The Chantels

The Chantels

Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1957 (1957)
Headquarters	Bronx , United States
Products	Music albums and singles

The Chantels represent a pop music ensemble and hold the distinction of being the third African-American girl group to gain widespread national recognition in the United States, following in the footsteps of The Teen Queens and The Bobbettes. The group originated in the early 1950s, formed by students at St. Anthony of Padua Church located in the Bronx. The founding quintet consisted of Arlene Smith (lead vocalist) (born October 5, 1941), Sonia Goring Wilson (originally Millicent Goring) (born 1940), Renée Minus White (born 1943), Jackie Landry Jackson (May 22, 1941 – December 23, 1997), and Lois Harris (born 1940). Their name was inspired by Jane Frances de Chantal.

Career

By 1957, while still attending high school, The Chantels had already been active performers for several years. Unlike numerous Black groups whose sound was rooted in gospel traditions, their influences included classical music and Latin hymns. Lead vocalist Arlene Smith had received classical music training and had performed at Carnegie Hall at the age of 12; she played a key role in composing both lyrics and melodies. Discovered by Richard Barrett, the lead singer of the Valentines, they secured a contract with End Records, owned by George Goldner, during the summer of 1957. Their initial single "He's Gone" reached number 71 on the Pop chart. Their follow-up release, "Maybe," became a significant success in January 1958, climbing to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the R&B chart, selling over one million copies and receiving a gold record.

Although later singles did not achieve comparable success, End Records released an album originally titled We Are the Chantels featuring the group's photograph; this album was soon reissued under the title The Chantels with new cover artwork. After being dropped by End in 1959, Arlene Smith embarked on a solo career while Lois Harris left to pursue higher education. That same year, singles led by Richard Barrett were released on End's subsidiary label Gone. In 1960, Annette Smith took over lead vocals from Arlene, and as a four-member group they signed with Carlton Records, achieving their second hit with "Look in My Eyes" which reached number 14 on the pop chart and number 6 on R&B charts. Other releases under Carlton met with limited success; notably, "Well I Told You," an answer song to Ray Charles' "Hit the Road, Jack," peaked at number 29 on the pop chart. Carlton issued an album titled The Chantels on Tour in 1962 that contained only seven tracks by The Chantels themselves; the remainder of the album featured performances by other artists.

To leverage the popularity of "Look in My Eyes," End Records compiled previously recorded tracks into an album named There's Our Song Again. Throughout the 1960s, The Chantels experienced multiple label changes alongside shifts in membership; however, Jackie Landry, Sonia Goring, and Renee Minus remained consistent members. This core group plus Arlene Smith recorded a single for RCA in 1970. In the following decade, Smith led a revamped version of The Chantels that included future disco star Carol Douglas and Louise Bethune—formerly of The Gems and later The Crystals. Smith also maintained her solo career during this period.

In 1995, surviving original members reunited with lead vocalist Noemi (Ami) Ortiz to reform The Chantels. On the PBS program Doo Wop 50, Smith joined remaining original members for a reunion performance and paid tribute to Jackie Landry, who had passed away in 1997, by dedicating their hit "Maybe" to her memory.

The Chantels earned induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. Although they appeared on the final ballot for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—in both 2001 and 2009—they did not receive sufficient votes to be inducted.

Albums

• We Are the Chantels (End Records, 1958)
• There's Our Song Again (End Records, 1961)
• The Chantels on Tour (Carlton Records, 1962)

Singles

Year	Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides originate from the same album unless otherwise noted	Highest chart rankings		Album
		US	US R&B
1957	"He's Gone" b/w "The Plea"	71	—	We Are the Chantels
1958	"Maybe" b/w "Come My Little Baby"	15	2
	"Every Night (I Pray)" b/w "Whoever You Are"	39	16
	"I Love You So" b/w "How Could You Call It Off" (Non-album track)	42	12
	"If You Try" b/w "Congratulations"	—	—
	"Prayee" b/w "Sure of Love" (from We Are the Chantels)	—	—	Non-album tracks
1959	"I Can't Take It" b/w "Never Let Go" (from There's Our Song Again)	—	—
	"Summer's Love" b/w "All Is Forgiven"	93	29
	"Goodbye to Love" b/w "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)"	—	—	There's Our Song Again
1960	"How Could You Call It Off" b/w "Whoever You Are" (from We Are the Chantels)	—	—	Non-album track
1961	"Look in My Eyes" b/w "Glad to Be Back"	14	6	On Tour
	"I'm the Girl" b/w "There's Our Song Again"	—	—	There's Our Song Again
	"Well I Told You" b/w "Still"	29	-	align="left" rowspan="2"|On Tour

1962 || "Here It Comes Again"
b/w "Summertime" || — || — || — 1963 || "Eternally"
b/w "Swamp Water" || 77 || — || Non-album tracks 1966 || "There's No Forgetting You"
b/w "Take Me as I Am" || — || — || Non-album tracks 1966 || "You're Welcome to My Heart"
b/w "Soul of a Soldier" || — || — || Non-album tracks 1966 || "Indian Giver"
b/w "It's Just Me" || — || — || Non-album tracks 1969 || "Maybe"
b/w "He's Gone" || — || — || We Are The Chantels 1970 || "Love Makes All the Difference in the World"
b/w "I'm Gonna Win Him Back" || — || — || Non-album tracks

Year	Titles (A-side, B-side)	US	US R&B	Album

Bibliography

• Clemente, John (2000). Girl Groups -- Fabulous Females That Rocked The World, Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin. p. 276. .
• Clemente, John (2013). Girl Groups -- Fabulous Females Who Rocked The World, Authorhouse Publications, Bloomington, Indiana. p. 623. (sc); (e).

External links

• Vocal Group Hall of Fame: 'The Chantels'
• The Chantels on History of Rock
• Maybe: My Memoirs