There weren’t a lot of “girl” groups, let alone doo wopping R&B vocal units, which makes this 55 song, 2 disc anthology of The Chantels so special. The original members of Arlene smith, Sonia Goring Wilson, Renee Minus White and Jackie Landry Jackson went through a few incarnations, hitting it big with Arlene Smith’s He’s Gone” and the classic “Maybe” which topped the pop and R&B charts. Also included is the clever response to Ray Charles’ “Hit The Road, Jack” with a fun “Well I Told You” and the mega seller “Look In My Eyes”.
Smith’s vocals are strong and penetrating, not as much influenced by the church and gospel as much as the bel canto feel of Latin and opera, evidenced by “He’s Gone”, “I Love You So” and “Summer’s Love”. Also included is a meeting Richard Barret who hits it high and mighty for “Summer’s Love”, the New Orleans-rocking and the romantic “Come Softly To Me”. Also included are tracks from their albums We Are The Chantels, There’s Our Song Again and The Chantels On Tour which included a rich version of “You’ll Never Know”
More than nostalgia, these ladies showed they knew how to flex their muscles, holding their own in a male dominated industry. R&B with female chops.