The Chaunteurs aka The Chanteurs (1)

The Chanteurs (1963)

The Chaunteurs (Chicago)
aka The Chanteurs (1)

Personnel :

Sollie McElroy (Lead Tenor)

Eugene Record (First Tenor)

Robert "Squirrel" Lester  (Second Tenor)

Clarence Johnson (Baritone)

Eddie Reed (Bass)

Discography :

The Chaunteurs
Singles :
1961 - Wishin' Well / New Rockin' Baby (La Salle 501)
Unreleased :
1961 - I'll Do What You Want Me to Do (La Salle)

The Chanteurs (1)
1963 - You've Got A Great Love / The Grizzly Bear (Vee Jay 519)

Biography :

Eugene Booker Record was born in Chicago on the 23 December 1940. As a young boy his interest in music first took hold with song writing and guitar lessons. When he was thirteen at Englewood high school he participated in musical programs and had visions of getting into the music business. At high school he became a member of the vocal group the Wrens.  He next formed the Chanteurs in the late fifties with future Chi-Lites Robert Lester and Clarence Johnson and Sollie McElroy from The Moroccos.

The Wrens with  Eugene Record (Middle)

In 1954, After the first two years of the Flamingos, Lead singer Sollie McElroy sang with the Moroccos for about three years. After scoring several regional hits, The Moroccos disbanded in 1957. In 1961, Sollie McElroy joined The Chaunteurs which included Clarence Johnson (Baritone), Robert "Squirrel" Lester  (Second Tenor), Eddie Reed (Bass) and Eugene Record (First Tenor). Sollie McElroy and Eugene Record shared Lead on the La Salle Label release, which sounds more like a 1957 recording. Burt Bowen (Baritone) replaced Sollie  and in 1963 the group cut "You've Got A Great Love" b/w "The Grizzly Bear" on Vee Jay records in 1963 as The Chanteurs. 

The Chaunteurs (1961) : Clarence Johnson, Robert Lester, Eddie Reed, Sollie McElroy and Eugene Record

The Next Year, Eugene Record, Robert "Squirrel" Lester, and Clarence Johnson) teamed up with Marshall Thompson and Creadel "Red" Jones of the Desidero's to form the Hi-lites. Noting that the name Hi-lites was already in use, and wishing to add a tribute to their home town of Chicago, they changed their name to "Marshall and the Chi-Lites" in 1964. Johnson left later that year, and their name was subsequently shortened to The Chi-Lites.


Songs :

The Chaunteurs

    
Wishin' Well                                   New Rockin' Baby

The Chanteurs (1)

  
You've Got A Great Love                       The Grizzly Bear


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