Genre
Soul and R&B. A Lonely Man exemplifies the Chi-Lites' signature sound: Eugene Record's luminous falsetto set against lush orchestral string arrangements, with material ranging from delicate ballads of romantic longing to socially conscious tracks.
Release
Released in April 1972 by Brunswick Records.
Production
Produced by Eugene Record, who also wrote the majority of the material and sang lead throughout. Arrangements were shared between Record, Thomas "Tom Tom" Washington — the Chicago arranger and conductor who shaped the sound of numerous Brunswick recordings — and Cliff Davis. Engineering was by Bruce Swedien, who would later become Michael Jackson's principal recording engineer.
Reception
A Lonely Man reached number one on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart and number five on the Billboard 200 — the group's highest pop chart position. The lead single "Oh Girl," written and produced by Eugene Record, topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B Singles chart, making it the Chi-Lites' only number-one pop hit.
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are an American soul vocal group formed in Chicago in 1960, originally known as the Hi-Lites and subsequently Marshall and the Chi-Lites, before settling on their definitive name in 1964. Their classic lineup comprised Eugene Record (lead vocals, born August 23, 1940, Chicago – July 22, 2005), Marshall Thompson (born April 13, 1941), Robert "Squirrel" Lester (1942–2010), and Creadel "Red" Jones (1943–2016). They signed with Brunswick Records in 1969 and, under the creative direction of Record, achieved their commercial peak between 1971 and 1974, scoring hits including "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" and "Have You Seen Her." A Lonely Man represents their artistic pinnacle. They were inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014 and have continued performing under Thompson's direction following the deaths of the other original members.
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