From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sat Oct 5, 2002  2:18 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Arlene Smith
 
ARLENE SMITH

Born 5 October 1941, The Bronx, New York City

Arlene Smith was the first lead singer of the Chantels. Regarded as the
first true 'girl group', this New York vocal quintet also comprised Sonia
Goring, Rene Minus, Lois Harris and Jackie Landry. By 1957, the girls,
aged 14 through 17, had been singing gether more than seven years.
That year they auditioned for producer Richie Barrett, who would become
their manager. The group was signed to George Goldner's End label and
made its recording debut with "He's Gone", following two months of rehearsal,
and this plaintive offering (peaking at # 71) set the tone for the Chantels'
subsequent work. Their impassioned style culminated with "Maybe" (# 15
pop, # 2 R&B) wherein Arlene Smith's heart-wrenching plea carried an
inordinate passion. Barely 16 years old on its release, the singer's
emotional delivery belies her youth. The single reputedly sold in excess
of 1,000,000 copies, but pirated pressings were prevalent in many American
states, undermining the group's potential. Two follow-ups in 1958, "Every
Night (I Pray)" and "I Love You So" went to # 39 and # 42 respectively.
Another strength of the group was the writing ability of Arlene Smith. She
wrote the A-sides of the group's first three singles, although it showed
George Goldner's name on the label.
Subsequent releases failed to sell and the Chantels grew disenchanted with
their management and label. In 1959, Lois Harris went to college and Arlene
Smith embarked on a solo career (unsuccessfully), under the tutelage of Phil
Spector, while Barrett continued to produce the remaining trio, complemented
by new lead singer Annette Smith (no relation to Arlene). These Chantels
enjoyed two US Top 30 hits in 1961 with "Look In My Eyes" and "Well I Told
You" (on Carlton), but they lacked the distinctiveness of the earlier releases.
In 1973, Arlene Smith, who had gone on to the prestigious Juilliard School of
Music, reformed the Chantels. She went on to become a schoolteacher in the
Bronx and continues to sing with the Chantels group to this day.
The Chantels were an important group who paved the way for The Shirelles,
Marvelettes, Cookies, Ronettes and Supremes - among others.

Further reading: Jay Warner, The Billboard book of American singing groups.
New York : Billboard, 1992, page 104-107.
CD: The Best of the Chantels (Rhino). 18 tracks.
Chantels website: http://jerrysko.freeservers.com/Chantels/chantels.html