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 It was withdrawn and replaced with the C'est Chic version with a less risqué cover.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