The Chantels were an all-girl vocal group from New York, who followed in the footsteps of The Bobbettes as one of the first African-American girl groups to enjoy major chart success in the USA. They took their name from their school, St. Frances of Chantal, and unlike many of their peers were more influenced by classical and Latin music than by gospel. They were still at high school when they were discovered by Richard Barrett of The Valentines, and signed to the End label in 1957, having their first pop and R&B hits the same year, featuring the lead vocals of Arlene Smith. This 2-CD collection comprises their A & B sides on the End, Gone and Carlton labels from this era, plus the tracks from their albums “We Are The Chantels”, “There’s Our Song Again” and “The Chantels On Tour” not otherwise released on singles. It features their No. 2 R&B hit “Maybe”, and No. 6 hit “Look In My Eyes” plus their other pop and R&B chart entries from these years “He’s Gone”, “Every Night (I Pray)”, “I Love You So”, “Summer’s Love” and “Well I Told You So”. Although they had a couple of minor Hot 100 entries later in the ‘60s, this collection provides a reasonably comprehensive overview of the primary era of their career, and is a fine showcase for their distinctive style and sound as they paved the way for other girl groups in the charts.
