Charles Chalmers, Musician

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Charles Chalmers is a successful session musician, backup singer, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs, some of which have hit #1 and he also has worked on six Grammy Hall of Fame recordings: Al Green's "Let's Stay together", Aretha Franklin's hits "Respect" and "Chain of Fools", Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man", Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" and "Land of 1,000 Dances". He also holds an Album of the Century award for his work on Aretha Franklin's, I Never Loved a Man album.

1 Biography
2 Hit Songs written by Charles Chalmers
3 Recording Artists Featuring Charlie Chalmers
4 Sources

[edit] Biography

Like many musicians, Charlie Chalmers began playing music in his high school marching band. The musical skills he honed served him well, as he became a hit arranger and sax player on recording sessions at a very young age in Memphis, Tennessee.

By age 19, Charlie had worked on the road with Jerry Lee Lewis. He also worked extensively with Charlie Rich, and was starting to become well respected around Memphis as a funky sax player.

Charlie's soulful playing came to the attention of (Elvis' bass player) Bill Black, of the "Bill Black Combo". Bill called Chalmers for a session one day and it turned out well, so he called him back again. The word soon got around and before long every studio in Memphis was calling Charlie to play sax on their recordings.

Not long after working with Bill Black, Willie Mitchell, who was also a HI recording artist, asked Charlie to play sax on some of his recordings. Charlie played lead sax on Willie's biggest instrumental hit, "Soul Serenade". Willie then called Charlie to work regularly on his productions, not only as a saxophone player, but also as an arranger and back up singer. One day Willie Mitchell asked Charlie to come in and play sax for a new artist he was producing. After they finished doing the horns, Willie asked Charlie about some girls to sing back up vocals on the session, so Charlie called Sandra and Donna Rhodes to come over and do the session. "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green was the song they were singing on and it became a monster hit. That was only the beginning for Charlie as a back up singer and the group called Rhodes, Chalmers, and Rhodes. They became legendary, singing together on countless hit recordings for many years to come. Charlie, Sandra and Donna sang with Al Green on his latest album, I Can't Stop, produced by Willie Mitchell, for Blue Note Records, (2003).

Before recording with Al Green, Charlie was asked to go to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to play sax on a Wilson Pickett recording date for Atlantic Records. "Land Of A Thousand Dances" and " Mustang Sally" were two of the songs he recorded with Pickett that week, and it was then that Charlie met Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd. Charlie and these two top record producers would make many great recordings together as time went on. Some of those great recordings were made with Aretha Franklin, produced by Wexler and Dowd for the Atlantic label. Charlie did horn arrangements and played sax on most of Aretha's hits, "I Ain't Never Loved A Man", "Respect", "Do Right Woman", "Chain of Fools" "Dr. Feel Good", and "See Saw" are some of those recordings.

Rick Hall, of Fame Recording, also greatly influenced Charlie’s career. Rick produced many hits in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Charlie worked closely with him on artists such as: Etta James, Clarence Carter, The Osmonds (Donnie and Marie), Paul Anka, Doby Gray, Mac Davis, Andy Williams, and Wayne Newton. Rick also produced an album on Charlie, Sax And The Single Girl that is still selling around the world and is available on Chess Records.

After Rhodes, Chalmers, & Rhodes sang on the "Having My Baby" record, Paul Anka asked if they would do a few live dates with him in Las Vegas. Those "few" live dates turned in to three years at Caesar's Palace. Knowing he still had to keep his clients happy, Charlie located a studio in Las Vegas, where he could bring in clients to record. One of those sessions included singing back up on a Frank Sinatra session.

After working for several years in Vegas, Charlie and the girls were called to Miami to Criteria Studios. While in Miami, they recorded with Andy Gibb, The Bee Gees, Fire Fall, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, K.C. and The Sunshine Band and others.

In 1989 Mel Tillis asked Charlie to work with him at his new theatre in Branson, Missouri. After two years with Mel, Charlie decided to build his recording studio in Branson. As of the writing of this article, Chalmers still produces and records out of his studio in Branson, Missouri.

[edit] Hit Songs written by Charles Chalmers

As a song writer and music publisher, Charlie Chalmers has a #1 hit record by Conway Twitty: "The Clown". Also among Charlie's hit songs are "One Woman" on the Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul album, and "One Big Unhappy Family" on The Isaac Hayes Movement album. Both are Platinum albums. "Alice Is In Wonderland" is on The Oak Ridge Boys, Deliver album. Al Green also recorded "One Woman" in his Green Is Blue album. The Staple Singers, recorded "City In The Sky" for their City In The Sky album; Boz Scaggs, recorded "Look What I Got" on Atlantic Records, and Etta James recorded the popular "It Hurts Me So Much", on Chess Records.