chart. A cover of Curtis Mayfield's "I'm So Proud" reached No. 28 on the same chart.

Critical reception

Connie Johnson of the '' Los Angeles Times'' wrote: "The album works due to fresh-sounding, quality material. This is black pop at its most enterprising." Phyl Garland of '' Stereo Review'' professed, "''I'm So Proud'' shows why Deniece Williams has every right to be. It's simply superb."

Accolades

''I'm So Proud'' was

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominated in the category of Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Track listing

Personnel

* Deniece WillIams – lead vocals, backing vocals (6, 7) *

George Duke George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a pr ...

– electric piano (1, 4, 5, 8), synthesizers (1, 4, 5, 8), acoustic piano (5) * Jerry Peters – keyboards (2, 6) * George Merrill – synthesizers (2, 3, 6), backing vocals (2, 6) * Brian Mann – keyboards (3) * Tyrone Downie – keyboards (7) * Michael Sembello – guitars (1, 5, 8) * Jeff Baxter – guitars (2, 3, 6) *

Paul Jackson Jr. Paul Milton Jackson Jr. (born December 30, 1959) is an American fusion/urban jazz composer, arranger, producer and guitarist. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. Jackson knew by the age of fifteen that he wanted to become a professional musi ...

– guitars (2, 3, 6) * Ronald Butler – guitars (7) * Louis Johnson – bass (1, 4, 5, 8) * Freddie Washington – bass (2, 3, 6) * John "Shaun" Solomon – bass (7) * Ricky Lawson – drums (1, 4, 5, 8) *

Denny Seiwell Denny Seiwell (born July 10, 1943) is an American drummer and a founding member of Wings. He also drummed for Billy Joel and Liza Minnelli and played in the scores for the films ''Waterworld'', '' Grease II'', and ''Vertical Limit''. His drum ...

– drums (2, 3, 6), percussion (3) * Errol Corwin – drums (7) * Bob Zimmitti – percussion (2, 6) * Paulinho da Costa – percussion (5, 8) *

Lenny Castro Lenny or Lennie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lenny (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lennie (surname), a list of people * Lenny (singer) (born 1993), Czech songwriter Arts and entertainment Music * ''L ...

– percussion (6) * Kenny Florendo – percussion (7) * Larry McDonald – percussion (7) *

Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's ...

– tenor saxophone (1) *

Lee Oskar Lee Oskar (born 24 March 1948) is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which was formed by Howard E. Scott and Harold Brown, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer. H ...

–

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

(2) * Bill Neale – arrangements and conductor (2, 3, 6), backing vocals (2) * Philip Bailey – backing vocals (2, 6) * Carl Carwell – backing vocals (2, 6) * Oren Waters – backing vocals (2, 6) *

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

– lead vocals (3)

Production

* Larkin Arnold – executive producer * George Duke – producer (1, 4, 5, 8) * Bill Neale – producer (2, 3, 6) * Deniece WillIams – producer (2, 3, 6, 7) * Peter Chaiken – engineer (1, 4, 5, 8) * Tommy Vicari – recording (1, 4, 5, 8), mixing (1, 4, 5, 8) * Don Murray – engineer (2, 3, 6), mixing (2, 3, 6) * Kenny Florendo – engineer (7) * Wally Traugott – mastering * Nancy Donald – design * Phillip Dixon – photography Studios * Recorded at The Complex (Los Angeles, California); LeGonks West (West Hollywood, California); Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California); Monterey Sound Studios (Glendale, California). * Mixed at Lion Share Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California); Sunset Sound. * Mastered at Allen Zentz Mastering (San Clemente, California).

References

{{Authority control 1983 albums Deniece Williams albums Albums produced by George Duke Columbia Records albums