THE BEST SOUL BANDS / ARTISTS OF THE ALL-TIME # 1 THE CHI-LITES

This Series of Post's concerns in my Opinion The Best Bands/Artists of all time.


I will write a Short Bio including  the Band Members/ Artist, some Facts and figures, their Histories,  Links, Videos, The Tracks they made Famous, Links to Download etc etc

I will start with Probably the Best Soul Vocal Band Ever...The Chi-Lites, led by the Great Eugene Record on Lead Tenor vocals,  I brought my First Chi-Lites Album in 1975, "Half a Love" this incidentally was their Last Album for Brunswick Records.
By this time they had already had plenty of Success and Hit records, but after hearing this Album I soon made it my mission to Purchase all the stuff that went before!


Another interesting fact concerning this particular Album, The Chi-Lites Record Label "Brunswick" were in serious Financial trouble around the period of the Album release, so out of the 10 Tracks on the Album, only 6 were New, the other 4, had been Released previously!

The Chi-Lites were Formed in 1959, but originally they were called The Hi-Lites. They had 5 Original Members: Marshall Thompson, Creadel "Red" Jones, Eugene Record, Robert Lester and finally Clarence Johnson.


They Released several Singles on Local Record Labels, then in 1964 they had a Name Change, this time it was Marshall Thompson and The Chi-Lites, they added a "C" in Honour of where they came from "Chicago"


By the end of 1964 Clarence Johnson had left the Band and another name change had happened, they were now called  just "The Chi-Lites"


By 1968 The Chi-Lites had joined "Brunswick Records" and Eugene Record has emerged as the Lead Singer, Song Writer and Producer!

By 1969 the First Hit Record happened "Give It Away" it reached Number 10 in the US R&B Chart, the follow up Single "Let Me Be The Man, My Daddy Was" was only moderately Successful.


They had to wait until 1971 until the next big Hit, "Are You My Woman" was a US R&B Top 10 Record, then after that it was Hit after Hit!

The first Crossover Hit came with 
"For Gods Sake Give More Power To The People" then there were 2 Number 1's in the US R&B Charts with "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl" incidentally "Oh Girl" was also a  Number 1 Pop Hit in the US in the Spring of 1972!


After about another 6 other Single releases, all getting into both US Pop and R&B Charts, the Single "Stoned Out Of My Mind" was released in 1973, it reached Number 2 in US R&B Chart, but this marked the time when several Line-up changes happened!

By the middle of 1974 the Hits were still coming with "Homely Girl" Toby and so on, more Hits followed in 1975, but it was around this period when as I said earlier "Brunswick" were in Financial Trouble, and by 1976 The Chi-lites had left "Brunswick" and Eugene Record had left The Chi-Lites!


During this period The Chi-Lites signed for "Mercury Records"  and had a moderate time by their standards, but by 1980 the Original Members (minus Clarence Johnson) had Reformed and signed to Carl Davis's Record Label "Chi-Sound"


The Re-union did not last long though, by 1982, "Creadel Jones" left again, followed by Eugene Record in 1988!

Over the years their were several member changes and a few minor Hits, but nothing like the early 70's.


Their last Biggest Hit Record was "Bottoms Up" in 1983, it reached Number 7 in US R&B Chart.


My Favorite All-Time Chi-Lites Track is  "Yes I'm Ready (if I dont get to go)  A CLASSIC!


In 2000 The Chi-Lites were Inducted into "R&B The Hall Of Fame" 


For a more In-depth Story (including all the Music, bio's, Chart positions, Awards etc)  of The Chi-Lites....PRESS HERE



The only living Member of the Original Band is "Marshall Thompson" who is still Performing, and one of his current Projects is Joint-Owner of "Mar-ance Records" with Michael Jackson's Father, Joseph.


Press Here to view/hear the Chi-lites Greatest Hits!

Below are the Tracks from the 2006 Album Released on Music Club, 36 Tracks in total, Volume 1 and 2, either just Play the tracks or Download!