The Chantels

{{Short description|American band}} {{about|the girl group|the reggae group|the Chantells}} {{use mdy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = The Chantels | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = The Bronx, New York, United States | genre = Pop, doo wop, rock and roll | years_active = 1957–1970, 1999-present | label = | associated_acts = | website = | current_members = Sonia Goring Wilson Renée Minus White Lois Harris Powell *Naomi White Randolph | past_members = Arlene Smith Jackie Landry Jackson Annette Smith Sandra Dawn Helen Liebowitz Powell Yvonne Fair Ami Ortiz Olive Joseph Ghanniyya Green }}

'''The Chantels''' are a pop music group and are the third African-American girl group to enjoy nationwide success in the United States, preceded by The Teen Queens and The Bobbettes. The group was established in the early 1950s by students attending St. Anthony of Padua Church and school in the Bronx.<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|last1=Erlewine|first1=Stephen Thomas|title=Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-chantels-mn0000068155/biography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref>

The original five members consisted of Arlene Smith (lead, born October 5, 1941), Sonia Goring Wilson (born Millicent Goring, 1940), Renée Minus White (born 1943), Jackie Landry Jackson (May 22, 1941 – December 23, 1997) and Lois Harris (born 1940).<ref name="Larkin50s">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=66}}</ref> They derived their name from that of Jane Frances de Chantal.

==Career== In 1957 the Chantels, then in high school, had been singing as a group for several years. Unlike some Black groups whose influences were based in gospel, the quintet was influenced by classical music and Latin hymns.<ref name="history-of-rock.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm|title=The Chantels|publisher=History-of-rock.com|access-date=2014-06-05}}</ref> Lead singer Arlene Smith had received classical training and performed at Carnegie Hall at age 12.<ref name="history-of-rock.com"/> She provided both lyrics and music.<ref name="history-of-rock.com"/> The girls were discovered by Richard Barrett, lead singer of the Valentines, and by the summer of 1957 they were signed to End Records, owned by George Goldner.<ref name="history-of-rock.com"/> Their first single was "He's Gone" (Pop No. 71) in August 1957, written by Arlene Smith.<ref name="history-of-rock.com"/> Released in December 1957, their second single, "Maybe," was a hit (No. 15 ''Billboard'' Hot 100; No. 2 R&B chart) in January 1958. It sold over a million copies and was awarded a gold disc.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/98 98]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url-access=registration|url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/98}}</ref> The following releases were less successful but End did release an album originally titled ''We Are the Chantels''. The original cover had a photo of the group. That album was soon withdrawn and repackaged with a picture of two white teenagers picking out a song; the title was shortened to ''The Chantels''.<ref name="bsnpubs.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/roulette/end.html|title=End Label Album Discography|publisher=Bsnpubs.com|access-date=2014-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051017143228/http://www.bsnpubs.com/roulette/end.html|archive-date=October 17, 2005}}</ref>

The group was dropped by End in 1959, and Arlene Smith embarked upon a solo career.<ref name="Larkin50s"/> Harris left to pursue a college education. That year Chantels singles led by Richard Barrett were released on the End subsidiary label, Gone.<ref name="asg">{{cite book|last1=Warner|first1=Jay|title=American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today|date=2006|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=9780634099786|pages=[https://archive.org/details/americansingingg00warn/page/106 106]-107|url=https://archive.org/details/americansingingg00warn|url-access=registration|quote=The Chantels.|access-date=19 July 2017|language=en}}</ref> In 1960 Annette Smith (no relation to Arlene) replaced Arlene Smith. As a quartet, the group moved to Carlton Records, where they had their second hit with "Look in My Eyes" (No. 14 pop, No. 6 R&B).<ref name="Larkin50s"/> Other releases on Carlton did not do as well. One song was "Well I Told You," a response to the Ray Charles song "Hit the Road, Jack," which stalled at No. 29 pop.<ref name="history-of-rock.com"/> A Carlton album was released in 1962 titled ''The Chantels on Tour'' but featured no live recordings and only seven tracks were recorded by the actual group. The other three tracks were by Gus Backus, Chris Montez and Little Anthony & the Imperials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/carlton/carltonstory.html|title=Carlton Album Discography|publisher=Bsnpubs.com|access-date=2014-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/carlton/carltonlps.html|title=Carlton Album Discography, Part 1|publisher=Bsnpubs.com|date=2011-05-27|access-date=2014-06-05}}</ref> To cash in on "Look in My Eyes", End threw together an album titled ''There's Our Song Again'', a compilation of previously recorded material.<ref name="bsnpubs.com"/>

The Chantels switched record labels a few more times. Although personnel changed throughout the 1960s, the constants in the group were Jackie Landry, Sonia Goring and Renee Minus. This line-up, plus Arlene Smith, recorded a one-off single for RCA in 1970. Smith fronted a new group called Chantels in the 1970s which featured up-and-coming disco diva Carol Douglas and former Gems vocalist Louise Bethune (who would also become a 1970s performing member of the Crystals). Smith continued to perform solo. In 1995 the remaining original Chantels reformed as well and hired Noemi (Ami) Ortiz as their 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Inductees|url=http://vocalgroup.org/inductees/|website=The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Fojundation|access-date=19 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719174636/http://vocalgroup.org/inductees/|archive-date=19 July 2017}}</ref> In 2001 and 2009 they made the final ballot for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|title=Spirit Of '77: Ramones, Pistols Nominated For Hall Of Fame|publisher=MTV|date=2001-09-17|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448907/20010917/ramones.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010920145531/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448907/20010917/ramones.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 20, 2001|access-date=2009-02-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-09-23 |title=Nominees For Class of 2010 Rock Hall |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nominees-for-class-of-2010-rock-hall/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> but without enough votes for induction.

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

===Singles=== {|class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="40"| US <ref name="Awards">{{cite web|title=The Chantels - Awards|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-chantels-mn0000068155/awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=16 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011053716/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-chantels-mn0000068155/awards|archive-date=October 11, 2012}}</ref> ! width="40"| US R&B <ref name="Awards"/> |- | 1957 | "He's Gone" b/w "The Plea" | style="text-align:center;"|71 | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left" rowspan="5"|''We Are the Chantels'' |- | rowspan="5"|1958 | "Maybe" b/w "Come My Little Baby" | style="text-align:center;"|15 | style="text-align:center;"|2 |- | "Every Night (I Pray)" b/w "Whoever You Are" | style="text-align:center;"|39 | style="text-align:center;"|16 |- | "I Love You So" b/w "How Could You Call It Off" (Non-album track) | style="text-align:center;"|42 | style="text-align:center;"|12 |- | "If You Try" b/w "Congratulations" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | "Prayee" b/w "Sure of Love" (from ''We Are the Chantels'') | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left" rowspan="3"|Non-album tracks |- | rowspan="3"|1959 | "I Can't Take It" b/w "Never Let Go" (from ''There's Our Song Again'') | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | "Summer's Love" b/w "All Is Forgiven" | style="text-align:center;"|93 | style="text-align:center;"|29 |- | "Goodbye to Love" b/w "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left"|''There's Our Song Again'' |- | 1960 | "How Could You Call It Off" b/w "Whoever You Are" (from ''We Are the Chantels'') | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left"|Non-album track |- | rowspan="3"|1961 | "Look in My Eyes" b/w "Glad to Be Back" | style="text-align:center;"|14 | style="text-align:center;"|6 | align="left"|''On Tour'' |- | "I'm the Girl" b/w "There's Our Song Again" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left"|''There's Our Song Again'' |- | "Well I Told You" b/w "Still" | style="text-align:center;"|29 | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left" rowspan="2"|''On Tour'' |- | 1962 | "Here It Comes Again" b/w "Summertime" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | 1963 | "Eternally" b/w "Swamp Water" | style="text-align:center;"|77 | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left" rowspan="4"|Non-album tracks |- | rowspan="3"|1966 | "There's No Forgetting You" b/w "Take Me as I Am" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | "You're Welcome to My Heart" b/w "Soul of a Soldier" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | "Indian Giver" b/w "It's Just Me" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— |- | 1969 | "Maybe" b/w "He's Gone" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left"|''We Are The Chantels'' |- | 1970 | "Love Makes All the Difference in the World" b/w "I'm Gonna Win Him Back" | style="text-align:center;"|— | style="text-align:center;"|— | align="left"|Non-album tracks |- | colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== * Clemente, John (2000). ''Girl Groups -- Fabulous Females That Rocked The World'', Iola, Wisconsin, Krause Publications. p. 276. {{ISBN|0-87341-816-6}}. * Clemente, John (2013). ''Girl Groups -- Fabulous Females Who Rocked The World'', Bloomington, Indiana, Authorhouse Publications. p. 623. {{ISBN|978-1-4772-7633-4}} (sc); {{ISBN|978-1-4772-8128-4}} (e).

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20101130030610/http://vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_chantels.html 'The Chantels' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page] *[http://history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm History of Rock page on The Chantels] *[https://reneeminuswhite.com/ Maybe: My Memoirs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222043902/https://reneeminuswhite.com/ |date=February 22, 2018 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chantels, The}} Category:Carlton Records artists Category:Doo-wop groups Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:American girl groups Category:African-American musical groups Category:Musicians from the Bronx Category:Musical groups from the Bronx Category:Musical groups established in 1957 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1970 Category:1957 establishments in New York City