Song Bird (Deniece Williams album)

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Song Bird
Deniece Williams - Song Bird.jpg
Studio album by
Deniece Williams
ReleasedOctober 28, 1977
RecordedApril–July 1977
Studio
  • Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, CA
  • Sunset Sound
  • Hollywood Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA
  • The Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA
GenreR&B, soul, disco
Length37:25
LabelColumbia
ProducerMaurice White
Deniece Williams chronology
This Is Niecy
(1976) 		Song Bird
(1977) 		That's What Friends Are For
(1978)

Song Bird is the second studio album by American singer Deniece Williams, released on October 28, 1977, by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 23 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 5 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart.[1][2][3]

Overview[]

Song Bird was produced by Maurice White.[1]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3.5/5 stars[4]
Daily Express(4/5)[5]
New York Times(favourable)[6]
Cashbox(favourable)[7]
Stereo Review(favourable)[8]
Variety(favourable)[9]

With a four out of five rating Simon Gage of The Daily Express described Song Bird as being "filled with gorgeous songs that showcase her four-octave range to full effect".[5] John Rockwell of The New York Times stated "Deniece Williams's “Song Bird” is a most appealing album for anyone who likes varied, skillful and sophisticated singing in the black pop area." He also added "One can't be more stylistically precise than that because it is a characteristic of Maurice White's production and Miss Williams's virtuousically diverse singing that her disk ambles all over the stylistic map. But instead of sounding diffuse, it sounds refreshingly varied.".[6]

Singles[]

"Baby, Baby My Love's All for You" rose to No. 13 upon the US Billboard Hot R&B Songs and No. 32 on the UK Pop singles chart.[10][11]

Samples and Covers[]

"We Have Love for You" was sampled on the track "Remember Them Days" by Beanie Sigel featuring Eve off Sigel's 2000 album The Truth. Williams also covered Ferlin Husky's Time upon the album [12][13]

Appearances in other media[]

Williams went on to perform the album cut God Is Amazing at the 1984 Grammy Awards.[14][15]

Track listing[]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Time"Al McKay, Deniece Williams, Fred White, Jerry Peters, Marlo Henderson, Maurice White, Verdine White3:51
2."The Boy I Left Behind"Eric Eisner3:37
3."We Have Love for You"Al Johnson3:36
4."God Is Amazing"Deniece Williams4:00
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Baby, Baby My Love's All for You"Verdine White, Robert Wright4:09
6."Season"Clarence McDonald, Fritz Baskett3:38
7."Be Good to Me"Clarence McDonald, Deniece Williams, Fritz Baskett2:56
8."The Paper"Deniece Williams7:48

[1]

Personnel[]

[1]

Production[]

  • Producer – Maurice White
  • Co-Producer – Jerry Peters
  • Engineer – Warren Dewey
  • Assistant Engineer – Jack Rouben
  • Design – Nancy Donald
  • Photography – Kenneth McGowan
  • Management – Cavallo-Ruffalo Management

[1]

Charts[]

Album
Year Chart Position
1977 US Billboard Top R&B Albums 23[2]
US Billboard 200 66
1978 UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums 5[3]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Deniece Williams: Song Bird". 45worlds.com.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Deniece Williams: Songbird (Top R&B Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Top British Soul Albums". No. 242. Blues & Soul. January 3, 1978. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  4. ^ "Deniece Williams: Song Bird". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Gage, Simon. "Review: Deniece Williams - Song Bird (BBR)". express.co.uk. Daily Express.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Rockwell, John (December 30, 1977). "The Pop Life". The New York Times.
  7. ^ "Albums". Vol. 39 no. 23. Cashbox. November 5, 1977. p. 24 – via archive.org. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  8. ^ Garland, Phyl (April 1978). "Deniece Williams: Song Bird" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 40 no. 4. Stereo Review. p. 104.
  9. ^ "Music-Records: ELP, Cooper, Players, Wynne, Ramones, Trammps, Preston, Garrett, Chic, Roberts Top LPs". proquest.com. Vol. 289 no. 6. Variety. December 14, 1977. p. 78. ProQuest 1401322413.
  10. ^ "Deniece Williams". officialcharts.com. Official Charts.
  11. ^ "Deniece Williams: Baby, Baby My Love's All For You (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  12. ^ Beanie Sigel feat. Eve: Remember Them Days. Def Jam Records. 2000.
  13. ^ "Deniece Williams: Time". cover.info.
  14. ^ "EXCLUSIVE! A Conversation with the Legendary Deniece Williams". sacculturalhub.com.
  15. ^ "SAVING GRACE: DENIECE WILLIAMS". lafocusnewspaper.com.
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