Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler (* 6. July 1937 as Eugene Dixon in Chicago , Illinois ) is an American singer and music producer. As a singer, he was successful in both pop and rhythm and blues .
Life
When Chandler was still called Eugene Dixon, he founded the vocal group The Gaytones at the age of 18, and two years later he joined the Chicago rock and roll group The Dukays. Shortly afterwards he went to the US Army for three years, where he spent most of his military service in Germany. During this time he tried his hand at the soldiers' clubs as a solo singer. In 1960 Eugene returned to the Dukays, who had now signed a record deal with the small company Nat Records. In the summer of 1961 he had his first record success with the Dukays, the title The Girl's A Devil stayed in the top 100 of the US pop charts for three weeks and reached 64th as the best rating.
In the same year the band members Earl Edwards and Bernice Williams wrote the title Duke Of Earl , of whose success they were so convinced that they offered it to the big record company Vee-Jay , which already had greats like Jerry Butler and Jimmy Reed under contract. Since the previous record company Nat insisted on their contract, Vee Jay manager Calvin Carter negotiated a compromise according to which the song should be produced as a solo piece with Eugene. After Eugene had also acquired the stage name Gene Chandler, Vee-Jay was able to release the record in the winter of 1961. On January 13, 1962, Duke Of Earl moved into the Top 100 on Billboard and was later number 1 for three weeks. The title was listed at 13th place on Billboard's annual balance sheet. With Rainbow , You Threw A Lucky Punch and Man's Temptation Chandler had other hits with Vee-Jay, he then joined in the summer of 1963 on the record label Constellation . There began a successful collaboration with Curtis Mayfield , who wrote the successful titles Just Be True and Nothing Can Stop Me for Chandler . With these two songs, Chandler achieved good placements (4th, 3rd) , especially in the rhythm and blues charts. When Constellation ceased operations in 1966, Chandler was initially signed by the Chicago record company Checker Records , where he only came to a top 50 successful title until 1969 with I Fooled You This Time . There followed just as unsuccessful years at Brunswick before he was able to record a hit again in 1970 with Groovy Situation at Mercury on rank 12, which became his only million seller .
At that time, Chandler had already started a new career as owner of two music publishers and the record company Bamboo, and as a producer. At Bamboo he produced the title Backfield In Motion in 1969 , which with the duo Mel & Tim became a million-dollar success. He has received several awards for his successful productions, in 1970 he was honored with the title “Producer Of The Year”. The Rhythm and Blues Foundation presented Chandler with the 1997 Pioneer Awards.
Discography (US singles)
| title | Cat.No. | released |
|---|---|---|
| Vee Jay | ||
| Duke of Earl / Kissin 'in the Kitchen | 416 | 12/1961 |
| Walk On with the Duke / London Town | 440 | 4/1962 |
| Daddy's Home / The Big Lie | 450 | 6/1962 |
| I'll Follow You / You Left Me | 455 | 8/1962 |
| Tear for Tear / Miracle After Miracle | 461 | 9/1962 |
| You Threw a Lucky Punch / Rainbow | 468 | 11/1962 |
| Check Yourself / Forgive Me | 511 | 4/1963 |
| Baby, That's Love / Man's Temptation | 536 | 6/1963 |
| Constellation | ||
| From Day to Day / It's so Good for Me | 104 | 8/1963 |
| Pretty Little Girl / A Little Like Lovin ' | 110 | 12/1963 |
| Think Nothing About It / Wish You Where Here | 112 | 2/1964 |
| Soul Hootenanny (Pt1) / Soul Hootenanny (Pt2) | 114 | 4/1964 |
| A Song Called Soul / You Left Me | 124 | 5/1964 |
| Just Be True / A Song Called Soul | 130 | 6/1964 |
| Bless Our Love / London Town | 136 | 9/1964 |
| What Now / If You Can't Be True | 141 | 11/1964 |
| You Can't Hurt Me No More / Everybody Let's Dance | 146 | 2/1965 |
| Nothing Can Stop Me / The Big Lie | 149 | 4/1965 |
| Rainbow '65 (Pt1) / Rainbow' 65 (Pt2) | 158 | 8/1965 |
| Good Times / No One Can Love You | 160 | 8/1965 |
| Here Come the Tears / Soul Hootenanny (Pt2) | 164 | 10/1965 |
| Baby, That's Love / Bet You Never Thought | 166 | 12/1965 |
| Fool for You / Buddy Ain't It a Shame | 167 | 1966 |
| I Can Take Care of Myself / If I Can't Save It | 169 | 1966 |
| Mr. Big Shot / I Hate to Be the One to Say | 172 | 1966 |
| Checker | ||
| I Fooled You This Time / Such a Pretty Thing | 155 | 1966 |
| To Be a Lover / After the Laughter | 1165 | 1967 |
| I Won't Need You / No Peace, No Satisfaction | 1190 | 1967 |
| River of Tears / It's Time to Settle Down | 1199 | 1968 |
| Go Back Home / In My Baby's House | 1220 | 1969 |
| Brunswick | ||
| Girl Don't Care / My Love | 55312 | 1967 |
| There Goes the Lover / Tell Me What Can I Do | 55339 | 1967 |
| Love Won't Start / Show Me the Way to Go (& Barbara Acklin ) | 55366 | 1968 |
| There Was a Time / Those Were the Good Old Days | 55383 | 1968 |
| From the Teacher to the Preacher / Anywhere but Nowhere (& Barbara Acklin) | 55387 | 1968 |
| Teacher, Teacher / Pit of Loneliness | 55394 | 1968 |
| Little Green Apples / Will I Find You (& Barbara Acklin) | 55405 | 1969 |
| Eleanor Rigby / Familiar Footsteps | 55413 | 1969 |
| This Bitter Earth / Suicide | 55425 | 1969 |
Chart placements
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1966 | Gene Chandler - Live On Stage in '65 |
US124 (3 weeks) US |
R&B5 (19 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1970 | The Gene Chandler Situation |
US178 (9 weeks) US |
R&B35 (8 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1979 | Get down |
US47 (20 weeks) US |
R&B12 (20 weeks) R&B |
|
| When Your # 1 |
US153 (3 weeks) US |
R&B50 (8 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1980 | Gene Chandler '80 |
US87 (18 weeks) US |
R&B11 (23 weeks) R&B |
|
Singles
| year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1962 | Duke of Earl Vee Jay |
- |
US1 (15 weeks) US |
R&B1 (13 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1961
Catalog number: 416 |
| You Threw a Lucky Punch Vee Jay |
- |
US49 (8 weeks) US |
R&B25 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1962
Catalog number: 468 |
|
| 1963 | Rainbow Vee Jay |
- |
US47 (12 weeks) US |
R&B11 (12 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1962
Catalog number: 468 |
| Man's Temptation Vee Jay |
- |
US71 (7 weeks) US |
R&B17 (9 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1963
Catalog number: 536 |
|
| 1964 | Think Nothing About It Constellation |
- | - |
R&B28 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1964
Catalog number: 112 |
| Soul Hootenanny (Pt. I) Constellation |
- |
US92 (2 weeks) US |
R&B23 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1964
Catalog number: 114 |
|
| Just Be True Constellation |
- |
US19 (10 weeks) US |
R&B4 (16 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1964
Catalog number: 130 |
|
| Bless Our Love Constellation |
- |
US39 (9 weeks) US |
R&B4 (12 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1964
Catalog number: 136 |
|
| What Now Constellation |
- |
US40 (8 weeks) US |
R&B18 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1964
Catalog number: 141 |
|
| 1965 | You Can't Hurt Me No More Constellation |
- |
US92 (1 week) US |
R&B40 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1965
Catalog number: 146 |
| Nothing Can Stop Me Constellation |
UK41 (4 weeks) UK |
US18 (12 weeks) US |
R&B3 (15 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1965
Catalog number: 149 |
|
| Good Times Constellation |
- |
US92 (3 weeks) US |
R&B40 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1965
Catalog number: 160 |
|
| Rainbow '65 (Part I) Constellation |
- |
US69 (8 weeks) US |
R&B2 (12 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1965
Catalog number: 158 |
|
| 1966 | (I'm Just A) Fool For You Constellation |
- |
US88 (2 weeks) US |
- |
First published: 1966
Catalog number: 167 |
| I Fooled You This Time Checker |
- |
US45 (8 weeks) US |
R&B3 (14 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1966
Catalog number: 155 |
|
| 1967 | Girl Don't Care Brunswick |
- |
US66 (9 weeks) US |
R&B16 (9 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1967
Catalog number: 55312 |
| To Be a Lover Checker |
- |
US94 (4 weeks) US |
R&B9 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1967
Catalog number: 1165 |
|
| There Goes the Lover Brunswick |
- |
US98 (1 week) US |
R&B46 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1967
Catalog number: 55339 |
|
| 1968 | There Was a Time Brunswick |
- |
US82 (3 weeks) US |
R&B22 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1968
Catalog number: 55383 |
| River Of Tears Checker |
- | - |
R&B19 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1968
Catalog number: 1199 |
|
| Show Me the Way to Go Brunswick |
- | - |
R&B30 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1968, with Barbara Acklin
catalog number: 55366 |
|
| From the Teacher to the Preacher Brunswick |
- |
US57 (8 weeks) US |
R&B16 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: 1968, with Barbara Acklin
catalog number: 55387 |
|
| 1970 | Groovy situation | - |
US12  (15 weeks)US |
R&B8 (15 weeks) R&B |
|
| Simply Call It Love | - |
US75 (5 weeks) US |
R&B29 (7 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1971 | You Just Can't Win (By Making The Same Mistake) | - | - |
R&B32 (4 weeks) R&B |
with Jerry Butler
|
| You're a lady | - | - |
R&B14 (10 weeks) R&B |
||
| Ten And Two (Take This Woman Off This Corner) | - | - |
R&B44 (2 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1972 | Yes I'm Ready (If I Don't Get To Go) | - | - |
R&B47 (2 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1978 | Tomorrow I May Not Feel The Same | - | - |
R&B51 (12 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1979 | Get down |
UK11  (11 weeks)UK |
US53 (9 weeks) US |
R&B3 (22 weeks) R&B |
|
| When you're # 1 |
UK43 (5 weeks) UK |
US99 (2 weeks) US |
R&B31 (11 weeks) R&B |
||
| Do What Comes So Natural | - | - |
R&B73 (4 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1980 | Does she have a friend? |
UK28 (9 weeks) UK |
- |
R&B28 (15 weeks) R&B |
|
| Lay Me Gently | - | - |
R&B73 (3 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1982 | I'll Make The Living If You Make The Loving Worthwhile |
UK88 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
R&B40 (9 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1985 | Haven't You Heard That Line Before | - | - |
R&B61 (8 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1986 | Lucy | - | - |
R&B43 (10 weeks) R&B |
|
literature
- Irwin Stambler: The Encyclopedia Of Pop, Rock And Soul , 3rd revised edition, St. Martin's Press New York 1989, pp. 108f, ISBN 0-312-02573-4 .
- Frank Laufenberg: Rock- und Poplexikon Vol. 1, Econ Taschenbuch Verlag, Düsseldorf 1998, p. 255, ISBN 3-612-26206-8 .
swell
- ↑ For the song see Bronson, Fred: The Billboard Book of Number One Hits . 3rd revised and expanded edition. New York City, New York: Billboard Publications, 1992, p. 104
- ↑ Chart sources albums: Charts US
- ↑ Chart sources singles: Charts UK Charts US
- ↑ Music Sales Awards: UK US
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chandler, Gene |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dixon, Eugene (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer and entertainer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 6, 1937 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago , Illinois , USA |