C'est Chic

Studio album by Chic

Released

August 11, 1978

Recorded

1978

Genre

Soul, funk, R&B

Length

41:23

Label

Atlantic

Producer

Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards

Chic chronology

Chic
(1977)

C'est Chic
(1978)

Risqué
(1979)

Singles from C'est Chic

"Le Freak"
Released: July 10, 1978
"I Want Your Love"
Released: 1978
"Chic Cheer"
Released: 1978

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	B^[2]
Rolling Stone	^[3]

	Le Freak Chic's "Le Freak" from C'est Chic
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C'est Chic is the second studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1978.

C'est Chic includes the band's classic 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 alone and is to date both Atlantic Records' and parent company Warner Music's best-selling single ever – a record it's held for 35 years. The album also contains the hit single "I Want Your Love" (#5 R&B, #7 Pop, #4 UK).

C'est Chic reached No. 4 on Billboard's album chart and topped the US R&B chart for eleven weeks. C'est Chic was Billboard Magazine'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, selling over a million copies. In the UK it peaked at No.2 and has been certified Gold by the BPI.

C'est Chic was released on compact disc by Atlantic Records/Warner Music in 1991 (catalogue number 7567-81552-2). The album was digitally remastered and re-issued by Warner Music Japan in 2011.

Track listing

All songs written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.

Side A

"Chic Cheer" – 4:42
"Le Freak" – 5:23 Listen
"Savoir Faire" – 5:01
"Happy Man" – 4:17

Side B

"I Want Your Love" – 6:45 Listen
"At Last I Am Free" – 7:08
"Sometimes You Win" – 4:26
"(Funny) Bone" – 3:41

(LP only hidden track- moog solo)

Personnel

Alfa Anderson - lead vocals
Luci Martin - lead vocals
Bernard Edwards - vocals, bass guitar
Nile Rodgers - guitar, vocals
Tony Thompson - drums
Diva Gray – vocals
David Lasley – vocals
Luther Vandross – vocals
Robert Sabino – clavinet, acoustic piano and electric piano
Andy Schwartz – clavinet, acoustic piano and electric piano
Raymond Jones – Fender Rhodes
Sammy Figueroa – percussion
Jose Rossy – tubular bells
Marianne Carroll (The Chic Strings) – strings
Cheryl Hong (The Chic Strings) – strings
Karen Milne (The Chic Strings) – strings
Jon Faddis – trumpet
Ellen Seeling – trumpet
Alex Foster – saxophone
Jean Fineberg – saxophone
Barry Rodgers – trombone
Gene Orloff – concert master

Production

Bernard Edwards – producer for Chic Organization Ltd.
Nile Rodgers – producer for Chic Organization Ltd.
Bob Clearmountain – sound engineer
Burt Szerlip – engineer
Jeff Hendrickson – engineer
Ray Willard – engineer
All songs recorded and mixed at Power Station in New York. Mastered at Atlantic Studios, N.Y.

Trivia

In 1979, the track Chic Cheer was used by Dutch satirists Van Kooten & De Bie in a sketch about two scheming gangsters (Jacobse & Van Es) purchasing an equally dodgy car.

Early 1980 their compatriot Dingetje (more or less the Dutch Weird Al Yankovic) made it the backing track for Dit is de zender van Illegale Joop chronicling a 27 MC-conversation on soon-to-be-closed pirate-radio.

In 1980 Robert Wyatt released his version of "At Last I Am Free" as a 7" single on Rough Trade Records. It was later included on his 1981 album Nothing Can Stop Us.

The intro cinematic in the video game Krazy Ivan has this song as part of its background music.

"Le Freak" is one of the featured songs in the video game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2.

"Chic Cheer" was sampled in Faith Evans' "Love Like This", which in turn was sampled in Fatman Scoop's "Be Faithful".

"Le Freak" is heard in the 2004 movie Shrek 2.

"Le Freak" was also used in a 2013 commercial for the Toyota Corolla vehicle.

"Le Freak" is heard on the third Toy Story movie during the scene where Ken is trying his clothes and Barbie is watching.

References