The Chi-Lites

「Chi-Lites」合唱团是在1960年成立于芝加哥的，发起人是马歇尔汤普森（Marshall Thompson）。他早年曾经为一些歌手与团体的乐队担任过鼓手，后来又跟好朋友克理戴尔琼斯（Creadel Jones）共同参加过一支乐队的演唱工作。1959年，汤普森与琼斯认识了「歌唱者」（Chanteurs）三重唱的尤金瑞柯德、克莱伦斯强森（Clarence Johnson）与劳勃赖斯特（Robert Lester），双方相谈甚欢，决定共组一支五重唱团体，为自己取名为「Hi-Lites」，并且获得了唱片合约。在连续几首单曲都没有获得成功之后，他们不但失去了唱片合约，连团名也保不住，因为他们发现，「Hi-Lites」这个名字已经被另外一支团体捷足先登了。不得已之下，他们只好另外想个别的名字，而因为他们是来自芝加哥的，所以他们灵机一动，决定在原先的团名前面加上一个「C」，变成了「Chi-Lites」，除了让人家知道他们是从哪里来的，也期许自己有朝一日能够成为「芝加哥的光彩」。 另外，由于团体是由马歇尔发起的，因此他们在1964年以「Marshall & the Chi-Lites」的名义重新出发。到了那一年的年底，他们进一步决定再把团名简化，就此成为「Chi-Lites」合唱团。   在几位团员中，尤金瑞柯德的音乐才华是最突出的，合作的过程中，他很快的脱颖而出，成了团体最重要的人物，不但担任绝大多数歌曲的主唱，还包办了大部分歌曲的谱写工作，甚至连唱片的制作也揽下来了。只可惜，他们的机运仍然欠佳，陆续又被其他几家唱片公司炒了鱿鱼，好不容易再度获得Mercury的合约、又再度被赶出门。1969年，他们终于开始有了转机。富有作曲才华的尤金瑞柯德一直努力的谱曲，也因为他的歌曲得到了MCA唱片旗下一家副牌的赏识，头一次有唱片公司主动跟他们签约。擅长以华丽的假声演唱、并且负责制作的瑞柯德，为这个团体赋予了一种浪漫的声音。他们接连唱红了好几首歌曲，深获好评，甚至还被某些乐评家冠上「新古典」的美名。 只是，他们还缺少「临门的一脚」，为了想要打开更高的知名度，于是他们尝试改变风格，唱一首节奏比较轻快的歌曲，果然在1971年以「Give More Power to the People」创下他们成军以来最好的成绩，得到第二十六名。接着，他们重新回到抒情歌谣曲的路线，以「Have You Seen Her」获得了第三名，以及蓝调排行的冠军。在勉强只拿到第九十五名的「I Want to Pay You Back (For Loving Me)」之后，他们在1972年春天推出了「A Lonely Man」专辑，并且由瑞柯德所谱写的抒情歌谣曲「Oh Girl」打头阵，当作首支单曲。按照往例，瑞柯德仍然负责制作、并且担任主唱。他采用了简单得惊人的编曲手法，只有一支口琴和最精简的弦乐组，烘托着他基本上相当单薄的高音，其余几位团员在和声的时候甚至往往连歌词都没有，但是却唱出了一种热情而又绝望的感觉，令人动容。1972年四月八日，这首歌第一次上榜，获得第八十名，随即快速的扶摇直上，七个星期后，就在五月二十七日登上了冠军宝座，同时也再度夺下蓝调排行的榜首。他们的美梦终于成真，成了「芝加哥的光彩」 by Stephen Thomas Erlewine One of the most popular smooth soul groups of the early 70s didnt hail from Philadelphia or Memphis, the two cities known for sweet, string-laden soul. Instead, the Chi-Lites were from Chicago, a town better known for its gritty urban blues and driving R&B. Led by vocalist Eugene Record, the Chi-Lites had a lush, creamy sound distinguished by their four-part harmonies and layered productions. During the early 70s, they racked up 11 Top Ten R&B singles, ranging from the romantic ballads Have You Seen Her and Oh Girl to protest songs like (For Gods Sake) Give More Power to the People and There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table). All the songs featured Records warm, pleading tenor and falsetto, and the majority of the groups hits were written by Record, often in collaboration with other songwriters like Barbara Acklin. The Chi-Lites had been around for nearly a decade before they finally had a hit in the late 60s. Eugene Record, Robert Lester, and Clarence Johnson formed the doo wop group the Chanteurs in the late 50s, and they released one single on Renee Records in 1959. Shortly afterward, Creadel Red Jones and Marshall Thompson, who had sung with the Desideros, teamed with the trio to form the Hi-Lites. Over the next four years, the Hi-Lites released a number of singles on local labels. In 1964, they changed their name to Marshall & the Chi-Lites, adding the C as tribute to their hometown Chicago. By the end of the year, Johnson left the group and the remaining quartet truncated their name to the Chi-Lites. Over the next four years, the group continued to perform and release independent singles, with Record slowly emerging as the groups lead singer, songwriter, and producer. In 1968, the Chi-Lites signed with the large Chicago indie label Brunswick Records, and early the following year Give It Away became their first national hit single, reaching number ten on the R&B charts. Despite the moderate success of Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was, the group wasnt able to deliver another big hit until Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So) climbed into the R&B Top Ten in early 1971, beginning a string of ten Top Ten hits that ran intermittently over the next four years. The follow-up to Are You My Woman?, (For Gods Sake) Give More Power to the People, was their first pop hit, setting the stage for a pair of slow, soulful ballads, Have You Seen Her and Oh Girl, which both reached number one on the R&B charts; the latter was a number-one pop hit, as well. in the spring of 1972. Shortly after the release of the hit Stoned Out of My Mind, the Chi-Lites began to splinter in 1973, when Jones left the group and was replaced by Stanley Anderson, who was quickly replaced by Willie Kensey. The revamped lineup had three Top Ten R&B hits — Homely Girl, There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table), and Toby — before they replaced Kensey with Doc Roberson. Shortly afterward, Brunswick became involved in serious financial problems, which prevented the label from promoting the groups record. Frustrated, Record left the band to become a solo recording artist for Warner Bros. The remaining trio, augmented by David Scott and Danny Johnson (who was replaced by Vandy Hampton in 1977), signed with Mercury, but none of their singles were hits. The original lineup of the Chi-Lites re-formed in 1980, and the group began recording for Eugene Records label, Chi-Sound. Although their first singles were more successful than their Mercury Records, they didnt have a genuine hit until 1982, when Hot on a Thing (Called Love) reached number 15. The following year, they moved to Larc Records, where they had their final Top Ten hit with Bottoms Up. Late that year, Creadel Jones retired and the group continued to tour as a trio throughout the remainder of the decade. Record left the group in 1990 to record as a solo artist. He was replaced by Anthony Watson. By the early 90s, Jones had re-joined the group, and this version of the Chi-Lites became a regular on the oldies and soul circuit during the 90s.