C'est Chic

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

C'est Chic
Studio album by Chic
Released	August 11, 1978 (1978-08-11)
Recorded	1978
Studio	Power Station, New York City
Genre	Disco[1] R&B[2]
Length	41:23
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards
Chic chronology
Chic (1977) C'est Chic (1978) Risqué (1979)
Cover of Très Chic
Singles from C'est Chic
"Le Freak" Released: September 21, 1978 "I Want Your Love" Released: January 29, 1979 "Chic Cheer (1984 Mix by Bernard Edwards)" Released: November 1984

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 It was withdrawn and replaced with the C'est Chic version with a less risqué cover.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
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Christgau's Record Guide	B[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[11]
Pitchfork	8.4/10[12]
Rolling Stone	[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[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

Musicians Alfa Anderson – lead vocals (A2,[17] B1, B2, B3) Diva Gray – lead vocals (A2)[17] David Lasley – vocals Luci Martin – vocals Luther Vandross – vocals Robin Clark – backing vocals on "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Everybody Dance" Nile Rodgers – guitar,[17] vocals Raymond Jones – Fender Rhodes electric piano[17] Robert Sabino – acoustic piano,[17] clavinet, electric piano Andy Schwartz – clavinet, acoustic piano, electric piano on "Le Freak" (uncertain)[17] and "At Last I Am Free" Bernard Edwards – bass guitar;[17] lead vocals (A4, B3) Tony Thompson – drums[17] Sammy Figueroa – percussion Jon Faddis – trumpet Ellen Seeling – trumpet Alex Foster – saxophone Jean Fineberg – saxophone Barry Rogers – trombone Jose Rossy – tubular bells The Chic Strings:[17] Marianne Carroll – strings[17] Cheryl Hong – strings[17] Karen Milne – strings[17] Gene Orloff – concert master

Production Bernard Edwards – producer for The Chic Organization Ltd.[17] Nile Rodgers – producer for The Chic Organization Ltd.[17] Marc Kreiner, Tom Cossie – associate producers Bob Clearmountain – sound engineer[17] 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 Chart (1978–1979) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] 21 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] 9 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] 10 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[21] 20 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 16 US Billboard 200[23] 4 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[24] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1979) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] 48 US Billboard 200[26] 30 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[27] 1

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

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1978 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1979 (U.S.)
• Billboard Year-End

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. "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. "US Singles Charts > Chic". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
5. "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. 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)