The Chi-Lites

The Chi-Lites is an African American soul vocal group that was particularly successful in the first half of the 1970s. Between 1969 and 1984 the group had over 40 hits in the American R&B charts. A good half of them also made it into the Billboard Hot 100 . Her biggest hit, the ballad Oh Girl , was number one on the American pop and R&B charts in the spring of 1972.

Band history

The band was founded in 1959 by Eugene Record as the trio The Chanteurs . The first records were made in 1964 as The Hi-Lites for the Daran label. These and other records, now as a quartet The Chi-Lites, had no success until 1969. A record deal with Brunswick and the single Give It Away changed that. The song made it into the top 10 of the R&B charts.

The title song of their second LP (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People should bring their first big success in 1971. The single reached number 26 on the US singles chart. Their single release, Have You Seen Her , reached number 3 in the pop and two weeks at the top of the R&B charts. With the title Oh Girl , the Chi-Lites reached the top of the US singles charts for a week in May 1972. For two weeks, the single topped the R&B charts. They got two more top 40 hits: A Letter To Myself and Stoned Out Of My Mind in 1973. Although they still had some placements in the American pop charts until 1975, their singles mostly landed in the lower quarter of the charts . Until 1976 the vocal group was very successful , especially in England . Half a dozen top 10 hits were achieved here.

Also in 1976 Eugene Record, who had written and produced most of the songs for the Chi-Lites, left the group and released three solo albums with Warner . The Chi-Lites switched to Mercury , devoted themselves to the disco sound that was trendy at the time , but could no longer build on their previous successes. 1980 Records reformed the Chi-Lites in the original line-up. From then on, the band released a number of singles for various labels, which were more or less successful only in the R&B charts. With the electro-funk- oriented song Bottom's up , another top 10 hit was achieved here in 1983. Record left the band again in 1988, his position was taken by Frank Reed, who remained the lead singer of the Chi-Lites until his death in 2014. Record had died in 2005.

Other artists had hits with songs of the Chi-Lites: A new version of the song Homely Girl in 1989, a top 10 success for the British Reggae -Formation UB40 . A year later, Have You Seen Her was even more successful as the cover version of rapper MC Hammer , which was able to assert itself in the international charts. Paul Young had a top 10 hit in the United States that same year with a version of Oh Girl .

Founding member Marshall Thompson still performs with younger musicians as Chi-Lites.

Members

• Creadel "Red" Jones
• Marshall Thompson
• Robert "Squirrel" Lester (August 16, 1942 to January 21, 2010)
• Eugene Record (December 23, 1940 to July 22, 2005)

Discography

Studio albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	R&B
1969	Give it away	US180 (3 weeks) US	R&B16 (7 weeks) R&B
1971	(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People	US12 (32 weeks) US	R&B3 (34 weeks) R&B
1972	A Lonely Man	US5 (36 weeks) US	R&B1 (32 weeks) R&B
1973	A Letter To Myself	US50 (13 weeks) US	R&B4 (15 weeks) R&B
	Chi-Lites	US89 (14 weeks) US	R&B3 (23 weeks) R&B
1974	Toby	US181 (5 weeks) US	R&B12 (13 weeks) R&B
1975	Half a love	-	R&B41 (12 weeks) R&B
1980	Heavenly body	US179 (6 weeks) US	R&B42 (19 weeks) R&B
1982	Me and you	US162 (7 weeks) US	R&B31 (16 weeks) R&B
1983	Bottoms up	US98 (12 weeks) US	R&B15 (18 weeks) R&B
1990	Just say you love me	-	R&B77 (7 weeks) R&B

More studio albums

• 1970: I Like Your Lovin '(Do You Like Mine?)
• 1976: Happy Being Lonely
• 1977: The Fantastic Chi-Lites
• 1981: Love Your Way Through
• 1984: Steppin 'Out
• 1998: Help Wanted
• 2006: Low Key

Compilations

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	R&B
1972	Greatest hits	US55 (24 weeks) US	R&B4 (17 weeks) R&B

More compilations

• 1976: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
• 1983: Greatest Hits
• 1992: Greatest Hits
• 1996: Inner City Blues
• 1996: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
• 1998: Too Good to Be Forgotten
• 1998: Remembered
• 1998: Hit Highlights from The Chi-Lites
• 1999: Have You Seen Her: Their Greatest Hits
• 2001: 20 greatest hits
• 2002: The Best of The Chi-Lites
• 2002: Have You Seen Her
• 2003: The Best of The Chi-Lites
• 2006: The Ultimate Chi-Lites

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)			Remarks
		UK	US	R&B
1969	Give It Away Give It Away	-	US88 (6 weeks) US	R&B10 (9 weeks) R&B
	Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was Give It Away	-	US94 (3 weeks) US	R&B15 (6 weeks) R&B
	The Twelfth of Never Give It Away	-	-	R&B47 (2 weeks) R&B	B-side of Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was
1970	24 Hours of Sadness Give It Away	-	-	R&B30 (5 weeks) R&B
	I Like Your Lovin '(Do You Like Mine) I Like Your Lovin' (Do You Like Mine)	-	US72 (6 weeks) US	R&B11 (14 weeks) R&B
	Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So) I Like Your Lovin '(Do You Like Mine)	-	US72 (7 weeks) US	R&B8 (12 weeks) R&B
1971	(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People	UK32 (6 weeks) UK	US26 (11 weeks) US	R&B4 (12 weeks) R&B
	We Are Neighbors (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People	-	US70 (5 weeks) US	R&B17 (7 weeks) R&B
	I Want To Pay You Back (For Loving Me) (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People	-	US95 (3 weeks) US	R&B35 (9 weeks) R&B
	Have You Seen Her (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People	UK3 (12 weeks) UK	US3 (14 weeks) US	R&B1 (21 weeks) R&B
1972	Oh girl a lonely man	UK14 (9 weeks) UK	US1 (15 weeks) US	R&B1 (15 weeks) R&B
	The Coldest Day of My Life (Part 1) A Lonely Man	-	US47 (9 weeks) US	R&B8 (10 weeks) R&B
	A Lonely Man A Lonely Man	-	US57 (5 weeks) US	R&B25 (8 weeks) R&B	B-side: The Man & The Woman (The Boy & The Girl)
	We Need Order A Letter to Myself	-	US61 (6 weeks) US	R&B13 (9 weeks) R&B
1973	A Letter to Myself A Letter to Myself	-	US33 (11 weeks) US	R&B3 (11 weeks) R&B
	My Heart Just Keeps On Breakin ' A Letter to Myself	-	US92 (4 weeks) US	R&B46 (2 weeks) R&B
	Stoned Out of My Mind Chi-Lites	-	US30 (13 weeks) US	R&B2 (16 weeks) R&B
	I Found Sunshine Chi-Lites	UK35 (5 weeks) UK	US47 (10 weeks) US	R&B17 (14 weeks) R&B
1974	Homely Girl Chi-Lites	UK5 (13 weeks) UK	US54 (8 weeks) US	R&B3 (17 weeks) R&B
	There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated At The Conference Table) Toby	-	US63 (7 weeks) US	R&B8 (14 weeks) R&B
	You Got To Be The One Toby	-	US83 (3 weeks) US	R&B15 (11 weeks) R&B
	Too Good to Be Forgotten	UK10 (11 weeks) UK	-	-
	Toby Toby	-	US78 (7 weeks) US	R&B7 (17 weeks) R&B	B-side: That's How Long
1975	Have You Seen Her	UK5 (9 weeks) UK	-	-	B-side: Oh girl
	It's Time for Love Half A Love	UK5 (10 weeks) UK	US94 (3 weeks) US	R&B27 (10 weeks) R&B
	Here I Am Half A Love	-	-	R&B87 (1 week) R&B	B-side of It's Time for Love
1976	The Devil Is Doing His Work	-	-	R&B32 (8 weeks) R&B
	You don't have to go	UK3 (11 weeks) UK	-	R&B50 (13 weeks) R&B
	Happy Being Lonely Happy Being Lonely	-	-	R&B30 (15 weeks) R&B
1977	Vanishing Love Happy Being Lonely	-	-	R&B95 (1 week) R&B	B-side: I turn away
	My First Mistake The Fantastic Chi-Lites	-	-	R&B63 (6 weeks) R&B
	If I Had a Girl The Fantastic Chi-Lites	-	-	R&B87 (5 weeks) R&B
1980	Heavenly Body Heavenly Body	-	-	R&B36 (15 weeks) R&B
1981	Me and You Me and You	-	-	R&B70 (6 weeks) R&B
1982	Hot on a Thing (Called Love) Me and You	-	-	R&B15 (17 weeks) R&B
1983	Bottom's Up Bottom's Up	-	-	R&B7 (18 weeks) R&B
	Bad Motor Scooter Bottom’s Up	-	-	R&B28 (13 weeks) R&B
	Have You Seen Her (1983)	UK100 (1 week) UK	-	-
	Changing For You Bottom’s Up	UK61 (5 weeks) UK	-	-
1984	Stop What You're Doin ' Steppin' Out	-	-	R&B33 (11 weeks) R&B
	Gimme Whatcha Got Steppin 'Out	-	-	R&B41 (10 weeks) R&B
1997	Help Wanted (Heroes Are In Short Supply) Help Wanted (Heroes Are In Short Supply)	-	-	R&B95 (2 weeks) R&B
1998	Hold on to Your Dreams Help Wanted (Heroes Are In Short Supply)	-	-	R&B93 (4 weeks) R&B

More singles

• 1964: You Did That to Me
• 1965: I'm So Jealous
• 1965: Ain't You Glad (Winter's Over)
• 1965: Never No More
• 1966: Pretty Girl
• 1967: Price of Love
• 1967: Love Me
• 1968: (Um, Um) My Baby Loves Me
• 1969: To Change My Love
• 1975: Don't Burn No Bridges (with Jackie Wilson )
• 1978: The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)
• 1979: Higher
• 1980: The Only One for Me (One in a Million)
• 1981: All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You
• 1982: Try My Side (Of Love)
• 1985: Hard Act to Follow
• 1990: There's a Change

literature

• Irwin Stambler: The Encyclopedia Of Pop, Rock And Soul . 3rd revised edition. St. Martin's Press, New York City 1989, ISBN 0-312-02573-4 , pp. 120f.
• Jay Warner: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . Billboard Books, New York City 1992, pp. 345f.

Web links

• Group website

Individual evidence

1. ^ Joel Whitburn: Top R&B Singles 1942-1995, 1996 ISBN 0-89820-115-2
2. ↑ US catalog number: Brunswick 55450. The US chart quotations according to Joel Whitburn: Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 . Record Research, Menomonee Falls WI 1994, p. 111
3. ^ US catalog number: Brunswick 55462
4. ↑ US catalog number: Brunswick 55471. For more information on the title, see: Fred Bronson: The Billboard Book of Number One Hits . 3rd revised and expanded edition. Billboard Publications, New York City 1992, p. 311
5. ↑ Joel Whitburn: The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Hits . 7th revised and expanded edition. Billboard Books, New York City 2005, p. 128
6. ↑ http://www.classicbands.com/Chi-LitesInterview.html
7. ↑ http://www.soultracks.com/story-chilites-reed
8. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jul/25/local/me-passings25.1
9. ↑ ^{a b c} Chart sources: Charts UK Charts US