A Lonely Man
Encyclopedia
A Lonely Man is the fourth studio album by American
soul
group The Chi-Lites
, produced and largely written by lead singer Eugene Record
. The album was released in 1972 on the Brunswick
label.
", which topped both the pop
and R&B
charts and peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart
, the eight and a half minute epic "The Coldest Days of My Life" and a cover of Marvin Gaye
's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
". A Lonely Man was The Chi-Lites' most successful album, topping the R&B
chart and peaking at #5 on the pop
chart. It is frequently cited as the group's best recording. Allmusic reviewer Craig Lytle describes the album as "flawless" and "exquisite".
Singles
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
group The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...
, produced and largely written by lead singer Eugene Record
Eugene Record
Eugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago...
. The album was released in 1972 on the Brunswick
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
label.
History
A Lonely Man includes The Chi-Lites most successful single "Oh GirlOh Girl
"Oh Girl" is a number-one single recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites and released on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album A Lonely Man, "Oh Girl" centers around a relationship on the verge of break-up...
", which topped both the pop
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts and peaked at #14 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the eight and a half minute epic "The Coldest Days of My Life" and a cover of Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
"Inner City Blues ", often shortened to "Inner City Blues", is a song by Marvin Gaye, released as the third and final single from and the climactic song of his 1971 landmark album, What's Going On...
". A Lonely Man was The Chi-Lites' most successful album, topping the R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart and peaking at #5 on the pop
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. It is frequently cited as the group's best recording. Allmusic reviewer Craig Lytle describes the album as "flawless" and "exquisite".
Track listing
Personnel
- Eugene RecordEugene RecordEugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago...
, Marshall ThompsonMarshall Thompson (Chi-Lites)Marshall Thompson is the leader of the Chicago based singing group, The Chi-Lites. He is the only remaining original member of the group after the death of Robert "Squirrel" Lester on January 22, 2010. He is a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist...
, Robert "Squirrel" Lester, Creadel "Red" Jones – vocals
Production
- Eugene RecordEugene RecordEugene Record was the American lead vocalist of the Chicago, Illinois based band, The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s.He was born Eugene Booker Record in Chicago...
– producer, arranger - Thomas (Tom Tom) Washington – arranger, conductor
- Cliff Davis – arranger
- Bruce SwedienBruce SwedienBruce Swedien is a Grammy Award-winning audio engineer and music producer. He is known for his work with Quincy Jones.Swedien is a five-time Grammy winner and has been nominated 13 times. He recorded, mixed, and assisted in producing the best-sold album in the world, Thriller by Michael Jackson...
– engineer - Craig Barksdale – technician
Charts
Album| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||
| 1972 | A Lonely Man | 5 | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US A/C |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1972 | "Oh Girl" | 1 | 1 | 34 | 14 |
| "The Coldest Days of My Life (Part 1)" | 47 | 8 | — | — | |
| "A Lonely Man" (A-side) | 57 | 25 | — | — | |
| "The Man & the Woman (The Boy & the Girl)" (B-side) | — | — | — | ||
External links
- A Lonely Man at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...