The Chi-Lites
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The Chi-Lites |
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The Chi-Lites were a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia. They were led by Eugene Record, and scored eleven Top Ten R&B hits in the early part of the decade.
History
The group formed in the late 1950s when The Chanteurs (Record, Robert "Squirrel" Lester, and Clarence Johnson) teamed up with Marshall Thompson and Creadel "Red" Jones of the Desideros to form The Hi-lites. Wishing to add a tribute to their home town of Chicago, they changed their name to "Marshall and the Chi-Lites" in 1964. Johnson left later that year, and their name was subsequently shortened to The Chi-Lites.
Record was the group's primary songwriter, though he frequently collaborated with others, such as Barbara Acklin.
Their major hits came in 1971 and 1972, with "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl", the latter a Number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Other transatlantic chart smashes followed, although the output became more fragmented as the group's personnel came and went. For example, bass singer Jones left in 1973, and was replaced in quick succession by Stanley Anderson, Willie Kensey, and then Doc Roberson. Shortly thereafter, Eugene Record left, and David Scott and Danny Johnson entered. More personnel changes ensued, when Johnson was replaced by Vandy Hampton in 1977.
At that point, the group totally disintegrated, but re-formed in 1980, with the mid 1960s quartet of Record, Thompson, Jones, and Lester back together. Creadel Jones left for a second time in 1982, and the group was a trio. Record left again in 1988, and new lead Frank Reed was recruited, considered by many to be one of the best in the group's history. Reed left for reasons unknown, and singer Anthony Watson would join the group. (Lester took over singing lead on "Oh Girl", while Watson led on their other songs.) By then, the group also featured a female member.
Once the hits had completely dried up, further changes took place. Around 1989, Jones returned again, but would subsequently leave. Throughout the 1990s, Watson left twice. Each time Reed took over as lead singer. In 2002, the group was composed of Marshall Thompson, Robert Lester, Anthony Watson, and Tara Henderson. Watson left for a third time.
The present day Chi-Lites line-up includes original member Marshall Thompson (leader of the group), Frank Reed, lead vocals), Fred Simon (tenor and bass), (from The Lost Generation) and Tara Thompson (background vocals).
Robert Lester died on January 21, 2010 at Roseland Hospital in Chicago after a long battle with liver cancer. He was 67.
The Chi-Lites were inducted into The (R/B Hall Of Fame) in 2000. The Chi-Lites were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.
Principal personnel
- Eugene Record – (December 30, 1940 -died 22 July 2005)
- Creadel 'Red' Jones – (September 26, 1940 - died August 25, 1994)
- Robert "Squirrel" Lester – (born August 16, 1942, McComb, Mississippi; died January 21, 2010, Chicago)
- Marshall Thompson – (born Marshall Donald Thompson, August 24, 1942, Chicago)
- Frank "Tchallah" Reed – (born Frank Kevin Reed, September 16, 1954, Omaha, Nebraska)
- Tara Thompson – (born Tara Janene Henderson, June 29, 197?, Chicago)
- Anthony Watson – (born Anthony Reynard Watson, Mobile, Alabama)
- Fred Simon – (born Chicago, IL)
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | |||||
| 1969 | Give It Away | 180 | 16 | Brunswick | ||
| 1970 | I Like Your Lovin' (Do You Like Mine?) | — | — | |||
| 1971 | (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People | 12 | 3 | |||
| 1972 | A Lonely Man | 5 | 1 | |||
| 1973 | A Letter to Myself | 50 | 4 | |||
| Chi-Lites | 89 | 3 | ||||
| 1974 | Toby | 181 | 12 | |||
| 1975 | Half a Love | — | 41 | |||
| 1976 | Happy Being Lonely | — | — | Mercury | ||
| 1977 | The Fantastic Chi-Lites | — | — | |||
| 1980 | Heavenly Body | 179 | 42 | Chi-Sound | ||
| 1982 | Me and You | 162 | 31 | |||
| 1983 | Bottom's Up | 98 | 15 | Larc | ||
| 1984 | Steppin' Out | — | — | Private I | ||
| 1990 | Just Say You Love Me | — | 77 | Ichiban | ||
| 1998 | Help Wanted | — | — | Copper Sun | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | |||||
| 1972 | The Chi-Lites Greatest Hits | 55 | 4 | Brunswick | ||
| 1975 | Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 | — | — | |||
| 1992 | Greatest Hits | — | — | Rhino | ||
| 2001 | 20 Greatest Hits | — | — | Brunswick | ||
| 2003 | The Best of The Chi-Lites | — | — | Collectables | ||
| 2006 | The Ultimate Chi-Lites | — | — | Brunswick | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK[1] | ||||
| 1969 | "Give It Away" | 88 | 10 | — | ||
| "Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was" (A-side) | 94 | 15 | — | |||
| "The Twelfth of Never" (B-side) | 122 | 47 | — | |||
| 1970 | "24 Hours of Sadness" | 119 | 30 | — | ||
| "I Like Your Lovin' (Do You Like Mine)" | 72 | 11 | — | |||
| "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)" | 72 | 8 | — | |||
| 1971 | "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" | 26 | 4 | 32 | ||
| "We Are Neighbors" | 70 | 17 | — | |||
| "I Want to Pay You Back (For Loving Me)" | 95 | 35 | — | |||
| "Have You Seen Her" | 3 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 1972 | "Oh Girl" | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| "The Coldest Days of My Life (Part 1)" | 47 | 8 | — | |||
| "A Lonely Man" (A-side) | 57 | 25 | — | |||
| "The Man & the Woman (The Boy & the Girl)" (B-side) | — | — | ||||
| "We Need Order" | 61 | 13 | — | |||
| 1973 | "A Letter to Myself" | 33 | 3 | — | ||
| "My Heart Just Keeps on Breakin'" | 92 | 46 | — | |||
| "Stoned Out of My Mind" | 30 | 2 | — | |||
| "I Found Sunshine" | 47 | 17 | 35 | |||
| 1974 | "Homely Girl" | 54 | 3 | 5 | ||
| "There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table)" | 63 | 8 | — | |||
| "You Got to Be the One" | 83 | 15 | — | |||
| "Too Good to Be Forgotten" | — | — | 10 | |||
| "Toby" / "That's How Long" | 78 | 7 | — | |||
| 1975 | "Have You Seen Her" / "Oh Girl" (re-release) | — | — | 5 | ||
| "It's Time for Love" (A-side) | 94 | 27 | 5 | |||
| "Here I Am" (B-side) | — | 87 | — | |||
| "Don't Burn No Bridges" (with Jackie Wilson) | — | 91 | — | |||
| 1976 | "The Devil Is Doing His Work" | — | 32 | — | ||
| "You Don't Have to Go" | — | 50 | 3 | |||
| "Happy Being Lonely" | — | 30 | — | |||
| 1977 | "Vanishing Love" / "I Turn Away" | — | 95 | — | ||
| "My First Mistake" | — | 63 | — | |||
| "If I Had a Girl" | — | 87 | — | |||
| 1980 | "Heavenly Body" | — | 36 | — | ||
| 1981 | "Have You Seen Her" (re-recorded version) | — | 48 | — | ||
| "Me and You" | — | 70 | — | |||
| 1982 | "Hot on a Thing (Called Love)" | — | 15 | — | ||
| 1983 | "Bottom's Up" | — | 7 | — | ||
| "Bad Motor Scooter" | — | 28 | — | |||
| "Have You Seen Her" (re-release) | — | — | 100 | |||
| "Changing for You" | — | — | 61 | |||
| 1984 | "Stop What You're Doin'" | — | 33 | — | ||
| "Gimme Whatcha Got" | — | 41 | — | |||
| 1997 | "Help Wanted (Heroes Are in Short Supply)" | — | 95 | — | ||
| 1998 | "Hold on to Your Dreams" | — | 93 | — | ||
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
References
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 103. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.