Deltachord

It is surprising how classical music keeps popping up in our quest to learn about popular music or is it? Arlene Smith the lead of the Chantels was trained as a classical singer and had performed at Carnegie Hall at age twelve.

Anyway, The Chantels, originally The Chantelles (name taken from rival school, St. Frances de Chantal) were versed in the Gregorian Chant and classical music at St. Anthony of Padua school located in the Bronx. Changing notes and parts became simple to them because of this excellent training. They sang classical music and Latin hymns in the choir.

They practiced in the girls lockeroom a lot and after each game they sang. Girls didn’t hang out on street corners practicing in those days as the male doo-wop groups did. It wasn’t suitable behavior.

The Chantels started performing at talent shows at the PS 60 Community Center and elsewhere.

They became a national success before many other female R&B groups did. In 1956 they were on Broadway and Richard Barrett, who sang lead for The Valentines saw them and recorded them on the Goldner’s End label.

Their first recordings were He’s Gone and The Plea. Next they recorded Maybe (#15 Pop, #2 R&B, & Top 40 three months, in 1958).

Other songs flew on the charts like Every Night (#39), I love You So (#42), Whoever You Are, How Could You Call, and Will I Told You (# 29).

When 1959 came around, Arlene Smith went solo. Annette Smith became the new lead and in 1961. Look In My Eyes (#14 pop, #6 R&B) blasted out on Carlton Records their new label. They released their final single in 1970.

The original group members were Arlene Smith (lead soprano), Sonia Goring (second soprano), Rene Minus (lower alto and bass), Jackie Landry Jackson (second alto) and Lois Harris (top soprano). The Chantels changed personnel over the years.

The original Chantels did a one song reunion for the R&B Foundation Awards in Hollywood in 1996 and they sang Maybe for a Pittsburg PBS Show.

In 2002 The Vocal Group Hall of Fame inducted them.

References:
http://www.history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm
http://www.thechantels.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chantels
http://www.electricearl.com/dws/chantels.html

Hear The Chantels:

http://www.rhapsody.com/thechantels

“Music is our witness and our ally. The beat is the confession which recognizes, changes, and conquers time.”

–James Baldwin

The Merseybeat takes a sharp turn and vibes with its voice…a capella. The Chants hailed from Liverpool 8, a black district that esteemed their own cultural influences in music. They are considered the first British Doo-wop group according to SoulPool.

They had outstanding vocal harmony and listened to the future r&b brought over by American GI’s like the Del Vikings (doo-wop), Johnny Otis, Little Richard, and The Miracles. They also were influenced by American fifties groups: The Ravens, The Flamingos, The Drifters, and The Coasters.

Joe and Edmond Ankrah started a vocal group called The Shades, later renamed The Chants because a rock n’ roll group in London had the same name.

The members of The Chants changed over the years. Nat Smeda and Alan Harding were members. By 1964, the members were Rob Eccles, Brendan McCormick, John Bedson, and Bob Gilmore.

Joe first met Paul McCartney at The Tower Room where The Beatles had a gig. The Beatles played backup for The Chants several times, including their debut at The Cavern, in 1962. They then found a regular backup band called the Harlems.

Soon, in 1963 Brian Epstein spread his managing wing over the group, but it didn’t work out and The Chants then signed with Ted Ross. He got them a recording agreement with Pye Records during the 1963-1964 Merseybeat eruption of musical creativity.

They released quite a few singles, two of them are Trying, Trying, and Man Without a Face. Their first single, I Don’t Care impressed Bessie Braddock, an MP of Merseyside and she added her voice to their supporters.

The chants were well into the cabaret circuit when the 1970’s rolled around. In 1975 they broke up. Joey and Edmond Ankrah, joined with Ashanti and appeared on lTV’s New Faces and Eddie and Chris Amoo joined The Real Thing, which was a Liverpool soul group and in June 1976 they topped the UK charts with You Are To Me Everything.

SoulPool says that, “Yet it is forgotten that as the Beatles and other groups went global, kids locally started to listen and dance to the “gut-bucket” soul music pouring into the city from Detroit, Chicago and Memphis, and local favourites were binned accordingly.”

Again, SoulPool notes that the contribution made to the Merseybeat by black groups and artists aren’t yet given due recognition. Though the documentary Who Put the Beat in Merseybeat? (1996) does give some credit to the black groups. Let’s hope that trend continues.

Note: a capella

1876, earlier alla capella (1847), from It., “in the manner of the chapel,” lit. “according to the chapel,” from cappella “chapel.” Originally in ref. to older church music (pre-1600) which was written for unaccompanied voices; applied 20c. to unaccompanied vocal music generally.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

For More Information:

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Villa/9500/chants.htm
http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/chants.htm
http://www.geocities.com/soulpooluk/cityblues.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000707/ai_n14327504
http://www.kinemagigz.com/’r’.htm#The_Real_Thing_
http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/544772?view=synopsis
http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/544772

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