Eugene Booker Record (December 23, 1940 – July 22, 2005)
was an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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-based
vocal group
A vocal group is a performing ensemble of vocalists who sing and harmonize together. The first well-known vocals groups emerged in the 19th century, and the style had reached widespread popularity by the 1940s.
Types
Vocal groups can come in se ...
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites (, ) are an American R&B/soul vocal quartet from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Forming at Chicago's Hyde Park High School in 1959, The group's original lineup consisted of singers Robert Lester, Eugene Record, Creadel Jones, ...
from their formation in 1959 until 1973 and again from 1980 to 1988. Record wrote and produced many of the group's hits in the 1970s on
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
From 1916
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing produ ...
, as well as writing and producing for other acts. He had international hits with: "
Oh Girl
"Oh Girl" is a song written by Eugene Record and recorded by American soul vocal group the Chi-Lites, with Record on vocals and also producing. It was released as a single on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album '' A Lon ...
," "
Have You Seen Her
"Have You Seen Her" is a song by American soul music, soul vocal group the Chi-Lites, released on Brunswick Records in 1971. Composed by the lead singer Eugene Record and Barbara Acklin, the song was included on the group's 1971 album ''(For God's ...
," "
Soulful Strut
"Am I the Same Girl?" is a popular song written by Eugene Record and Sonny Sanders. First recorded in 1968 by Barbara Acklin, "Am I the Same Girl?" charted most successfully in the US as a 1992 release by Swing Out Sister. However, the song ha ...
," and "
(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People".
Biography
Born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, United States,
to Booker and Bernice Record,
Record was drawn to music through his older sister's involvement as a pianist. He learned to play the guitar and formed his first group while at high school with Robert Lester, who stayed on when they joined up with two members of another local group to form The Hi-Lites and eventually changing the name to The Chi-Lites. After a few unsuccessful singles, the group was signed by
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
From 1916
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing produ ...
production chief in Chicago, Carl Davis.
Record wrote or co-wrote (often with singer
Barbara Acklin
Barbara Jean Acklin (February 28, 1943 – November 27, 1998) was an American soul singer and songwriter, who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" (1968). As a songwriter, she is best ...
) a long series of hits for the group, including million-sellers "
Have You Seen Her
"Have You Seen Her" is a song by American soul music, soul vocal group the Chi-Lites, released on Brunswick Records in 1971. Composed by the lead singer Eugene Record and Barbara Acklin, the song was included on the group's 1971 album ''(For God's ...
" and "
Oh Girl
"Oh Girl" is a song written by Eugene Record and recorded by American soul vocal group the Chi-Lites, with Record on vocals and also producing. It was released as a single on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album '' A Lon ...
", as well as major hits, such as "Homely Girl" and "Give More Power To The People". He also wrote and produced for other artists, mostly on Brunswick, including Acklin,
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...
,
The Lost Generation,
Otis Leavill
Otis Leavill (February 8, 1937
Accessed 8 February 2010 , and later,
The Dells
The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first r ...
and
The Impressions
The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, doo-wop, R&B, and soul.
The group was founded as the Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur Bro ...
.
When Brunswick began to falter due to legal and financial issues in the mid-1970s, Record decided to go solo and released three
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
s (entitled ''The Eugene Record'', ''Trying to Get to You'', and ''Welcome to My Fantasy'') in the late 1970s on
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
without major success, before re-joining The Chi-Lites in 1980. As well as returning to sing with the group, he teamed up again with Carl Davis, formerly his mentor at Brunswick, to produce and take on executive duties for Davis'
Chi-Sound Records label.
Record stayed with The Chi-Lites until the mid-1980s for several albums on various labels before leaving again. Becoming a born-again Christian, he produced a
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
album on his own Evergreen label. He also continued to make occasional guest appearances with the group.
In 1978, he appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' with
Michael Palin
Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries.
Palin w ...
. He performed "Have You Seen Her" and "Trying to Get to You". In 1979 he recorded his only track which ventured onto the disco scene called, "Magnetism". The record was released on 12" single and, despite being played regularly in local clubs, did not become a hit. His 1977 track entitled "Overdose of Joy" has had a resurgence of interest.
Personal life
Eugene Record was married twice. He first married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Scott, about whom the hit, "Have You Seen Her", was written.
He later married his second wife, Jacqueline. Record has been erroneously reported to have married
Barbara Acklin
Barbara Jean Acklin (February 28, 1943 – November 27, 1998) was an American soul singer and songwriter, who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" (1968). As a songwriter, she is best ...
. They were never married.
He died on July 22, 2005, in Chicago, after a long battle with
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
.
He was 64.
Discography (1980-1985)
Record had several hits after rejoining the Chi-Lites in the early 1980s. With Linda F. Williams, writing under the name L. F. Butler and L. Frances Butler had three releases by
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites (, ) are an American R&B/soul vocal quartet from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Forming at Chicago's Hyde Park High School in 1959, The group's original lineup consisted of singers Robert Lester, Eugene Record, Creadel Jones, ...
:
*
You Take the Cake on the
Changing For You' album released by the Chi-Lites in 1982.
*
Do What You Want on the
Steppin' Out' album released by the Chi-Lites in 1984, and
*
Hard Act to Follow" a single released by the Chi-Lites in the United Kingdom in 1985. This song was also recorded and released by Dutch artist,
Nancy Boyd (aka: Nancy Bruinooge) in 1985 and again in 1992 on the ''You Can Always Count on Me'' album.
Discography (2000-2005)
He is a co-writer of the 2003
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
hit record "
Crazy in Love
"Crazy in Love" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé, featuring a rap verse and ad-libs from her future husband Jay-Z from her debut solo studio album '' Dangerously in Love'' (2003). The song was released as her official debut single ...
", thanks to its sampling of The Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)". His writing contribution earned him a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
.
References
External links
*
Allmusic.com article on Eugene RecordSoul Tracks profile of Eugene RecordIMDB Entry for ''Saturday Night Live'' appearance*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Record, Eugene
1940 births
2005 deaths
American soul singers
Record producers from Illinois
Songwriters from Illinois
The Chi-Lites members
Deaths from cancer in Illinois
Singers from Chicago
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers