By Loveunlimited (65.238.91.248) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 10:48 pm:

Someone had mentioned on one of the threads that the Chanetels can still sing! Are they still performing? Do they have a web site?

By Vandelron (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 11:19 pm:

Yes they are--I have girl groups video from recent Hall of Fame stamp ceremony-joinded by Arlene Smith--they really kick it with her and without her-1 member died not too long ago and they have one newer member who may often sing lead,when Arlene not around. Most live in NYC area.

By Vandelron (152.163.188.68) on Thursday, March 13, 2003 - 11:21 pm:

PS--Chantels have web site I just found but name is long--do a search.

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:27 am:

Chantels today have 3 original members. Their lead singer is Ami Ortiz who lives in New Jersey. She's young (early 30s) but has a voice as good or better than Arlene Smith! And the 3 original back-up girls do an excellent job of recreating their original sound. This Chantels group performs quite frequently in the tri-state area, as well as other parts of the US. Here is their website:

http://jerrysko.freeservers.com/Chantels/chantels.html

Nikki

By Sue (205.188.209.38) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:35 am:

Arlene Smith sang at the Girl Group stamp ceremony in Cleveland last summer -- she was unbelievable. She looked tired before the concert, but as soon as she opened her mouth, it was as if she was a teenager again.

To a certain generation of women older than me, nobody can touch Arlene Smith's voice ...and now that I've heard her live, I know what they mean. For me, hearing someone in their '30s sing "Maybe" wouldn't really cut it.

By dvdmike (65.208.234.61) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 06:55 am:

Most of The Chantels' End material was cut at Bell Sound in Manhattan, but their biggest hit, "Maybe" was cut in a church. I don't know the name of the church, but it was in midtown Manhattan. The Five Satins' "In The Still Of The Nite" was also recorded in the basement of a New Haven, Connecticut church on February 26, 1956. I have the name of the church on one of my databases, I'll search for it.

By DEB (205.188.209.38) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 09:54 am:

THE CHANTELS DID A CUT IN 1959-CALLED SUMMER'S
LOVE WITH RICHARD BARRETT HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD
THIS CUT? IT WAS BEFORE MY TIME

By JoeR (170.148.10.41) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 09:59 am:

Hi Loveunlimited,

As Nikki stated, the Chantels are still performing. They have been on the east coast regularly and occasionally out West and in Las Vegas. My good friend Ami has carved her own niche as the lead singer of the Chantels. When she sings their signature sing "Maybe", you don't even miss this original lead. Their harmonies are exquisite, especially when they do standards, ala Temptations In A Mellow Mood. These women still got it and I'm honored to share the stage with them.

JoeR - http://mypages.netopia.com/channels

By Eli (151.197.37.133) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 10:25 am:

When I first heard Maybe it was like a church madrigal, so beautiful to my young ears.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 11:15 am:

I met Arlene Smith years ago at a Felix Hernandez' Rhythm Revue Dance Party held at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC. It was 1997 & she was so pleasant to speak to. She gives lectures on music history in the NYC school system and has made herself available to young people who want to learn vocal music. Talk about someone who is passing her knowledge & wisdom to kids young enough to be her grandchildren! Whomever she reaches through her teaching would be the luckiest child in the world.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 11:55 am:

Joe and Nikki,
We'll have to agree to disagree. I feel that if a lead singer is alive, well, and able to sing, there's an emotional component to hearing the original singer on the song they made famous.

"Maybe" made a big impression on a lot of us, even if we heard it years later. It's like, seeing Dennis Edwards singing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" meant more to me than hearing any more recent singer do it, no matter how proficient they are.

By MEL&THEN SOME9 (195.219.7.26) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:17 pm:

Are these the same Chantels that recorded 'You're welcome to my heart' on Verve Records?
many thanks
Mel.

By Common (209.2.55.168) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:20 pm:

Hello everyone,

Went over & checked out their website. Interesting! The only two songs I've heard of by them was "Maybe" & "Look In My Eyes". Didn't know they created all the songs mentioned. Thanks for the link to the site!

Peace!

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:22 pm:

The Chantels group with the 3 original members (they had four originals until about 5 years ago when Jackie Landry passed away)is the legal copyrighted Chantels group performing today. Arlene Smith is booked at shows as "Arlene Smith former lead singer of the Chantels". The first time Arlene Smith reunited with her original group after many many years was at the UGHA Hall of Fame in 1993 (or 1994) when the Chantels got inducted. Ami stepped off the stage and Arlene came in on "Maybe" with Jackie, Lois, Renee, and Sonia. There wasn't a dry eye in the audience! It's true that today most of the performing groups on the circuit who are billed under their recording name have the lead singer as an original. In many cases (probably most), the lead is the ONLY original in that group! Here the Chantels had FOUR originals. Not taking anything away from the very talented Arlene Smith, but Ami does very well, both in voice quality and stage presence, giving today's Chantels a 99% feel of the original sound & feeling. Below is a photo I took of them performing at UGHA March 31, 2001. Ami is on the right.



Nikki

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:30 pm:

Hi Mel, Yes, same Chantels! Also "It's Just Me" on Verve. They recorded on many labels, including End, Carlton, Ludix, Verve, RCA, and on Orchid, Gone & Crackerjack (with Richard Barrett).

Nikki

By TonyRussi (68.18.230.25) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:31 pm:

Does anyone know when Yvonne Fair was in the Chantels?It must have been after she left the James Brown Revue(?).

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:35 pm:

If I may chime in on "emotional impact"...

When I saw Arlene Smith on one of TJ Lubinsky's PBS specials (I forgot whether it was Doo Wop 50 or 51), she sang "Maybe" with such emotional power & poise it was amazing. She sang the song in the original key with such ease it wasn't funny.

Maybe it's the purist in me but I wouldn't say that a replacement singer would sound as good or better than the original. Each & every singer brings (or SHOULD bring) their own experience & style to whatever they are performing. Otherwise, it would be a copy.

Granted, I have not heard Ami Ortiz & I trust that she is a fine singer from what Joe & Nikki has indicated. But, I wouldn't count out Arlene Smith. She still has the chops otherwise TJ Lubinsky would not have had her on stage for his PBS special.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:41 pm:

KevGo's Echo: "Each & every singer brings (or SHOULD bring) their own experience & style to whatever they are performing. Otherwise, it would be a copy."

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.57) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 12:52 pm:

Many thanks Nikki.
mel.

By TonyRussi (68.18.230.25) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 01:03 pm:

Hey Kevin, Right On, Arlene Smith is an Icon!My brother says she is also one of the sweetest people he ever met."Mayby" was about 5 years before my "time" but I always considered it one of the greatest recordings in Rock/Soul history.Due to bootlegging of 45's at the time, I'm sure the record was alot bigger then #14 that it showed on the charts.

By JoeR (170.148.10.41) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 01:09 pm:

KevGo -

You have time to check out the CHANTELS (w/Ami)as well as EARL LEWIS & THE CHANNELS at Westbury Music Fair on 09/20/2003. It's gonna be a great (2) shows!

JoeR - http://mypages.netopia.com/channels

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 02:03 pm:

Annette Smith (formerly of the Veneers) also sang lead with the Chantels c. 1961-1962 while Arlene Smith was doing solo recordings. Annette did the lead on "Summertime" which came out on Carlton in 1962. Arlene recorded "Everything" on the Spectorious label (a Roulette-Spector production)during her "solo" career in the early 60s. Annette's voice was very similar to Arlene's, often hard to tell apart from each other.

Nikki

By stephanie (64.63.221.236) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 06:14 pm:

I saw Earl Lewis and the Channels website its very nice thanks a lot Joe..
Stephanie

By boynextdoor (65.238.91.169) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 08:38 pm:

Speaking of Annette Smith of the Chantels....does anyone out there know what she's up to these days? I assume from the feedback that she did not reuinite with The Chantels as Arlene Smith has on occasion.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Friday, March 14, 2003 - 10:04 pm:

Ive been impressed with the Chantels and Arlene's ability to reunite on occasion(Diana take note!)and Ami's apparent graciousness in leaving the stage. Arlene and the Chantels were sensational on PBS and their acknowledgment of Jackie was quite moving. However I thought Arlene was not nearly as good at Rock and Roll Hall stamp cermenony-she seemed tired(and was wearing flip flop looking slippers!)They all deserve more credit than they have gotten-such talented trailblazers---r u listening Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?????????????????????--but then again black women dont usually make it into the Hall of Fame--sad to say.and what about Darlene Love????????????????

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 02:31 pm:

For those of you in the NY/LI area who may want to see the Chantels (with Ami Ortiz & 3 originals from the group), here is a show you may want to consider attending:

"An Evening With The Stars"

Sat. April 12, 2003 - 7 pm

Hauppauge HS, 500 Lincoln Blvd., Hauppauge, NY



The Chantels

Earl "Speedo" Carroll & The Cadillacs

Frankie Lymon's Legendary Teenagers

The Flamingos (Terry Johnson's)

Jimmy Clanton

The Del-Vikings

The Students from Cinn., Ohio featuring original member Richard Johnson

The Excellents

The Brooklyn Reunion

Host: Bobby Jay (from the Laddins & also CBS dj)

For Ticket Info: (631) 587-3565

Nikki
http://www.harmonytrain.com

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.81) on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 02:43 pm:

Hey Nikki,
just gotta say,
what an absolutley great web-sight you have.
Like a few of the other posters on this forum,the amount of in-depth material you have all obtained on your sites is truly amazing(andthensome).
A big thanks to one and all whose sites I am still having to digest over and over again with the amount of endless informative material.
Mel.

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Saturday, March 29, 2003 - 06:17 pm:

....And Then Some....

Thanx for your nice words about our site. I'm blushing

Nikki
http://www.harmonytrain.com