The Chantels

[Edie Antoinette]

Regarded as the first true "girl group", this New York vocal quintet - Arlene Smith (Born 5 October 1941, New York, USA), Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Lois Harris and Jackie Landry - were all members of a high-school choir when they auditioned for producer Richard Barrett in 1957. The group made its recording debut for End Records with "He's Gone' following two months of rehearsal, and this plaintive offering set the tone for the Chantels" subsequent work. Their impassioned style culminated with "Maybe", wherein Smith's heart-wrenching plea carried an inordinate passion. Barely 16 years old on its release, the singer's emotional delivery belied her youth. The single reputedly sold in excess of one million copies and reached R&B number 2 and the pop Top 20, but pirated pressings were prevalent in many American states, undermining the group's potential. Subsequent releases failed to match its quality and the Chantels grew disenchanted with their management and label. Harris had already dropped out of the line-up and Smith embarked on a solo career under the tutelage of Phil Spector, while Barrett continued to produce the remaining trio with different singers in place of the former vocalist. The Chantels enjoyed two further US Top 30 pop hits with "Look In My Eyes" and "Well I Told You", but they lacked the distinctiveness of the earlier releases.

[Edie Antoinette]

..thanks for the info.

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

This is wonderful and i love the songs....I remember seeing Arlene Smith on one of those PBS specials and they were singing the first song.

[Edie Antoinette]

I simply love their harmony! Thanks Sole.

[Edie Antoinette]

Angelic voices, indeed. I remember sitting in the back seat of Daddy's Chevy listening to this on the radio. Another one that I distinctly remember is Sally Go Round The Roses by The Jaynettes.

Are you familiar with the group William?

[Edie Antoinette]

Sally Go Round The Roses was like that song about the Tallahassee Bridge..remember where the singer said Billy Joe was throwin somethin off? I never figured that one out either.

I laid my head over in the back seat againt the window to go back to sleep as Sally go Round The Roses played softly on the radio. Daddy woke us up at 3am and we went to get Grandpa Basie (Daddy's father), to go fishing at McHenry, Ill. It was still dark outside and that song still reminds me of that time. Daddy tried to tactfully coax me out of the car to enjoy the....uh...fishing (yeck). I just wanted to stay in the car and sleep. They had.....worms in the bucket *the horror* and everything. LOL