''Chér'' (eventually reissued under the title ''Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves'') is the self titled seventh studio album by American singer-actress
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...
, released in September 1971 by
Kapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...
. For this album, Cher left her husband
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and politician who came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republica ...
to produce the album, and for the first time she collaborated with
Snuff Garrett
Thomas Lesslie Garrett (July 5, 1938 – December 16, 2015) known as Snuff Garrett or Tommy Garrett, was an American record producer whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s.
Early years
Garrett was born in Dallas, Texas, United ...
and with
Al Capps
Allan Alfonzo Capps (April 26, 1939 – June 7, 2018) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, he produced and arranged albums for popular artists such as Cher, ...
for the arrangements. The album was retitled after the success of the
single of the same name. It received positive reviews from critics, and the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
certified it Gold on July 2, 1972.
[ Note that certification is under the original title "Cher"] The album was her first and most successful album of the '70s. Two singles were released from the album, "The Way of Love" and "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves", both reaching the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.
Background and production
After the failures of the previous albums, Cher signed a contract with
Kapp Kapp or KAPP may refer to:
*Kapp (headcovering), a headcovering worn by many Anabaptist Christian women
* Kapp, Norway, a village in Østre Toten