Cat. No. VV 1231: THE CHANTELS ~ THE CHANTELS. EMUS ES-12034
USED VINYL RECORD. PART OF A COLLECTION NOW UP FOR SALE.
THE FIRST "CHANTELS" GIRL GROUP WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY 1950s BY STUDENTS ATTENDING ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA CHURCH AND SCHOOL IN THE BRONX, NEW YORK. THE ORIGINAL FIVE MEMBERS CONSISTED OF ARLENE SMITH (LEAD), SONIA GORING WILSON (BORN MILICENT GORING), RENEE MINUS WHITE, JACKIE LANDRY JACKSON AND LOIS HARRIS. THEY DERIVED THEIR NAME FROM JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL. THE GROUP WAS THE THIRD AFRICAN-AMERICAN GIRL GROUP TO ENJOY NATIONWIDE SUCCESS IN THE UNITED STATES PRECEDED BY THE TEEN QUEENS AND THE BOBBETTES.
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 CHANTELS INFLUENCES CAME FROM CLASSICAL MUSIC AND LATIN HYMNS. THE GROUP WAS DISCOVERED BY RICHARD BARRETT, LEAD SINGER OF THE VALENTINES, AND BY THE SUMMER OF 1957 THEY WERE SIGNED TO END RECORDS. THEIR FIRST SINGLE WAS "HE'S GONE" WHICH REACHED #71 ON THE POP CHARTS IN AUGUST 1957. THEIR SECOND SINGLE, "MAYBE", RELEASED IN DECEMBER 1957 WAS A HIT REACHING #15 0N BILLBOARD HOT 100 AND #2 ON THE R&B CHARTS. IT SOLD OVER A MILLION COPIES AND WAS AWARDED A GOLD DISC. THE FOLLOWING RELEASES WERE LESS SUCCESSFUL BUT END RECORDS DID RELEASE AN ALBUM ORIGINALLY TITLED "WE ARE THE CHANTELS". THE ORIGINAL COVER HAS 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 THAT ALBUM WAS SOON WITHDRAWN AND REPACKAGED WITH A PICTURE OF TWO WHITE TEENAGERS PICKING OUT A SONG; THE TITLE WAS SHORTENED TO "THE CHANTELS" AND THIS COVER WAS ALSO USED FOR THE 1970s REISSUES WHICH WERE ALL RECHANNELED STEREO. IT IS THIS VERSION WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS LISTING. LISTING.
THE SLEEVE IS MADE OF HEAVY DUTY CARDBOARD AS WAS THE ORIGINAL ALBUM AND IS IN GOOD CONDITION ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SIGNS OF RING WEAR ON THE FRONT OF THE COVER WHCH HAS LED TO SOME MINOR RUBBING WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TYPES OF COVERS AS THEY WERE NOT LAMINATED AND IT OCCURS WHEN PLACED IN A SHELF ALONG WITH OTHER ALBUMS. THERE IS ALSO SOME SIGN OF RING WEAR ON THE REAR OF THE SLEEVE AND OTHER MINOR SIGNS OF WEAR ALONG THE EDGES BUT NOTHING MAJOR. THE RECORD ITSELF IS GRADED AS VIRTUAL MINT CONDITION.
TRACK LISTING: Side 1 - He's Gone / If You Try / Whoever You Are / The Plea / Maybe. Side 2 - Congratulations / Every Night / Sure Of Love / I Love You So / Come My Little Baby.
12" VINYL RECORD
