I, like you, am a great admirer of The Chi-Lites and the songwriting of Eugene Record. I have the one CD "Greatest Hits" package from Rhino and the 2CD "Ultimate" one from Brunswick itself to prove it.
"Have You Seen Her?" and "Oh Girl" were their biggest hits, but there was a lot more to them than that. The arrangements of the songs haunt me, as do the lyrics: "(For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People" is still a relevant message.
I have to suspect they are more obscure figures than many of their '70s counterparts simply because Brunswick, despite its high quality music, had a lot of business problems, mostly originating with the shady deals of label boss Nat Tarnopol. If they had been on Motown or Philadelphia International, they might have become more famous, but their first loyalty always was to Chicago, the city in their name.
And so Record set himself up as a sort of successor to Curtis Mayfield in the pantheon of Chicago soul music, though he had less hits overall.
Thanks for a really informed comment/post David, nothing to dispute here whatsoever and a whole bunch of valid points. PS: Wouldn't you like to have as many hits as Eugene Record, even if it did still put you in second place to Curtis Mayfield?
Love this article - I hunted down an OG copy - not pricey like other Soul LPs released around the same time - under $10 for a clean copy. What an addition to my collection. Thanks Tony - also it’s pronounced Shy-lights like Chicago not Shee-lights like what I asked for - though it might depend on a Midwest accent.
Thanks Matt, I take it you hunted it down a while back? I too did not have to pay too much, which is a hgreat shame in a way when you consider that it's a classic album that remains even now unavailable online, even though it has finally been reissued. Also, while some might pronounce it Chai-Lites (like the tea), I have yet to hear anyone call them Shee-Lights! Spanish is a more logical language, you know how to pronounce things there! Cheers.
Beautiful work Tony! I had totally forgotten about this LP.
I, like you, am a great admirer of The Chi-Lites and the songwriting of Eugene Record. I have the one CD "Greatest Hits" package from Rhino and the 2CD "Ultimate" one from Brunswick itself to prove it.
"Have You Seen Her?" and "Oh Girl" were their biggest hits, but there was a lot more to them than that. The arrangements of the songs haunt me, as do the lyrics: "(For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People" is still a relevant message.
I have to suspect they are more obscure figures than many of their '70s counterparts simply because Brunswick, despite its high quality music, had a lot of business problems, mostly originating with the shady deals of label boss Nat Tarnopol. If they had been on Motown or Philadelphia International, they might have become more famous, but their first loyalty always was to Chicago, the city in their name.
And so Record set himself up as a sort of successor to Curtis Mayfield in the pantheon of Chicago soul music, though he had less hits overall.
Thanks for a really informed comment/post David, nothing to dispute here whatsoever and a whole bunch of valid points. PS: Wouldn't you like to have as many hits as Eugene Record, even if it did still put you in second place to Curtis Mayfield?
Any hit record is a miracle. More than one is artistry.
Weeeell, I just bought it. :-)
Two sales down! Thanks Hugo!
Love this article - I hunted down an OG copy - not pricey like other Soul LPs released around the same time - under $10 for a clean copy. What an addition to my collection. Thanks Tony - also it’s pronounced Shy-lights like Chicago not Shee-lights like what I asked for - though it might depend on a Midwest accent.
Thanks Matt, I take it you hunted it down a while back? I too did not have to pay too much, which is a hgreat shame in a way when you consider that it's a classic album that remains even now unavailable online, even though it has finally been reissued. Also, while some might pronounce it Chai-Lites (like the tea), I have yet to hear anyone call them Shee-Lights! Spanish is a more logical language, you know how to pronounce things there! Cheers.
Beautiful piece, Tony
Brilliant article Tony thanks. Made me go by an original LP on Discogs! Great writing 🙏🏻
One sale down! Thanks Steve!