CHI-LITES TOBY ORIGINAL STILL SEALED BL-754200

$

27

One of the most popular smooth soul groups of the early '70s didn't hail from Philadelphia or Memphis, the two cities known for sweet, string-laden soul. Instead, the Chi-Lites were from Chicago, a town better known for its gritty urban blues and driving R&B. Led by vocalist Eugene Record, the Chi-Lites had a lush, creamy sound distinguished by their four-part harmonies and layered productions. During the early '70s, they racked up 11 Top Ten R&B singles, ranging from the romantic ballads "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl" to protest songs like "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" and "There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table)." All the songs featured Record's warm, pleading tenor and falsetto, and the majority of the group's hits were written by Record, often in collaboration with other songwriters like Barbara Acklin.

The Chi-Lites had been around for nearly a decade before they finally had a hit in the late '60s. Eugene Record, Robert Lester, and Clarence Johnson formed the doo wop group the Chanteurs in the late '50s, and they released one single on Renee Records in 1959. Shortly afterward, Creadel "Red" Jones and Marshall Thompson, who had sung with the Desideros, teamed with the trio to form the Hi-Lites. Over the next four years, the Hi-Lites released a number of singles on local labels. In 1964, they changed their name to Marshall & the Chi-Lites, adding the "C" as tribute to their hometown Chicago. By the end of the year, Johnson left the group and the remaining quartet truncated their name to the Chi-Lites. Over the next four years, the group continued to perform and release independent singles, with Record slowly emerging as the group's lead singer, songwriter, and producer.

In 1968, the Chi-Lites signed with the large Chicago indie label Brunswick Records, and early the following year "Give It Away" became their first national hit single, reaching number ten on the R&B charts. Despite the moderate success of "Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was," the group wasn't able to deliver another big hit until "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)" climbed into the R&B Top Ten in early 1971, beginning a string of ten Top Ten hits that ran intermittently over the next four years. The follow-up to "Are You My Woman?," "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People," was their first pop hit, setting the stage for a pair of slow, soulful ballads, "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl," which both reached number one on the R&B charts; the latter was a number-one pop hit, as well. in the spring of 1972.

Shortly after the release of the hit "Stoned Out of My Mind," the Chi-Lites began to splinter in 1973, when Jones left the group and was replaced by Stanley Anderson, who was quickly replaced by Willie Kensey. The revamped lineup had three Top Ten R&B hits — "Homely Girl," "There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table)," and "Toby" — before they replaced Kensey with Doc Roberson. Shortly afterward, Brunswick became involved in serious financial problems, which prevented the label from promoting the group's record. Frustrated, Record left the band to become a solo recording artist for Warner Bros. The remaining trio, augmented by David Scott and Danny Johnson (who was replaced by Vandy Hampton in 1977), signed with Mercury, but none of their singles were hits.

  The title track, "Toby," should have made this LP financially viable, but as enchanting and beautiful as it is, the tale was morbid (Toby gets killed) and it didn't burn any rubber on the charts. The insightful "There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table)" was also expected to do some serious damage, but didn't fare as well as "Toby." Both were excellent examples of lead singer, writer and producer Eugene Record's immense creativity. A remake of Roberta Flack's "First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)" rivaled the original. The public didn't think much of this release, as it only dented Billboard's Top 200 LP Chart at #181

Tracks

Side one
       1  Toby  Acklin, Record  3:49 
       2  You Got to Be the One  Record, Simon  3:58 
       3  The Sound of Lonely  McKenney, Record  5:05 
       4  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face  MacColl  5:30 
       5  There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the ...)  Record  5:15  
    

Side two
       6  That's How Long  Powell  5:07 
       7  Happiness Is Your Middle Name  Record  3:36 
       8  I Lied  Record  5:42 
       9  I Like to Live the Love (That I Sing About)  Crawford, Mann  4:04 
       10  Gettin' on Outta Town  Drayton, Record  2:51 

VISUAL GRADING:

     AT RECORDMART-165 WE USE GOLDMINE (MAGAZINE) STANDARDS.ALBUMS ARE VIEWED UNDER THREE FORMS OF LIGHTING; NATURAL (DIRECT SUNLIGHT),FLORESCENT AND DIFFUSED LIGHT.RECORDS ARE INSPECTED FOR SCRATCHES, ABRASIONS, SLEEVE WEAR ,WARPING AND LUSTER.OUR GRADING IS CONSERVATIVE AS WE NEITHER WANT TO WASTE OUR TIME NOR DISAPPOINT YOU.SPECIFIC QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE STATE OF THE ALBUM ARE WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED.WE DO NOT LISTEN TO THE RECORDS AND FOR THE MOST PART ,HAVE NOT SINCE THEY WERE ISSUED.

GRADING STANDARDS

Near Mint (NM or M-)

A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling. An LP cover should have no creases, folds, seam splits or other noticeable similar defects. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like. Basically, an LP in near mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap. Near Mint is the highest price listed in all Goldmine price guides. Anything that exceeds this grade, in the opinion of both buyer and seller, is worth significantly more than the highest Goldmine book value.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

Generally worth 50 percent of the Near Mint value. A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK". The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned up corners, or a slight seam split. An LP cover may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount. In general, if not for a couple things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG)

Generally worth 25 percent of Near Mint value. Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound. Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them. Goldmine price guides with more than one price will list Very Good as the lowest price. This, not the Near Mint price, should be your guide when determining how much a record is worth, as that is the price a dealer will normally pay you for a Near Mint record.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+)

Generally worth 10-15 percent of the Near Mint value. Good does not mean Bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear (on a styrene record, the groove will be starting to turn white). A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object. It is a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But, if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it...but keep looking to upgrade.

Poor (P), Fair (F)

Generally worth 0-5 percent of the Near Mint price. The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and writing. The LP cover barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, crinkled, and written upon. Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.

THIS RECORD

THIS RECORD/VINYL IS IN MINT SHAPE ,BREATHEHOLES ARE CONGRUENT WITH ORIGINAL FACTORY SEAL.RECORD WAS BOUGHT IN 1974 AND NEVER OPENED.IT HAS SAT WITHIN MY COLLECTION FOR THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS.ALL SEALED RECORDS ARE ONLY RETURNABLE IF RETURNED AS SUCH.

 HAPPY BIDDING

-NO SPINEWARE or RINGWARE

-NO SPLIT SEAMS

-LABEL IS INTACT AND CONTAINS NO MARKINGS OR WEAR WHATSOEVER

-NO MOLD OR GENERAL WATER DAMAGE

-NO SCUFFS OR MARRING OF VINYL

-NO BARCODE OR RIAA LABELING

-NO CUT OUTS OR DRILL HOLES

THE RECORD WILL SHIP IN A STURDY CARDBOARD MAILER WITH FOAM PADDING SO AS TO ARRIVE IN THE SHAPE IT IS SHIPPED OUT IN.RECORD IS REMOVED FROM JACKET AS TO AVOID SEAM SPLITTING (ONLY APPLICABLE ON NON SEALED ITEMS)

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Payment Must Be Received Within 5 Days After Auction Close

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SHIPPING

USA: I can send this LP to you by Media Mail for $4.00, 1st Class Mail for $5.00 or Priority Mail which will be calculated after the auction using your zip code. Most of my customers prefer Media Mail because it is very cheap. Please keep in mind that it's cheap because it is SLOW.

CANADA: If you are in Canada, I can send this LP to you by 1st Class Airmail for $7.00.

MEXICO: If you are in Mexico, I can send this LP to you by 1st Class Airmail for $11.00.

EVERYWHERE ELSE: Due to questionable customs problems in Italy we will no longer ship there. If you are not in the USA, Canada, or Mexico,  STANDARD INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING (AIR MAIL) IS $14.50 .I can send this LP to you by PRIORITY for $29.50. International customers please contact before  completion of transaction (ie: Invoice Sent) so as to discuss shipping requirements or requests. THE ADDITIONAL COST FOR PRIORITY INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IS FOR PROTECTION OF BUYER AND SELLER ALIKE. INSURANCE ,TRACKING AND CONFIRMATION ARE PROVIDED WITH THIS SERVICE. IN THE EVENT ITEM CLOSES FOR MORE THAN $150(USD) THERE IS AN AUTOMATIC SHIPPING REDUCTION OF 25%.