The Chantels
Encyclopedia
The Chantels were the second African-American girl group
to have nationwide success in the United States
, preceded by The Bobbettes
. The group was established in the early 1950s and attended St. Anthony of Padua school in The Bronx
. The original five members consisted of Arlene Smith (lead), Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Jackie Landry Jackson
and Lois Harris. They derived their name from that of a rival school, St. Frances de Chantal.
at age twelve. Smith provided the group with both lyrics and music. The girls were discovered by Richard Barrett, lead singer of The Valentines
and by summer 1957 signed to End Records
, owned by George Goldner
. Their first single
was "He's Gone" (Pop #71) in August 1957, written by Arlene Smith. Released in December 1957, The Chantels had a hit with their second single, "Maybe" (#15 Billboard Hot 100
; #2 R & B
chart
) in January 1958. "Maybe" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. Following releases were less successful but End did release an album originally titled We Are The Chantels. The original cover had a picture of the group. The album was soon withdrawn and repackaged with a picture of two white teenagers picking out a song; the title was shortend to The Chantels.
The group was dropped by End in 1959, and Arlene Smith decided to embark upon a solo
career. Harris left to pursue a college education. That year, Chantels singles led by Richard Barrett were released on the End subsidiary of Gone. In 1960, Annette Smith (no relation) replaced Arlene Smith. Narrowed down to a quartet, the group moved on to Carlton Records where they had their second huge hit with "Look in My Eyes" (#14 pop, #6 R&B). Other releases on Carlton didn't do as well. One of them was "Well I Told You," a response to Ray Charles
' "Hit the Road, Jack. A Carlton album was released in 1962 titled The Chantels on Tour but featured no live recordings whatsoever and only seven of the tracks were recorded by the actual group. The other three tracks were by Gus Backus
, Chris Montez
, and Little Anthony & The Imperials
. To cash in on "Look in My Eyes", End pulled together an album titled There's Our Song Again, a compilation of previously recorded material.
The Chantels switched record label
s a few more times. Personnel changed throughout the rest of the 1960s. Arlene Smith fronted a new group of Chantels in the 1970s which featured up and coming Disco
diva Carol Douglas
for oldies shows and continues to perform. The remaining original Chantels reformed as well and hired Noemi (Ami) Ortiz as their new lead singer. On the PBS
special Doo Wop 50
, Smith reunited with the surviving original members of the Chantels and dedicated "Maybe" to Jackie Landry, who died in 1997.
The Chantels were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 2002. In 2001, they made the final ballot for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
, but did not get enough votes for induction. Despite continued appearances since then on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballots by 1950s doo-wop groups, the Chantels did not get enough votes to reach any subsequent ballot until September 2009, when it was revealed that they were one of twelve nominees to be inducted to the Hall in 2010.
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
to have nationwide success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, preceded by The Bobbettes
The Bobbettes
The Bobbettes were an R&B girl group who had a 1957 top 10 hit song called "Mr. Lee." The group included Jannie and Emma Pought, Reather Dixon, Lara Webb, and Helen Gather.-History:...
. The group was established in the early 1950s and attended St. Anthony of Padua school in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. The original five members consisted of Arlene Smith (lead), Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Jackie Landry Jackson
Jackie Landry Jackson
Jackie Landry Jackson was a member of The Chantels, the first nationally-successful black female pop music group. She died in 1997 of breast cancer....
and Lois Harris. They derived their name from that of a rival school, St. Frances de Chantal.
Career
The Chantels by 1957, then in high school, had been a group for seven years. Unlike some black groups of their time, the quintet was under the influences of classical music and Latin hymns. The lead singer, Arlene Smith, had received classical training and performed at Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
at age twelve. Smith provided the group with both lyrics and music. The girls were discovered by Richard Barrett, lead singer of The Valentines
The Valentines (doo-wop band)
The Valentines were one of the most highly regarded American Doo Wop groups from the mid 1950s. Their records are highly sought by collectors....
and by summer 1957 signed to End Records
End Records
End Records was a record label founded in 1957 by George Goldner. In 1962 the label was acquired by Morris Levy and incorporated into Roulette Records. Among its more successful recording acts were The Flamingos, The Chantels, and Little Anthony and the Imperials...
, owned by George Goldner
George Goldner
George Goldner was an American record label owner and promoter. He worked, amongst others, with The Crows, The Flamingos, The Cleftones, The Shangri-Las, The Teenagers, The Chantels, Little Richard and Lou Christie. He had a son named Cary and a wife named Grace...
. Their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was "He's Gone" (Pop #71) in August 1957, written by Arlene Smith. Released in December 1957, The Chantels had a hit with their second single, "Maybe" (#15 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
; #2 R & B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
) in January 1958. "Maybe" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. Following releases were less successful but End did release an album originally titled We Are The Chantels. The original cover had a picture of the group. The album was soon withdrawn and repackaged with a picture of two white teenagers picking out a song; the title was shortend to The Chantels.
The group was dropped by End in 1959, and Arlene Smith decided to embark upon a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. Harris left to pursue a college education. That year, Chantels singles led by Richard Barrett were released on the End subsidiary of Gone. In 1960, Annette Smith (no relation) replaced Arlene Smith. Narrowed down to a quartet, the group moved on to Carlton Records where they had their second huge hit with "Look in My Eyes" (#14 pop, #6 R&B). Other releases on Carlton didn't do as well. One of them was "Well I Told You," a response to Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
' "Hit the Road, Jack. A Carlton album was released in 1962 titled The Chantels on Tour but featured no live recordings whatsoever and only seven of the tracks were recorded by the actual group. The other three tracks were by Gus Backus
Gus Backus
Gus Backus is a former member of the Del-Vikings. He also released a single on Carlton Records in 1958. He later became a popular singer in 1960s West Germany after he was stationed there as a soldier in the U.S. Army at Wiesbaden Air Base from 1957.-External links:...
, Chris Montez
Chris Montez
Chris Montez , is an American singer.-Early life:Montez grew up in Hawthorne, California, influenced by the Latino-flavored music of his community and the success of Ritchie Valens....
, and Little Anthony & The Imperials
Little Anthony & The Imperials
Little Anthony and the Imperials is a rhythm and blues/soul/doo-wop vocal group from New York, first active in the 1950s. Lead singer Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine was noted for his high-pitched falsetto voice, influenced by Jimmy Scott...
. To cash in on "Look in My Eyes", End pulled together an album titled There's Our Song Again, a compilation of previously recorded material.
The Chantels switched record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s a few more times. Personnel changed throughout the rest of the 1960s. Arlene Smith fronted a new group of Chantels in the 1970s which featured up and coming Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
diva Carol Douglas
Carol Douglas
Carol Douglas is an American singer whose hit "Doctor's Orders" was a pioneer track in the disco genre.-Early life and acting career:...
for oldies shows and continues to perform. The remaining original Chantels reformed as well and hired Noemi (Ami) Ortiz as their new lead singer. On the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
special Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50 was a PBS pledge drive special created and produced for PBS member station WQED-TV by TJ Lubinsky, grandson of Herman Lubinsky...
, Smith reunited with the surviving original members of the Chantels and dedicated "Maybe" to Jackie Landry, who died in 1997.
The Chantels were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 2002. In 2001, they made the final ballot for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, but did not get enough votes for induction. Despite continued appearances since then on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballots by 1950s doo-wop groups, the Chantels did not get enough votes to reach any subsequent ballot until September 2009, when it was revealed that they were one of twelve nominees to be inducted to the Hall in 2010.
Albums
| Year | Year |
|---|---|
| 1958 | We Are The Chantels |
| 1962 | The Chantels On Tour |
| 1962 | There's Our Song Again |
| 1964 | The Chantels Sing Their Favorites |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
||
| 1957 | "He's Gone" | 71 | — |
| 1958 | "Maybe" | 15 | 2 |
| "Every Night (I Pray)" | 39 | 16 | |
| "I Love You So" | 42 | 12 | |
| 1959 | "Summer's Love" | 93 | 29 |
| 1961 | "Look in My Eyes" | 14 | 6 |
| "Well I Told You" | 29 | — | |
| 1963 | "Eternally" | 77 | — |