Song Bird (Deniece Williams album)

1977 studio album by Deniece Williams

Song Bird

Studio album by

Deniece Williams

Released| October 28, 1977
Recorded| April–July 1977
Studio|

* Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, CA
* Sunset Sound
* Hollywood Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA
* The Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA

Genre| R&B, soul, disco
Length| 37:25
Label| Columbia
Producer| Maurice White
Deniece Williams chronology
| This Is Niecy
(1976)  | Song Bird
(1977)  | That's What Friends Are For
(1978)

|
|

Singles from  Song Bird

1. "Baby, Baby My Love's All for You"
Released: October 1977

Song Bird is the second studio album by American singer Deniece Williams. It was produced by Maurice White and released on October 28, 1977, by Columbia Records. The album peaked at 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]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [3]
Cashbox| (favourable)[5]
Daily Express| 4/5[4]
Variety| (favourable)[6]

With a four out of five rating, Simon Gage of Daily Express described Song Bird as being "filled with gorgeous songs that showcase her four-octave range to full effect."[4] 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."[7] Phyl Garland of Stereo Review commented: "Here she is fitted out with material that is even better than that on her fine first album. Producer Maurice White poured all of the proper stuff into this one; the arrangements are imaginative, and several name musicians supply smooth, unobtrusive instrumental backing. Ms. Williams is also a songwriter of notable talent, for she helped write some of the best tunes here."[8]

## Singles

[edit]

"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.[9][10]

## Covers

[edit]

Williams covered Ferlin Husky's "Time" on the album.[11]

## Appearances in other media

[edit]

Williams performed "God Is Amazing" at the 1984 Grammy Awards.[12][13]

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Time"| Al McKay, Deniece Williams, Fred White, Jerry Peters, Marlo Henderson, Maurice White, Verdine White| 3:51
2.| "The Boy I Left Behind"| Eric Eisner| 3:37
3.| "We Have Love for You"| Al Johnson| 3:36
4.| "God Is Amazing"| Deniece Williams| 4:00

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

5.| "Baby, Baby My Love's All for You"| Verdine White, Robert Wright| 4:09
6.| "Season"| Clarence McDonald, Fritz Baskett| 3:38
7.| "Be Good to Me"| Clarence McDonald, Deniece Williams, Fritz Baskett| 2:56
8.| "The Paper"| Deniece Williams| 7:48

## Personnel

[edit]

* Deniece Williams – lead vocals, backing vocals
* Sidney Barnes – backing vocals
* Jerry Peters – pianos
* Larry Dunn – synthesizers
* Charles Fearing – guitars
* Marlo Henderson – guitars
* Al McKay – guitars
* John Rowin Jr. – guitars
* Nathan Watts – bass
* Verdine White – bass
* David Garibaldi – drums
* Fred White – drums
* Maurice White – drums, backing vocals
* Paulinho da Costa – percussion
* Victor Feldman – vibraphone
* Azar Lawrence – saxophones
* Don Myrick – saxophones, sax solo (6, 8)
* George Patterson – saxophones
* Andrew Woolfolk – saxophones
* George Bohanon – trombone
* Charles Loper – trombone
* Louis Satterfield – trombone
* Oscar Brashear – trumpet
* Chuck Findley – trumpet
* Michael Harris – trumpet, trumpet solo (8)
* Steve Madaio – trumpet
* Tom Tom 84 (Tom Washington) – string and horn arrangements

### Production

[edit]

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

## Charts

[edit]

Album  Year  | Chart  | Position

|
|

1977  | US Billboard Top R&B Albums | 23[1]
US Billboard 200 | 66
1978  | UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums  | 5[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Deniece Williams: Songbird (Top R&B Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
2. ^ a b "Top British Soul Albums". Blues & Soul. No. 242\. January 3, 1978.
3. ^ "Deniece Williams: Song Bird". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
4. ^ a b Gage, Simon. "Review: Deniece Williams - Song Bird (BBR)". express.co.uk. Daily Express.
5. ^ "Albums". Cashbox. Vol. 39, no. 23\. November 5, 1977. p. 24 – via archive.org.
6. ^ "Music-Records: ELP, Cooper, Players, Wynne, Ramones, Trammps, Preston, Garrett, Chic, Roberts Top LPs". Variety. Vol. 289, no. 6\. December 14, 1977. pp. 72, 78. ProQuest 1401322413.
7. ^ Rockwell, John (December 30, 1977). "The Pop Life". The New York Times.
8. ^ Garland, Phyl (April 1978). "Deniece Williams: Song Bird" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 40, no. 4\. Stereo Review. p. 104.
9. ^ "Deniece Williams". officialcharts.com. Official Charts.
10. ^ "Deniece Williams: Baby, Baby My Love's All For You (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
11. ^ "Deniece Williams: Time". cover.info.
12. ^ "EXCLUSIVE! A Conversation with the Legendary Deniece Williams". sacculturalhub.com.
13. ^ "SAVING GRACE: DENIECE WILLIAMS". lafocusnewspaper.com.

* v
* t
* e

Deniece Williams

Studio albums|

* This Is Niecy (1976)
* Song Bird (1977)
* When Love Comes Calling (1979)
* My Melody (1981)
* Niecy (1982)
* I'm So Proud (1983)
* Let's Hear It for the Boy (1984)
* So Glad I Know (1986)
* Water Under the Bridge (1987)
* Special Love (1989)
* This Is My Song (1998)

Duet albums|

* That's What Friends Are For (1978) (with Johnny Mathis)

Compilation albums|

* From the Beginning (1990)

Singles|

* "Free" (1976)
* "That's What Friends Are For" (1977)
* "Baby, Baby My Love's All for You" (1977)
* "I've Got the Next Dance" (1979)
* "What Two Can Do" (1981)
* "Silly" (1981)
* "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" (1982)
* "Waiting by the Hotline" (1982)
* "Do What You Feel" (1983)
* "I'm So Proud" (1983)
* "Let's Hear It for the Boy" (1984)
* "Next Love" (1984)
* "Black Butterfly" (1984)
* "Wiser and Weaker" (1986)
* "Never Say Never" (1987)
* "I Confess" (1987)
* "I Can't Wait" (1988)
* "This Is as Good as It Gets" (1988)

Duet singles|

* "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" (1978) (with Johnny Mathis)
* "You're All I Need to Get By" (1978) (with Johnny Mathis)
* "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (1984) (with Johnny Mathis)

Related topics|

* Discography
* Family Ties

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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