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Maybe (The Chantels song)

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"Maybe"
Single by the Chantels
from the album We Are the Chantels
B-side"Come My Little Baby"
ReleasedDecember 1957
RecordedOctober 16, 1957
Venuea church in Midtown Manhattan
Length2:54
LabelEnd
Songwriter(s)George Goldner, Roger "Casey" Case (credited)
Richard Barrett (later credited)
The Chantels singles chronology
"He's Gone"
(1957)
"Maybe"
(1957)
"Every Night (I Pray)"
(1958)
"Maybe"
Single by the Shangri-Las
from the album Leader of the Pack
B-side"Shout"
ReleasedDecember 1964
Length2:35
LabelRed Bird
Songwriter(s)George Goldner
Producer(s)Shadow Morton
The Shangri-Las singles chronology
"Give Him a Great Big Kiss"
(1964)
"Maybe"
(1964)
"Out in the Streets"
(1965)
"Maybe"
Single by The Three Degrees
Released1966
Length2:35
LabelRed Bird
Songwriter(s)George Goldner
Producer(s)Shadow Morton
The Three Degrees singles chronology
"Give Him a Great Big Kiss"
(1964)
"Maybe"
(1966)
"Out in the Streets"
(1965)
"Maybe"
Single by Janis Joplin
from the album I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!
B-side"Work Me, Lord"
ReleasedSeptember 11, 1969
RecordedJune 16–26, 1969
StudioColumbia Records Studios, New York City, New York
GenreBlues rock
Length3:41
LabelColumbia Records
Songwriter(s)George Goldner
Producer(s)Gabriel Mekler
"Maybe"
Single by The Three Degrees
from the album Maybe
ReleasedJuly 1970
LabelRoulette

"Maybe" is a song with words and music originally credited to End Records owner George Goldner and "Casey". The co-writing credit was later transferred to Richard Barrett. Arlene Smith, lead singer of the Chantels, is believed to be an uncredited co-writer.[1] The song was first recorded by the Chantels on October 16, 1957, in a doo-wop style with Barrett playing piano, and released in December 1957. It climbed the charts in January 1958, reaching No. 15 in the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the Billboard R&B chart. It was subsequently described as "arguably, the first true glimmering of the girl group sound".[2] Rolling Stone ranked it No. 199 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[1] It was also included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).[3]

Billboard named the song No. 60 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[4]

The song was also covered by The Three Degrees in 1966, Janis Joplin on her I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! album in 1969, and again by The Three Degrees in 1970.

Miguel Matute Project recorded a version in 2019 with Monica Mayen on vocals, included in the album "Desde Adentro y Otros Asuntos".

Album appearances

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The original Chantels recording was included on the 1963 compilation album Golden Goodies Vol. 3 (Roulette R-25218). The song also appears on the 1973 compilation Rock 'N' Soul 1958 (ABCX-1958), and on the 1975 compilation More American Graffiti (MCA2-8007).

References

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  1. ^ a b "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 2010.
  2. ^ "Maybe – The Chantels – Song Info - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "A Basic Record Library: The Fifties and Sixties". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899190251. Retrieved March 16, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
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