The Chantels

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The Chantels is an American doo-wop - girl group . They were the first female African American group to achieve national success.

history

The group was formed in the early 1950s at St. Anthony of Padua School in the Bronx , New York . Members were Arlene Smith (lead vocals), Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Jackie Landry Jackson and Lois Harris. However, the name was "borrowed" from another school - the St. Francis de Chantelle.

On the initiative of Richard Barrett , then lead singer of The Valentines, they received a recording contract with End Records and released their first single, He’s Gone , in August 1957 , which reached number 71 on the American charts. Her second publication, Maybe , was released in January 1958. The song reached number 14 on the pop hit parade and number 2 on the R&B charts, sold millions of copies and became a classic. The group released a few more singles on End Records, but they didn't come close to the success of Maybe .

In 1959 the band broke up for the time being, and Arlene Smith tried a solo career. In 1960, the Chantels were revived with a new singer named Annette Smith (who was not related to Arlene), and the song Look in My Eyes (released on Carlton Records ) jumped to # 14 on the charts. The following single Well, I Told You So , the text of which was conceived as an answer to the song Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles , also reached the Top 40.

Several singles followed by 1970, as well as several changes in both the band members and the record company, but interest in the band, especially in the pop charts, decreased significantly. In the 1970s both a band formed by Arlene Smith called The Chantels performed at oldie events, as well as a band of the same name formed by the remaining original members and their new lead singer Noemi (Ami) Ortiz. Jackie Landry died in 1997. The Chantels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

Members

  • Arlene Smith, (born October 5, 1941, lead vocals), member from 1957-1959, 1973-1980s
  • Sonia Goring (* 1941), 1957–1970, since 1996
  • Lois Harris (* 1940), 1957–1959, since 1996
  • Jackie Landry Jackson, (1941–23 December 1997 with breast cancer ), 1957–1961, 1962–1970, 1996–1997
  • Reene Minus (* 1943), 1957–1970, since 1996
  • Annette Smith, 1960 (according to other sources only since 1961)
  • Yvonne Fair, 1961, 1965-1970
  • Sandra Dawn, 1962–1963
  • Ami Ortiz, since 1996
  • Carol Douglas (* 1948), early 1970s

Discography

Albums

  • 1958: We Are the Chantels
  • 1961: There's Our Song Again
  • 1962: On Tour
  • 1964: Sing Their Favorites
  • 1991: The Chantels
  • 2012: “Maybe” Their Greatest Recordings

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US R&B R&B
1957 He's Gone
We Are the Chantels 		US71 (6 weeks)
US 		-
Authors: A. Smith, R. Barrett
1958 Maybe
We Are the Chantels 		US15 (18 weeks)
US 		R&B2 (13 weeks)
R&B
Authors: R. Barrett, A. Smith, G. Goldner
Place 195 of the Rolling Stone 500 (2004)
Every Night (I Pray)
We Are the Chantels 		US39 (13 weeks)
US 		R&B16 (4 weeks)
R&B
Author: G. Goldner
I Love You So
We Are the Chantels 		US42 (7 weeks)
US 		R&B14 (2 weeks)
R&B
Authors: G. Goldner, D. Norton
1959 Summer's Love
 US93 (2 weeks)
US 		R&B29 (1 week)
R&B
Richard Barrett with the Chantels
1961 Look in My Eyes
On Tour 		US14 (12 weeks)
US 		R&B6 (12 weeks)
R&B
Author: R. Barrett
Well, I told you
on tour 		US29 (9 weeks)
US 		-
Author: R. Barrett
Answer Song to Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles
1963 Eternally
 US77 (2 weeks)
US 		-
Authors: L. Dixon , Lee Thomas

More singles

  • If You Try (1958)
  • Prayee (1958)
  • I Can't Take It (1959)
  • Goodbye to Love (1959)
  • How Could You Call It Off (1960)
  • I'm the Girl (1961)
  • Here It Comes Again (1962)
  • There's No Forgetting You (1966)
  • You're Welcome to My Heart (1966)
  • Indian Giver (1966)
  • Love Makes All the Difference in the World (1970)

literature

  • Greig, Charlotte: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Girl bands from the fifties until today . German by Markus Schröder. (Original edition 1989) Rowohlt Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1991, pp. 13-25.
  • Pareles, Jon / Romanowski, Patricia (Eds.): The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia Of Rock & Roll . London: Rolling Stone Press / Michael Joseph, 1983, pp. 93f.
  • Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 104-107.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Chart sources: US US-RB

Web links