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Widely credited as being one of the first ‘girl bands’ of the rock era, The Chantels were a remarkably talented vocal group. Starting off while at High School, a fortuitous meeting in the street with doo wop group The Valentines led lead singer and producer Richard Barrett to champion the teenagers. With a combination of the sensational song writing skills and vocal ability of Chantels lead Arlene Smith and Barrett’s influence within the industry, the young group from The Bronx, enjoyed many successes at a very young age. All students at the St. Anthony of Padua Elementary School in The Bronx, N.Y., they started singing together in the early ‘50s in second grade, being members of the St. Anthony’s church choir. Unlike many African American vocal groups, with roots in gospel, the music they learnt together of a different religious bent in the form of liturgical music, Latin hymns and Gregorian chants. They combined the unique vocal blend they had acquired with the doowop harmonies they heard performed by the male groups on the street corners. This collection celebrates The Chantels unique talent across the first five years of their recording career and helps emphasise just how influential they were in paving the way for future girl groups. It is made up of the vast majority of their singles including He’s Gone, The Plea, Prayee, (I Can’t Take It) There’s our song again, Look In My Eyes, and their beautiful rendition of George Gershwin’s Summertime. A must for all fans of female harmony groups.
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