The Chi-Lites

• Genre: Soul
• Hometown: Chicago
• The Chi-Lites Website

About

Although they adopted the sounds of the sweet vocal soul popularized in Philadelphia, the Chi-Lites were actually from Chicago. Forgoing the blues roots of their hometown, the band created lush, harmony-packed Soul music equally lilting and stirring. Best known for their pure, melting vocals on perennial backseat favorites "Oh Girl" and "Have You Seen Her," the Chi-Lites were also able to dabble in social commentary with the demanding "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People." Frontman Eugene Record's vocals had the resonance of the street corner blended with the sentimentality and wistful yearning of a man in love. The Chi-Lites disbanded in the early 1970s, only to reform in the early '80s; minor success continued through the '90s on the oldies circuit.

- Jon Pruett