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Charles Chalmers
Charles Chalmers is an American saxophonist, backup vocalist, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs for many recording artists, and has also arranged and performed on many Grammy winning recordings. Seven of those recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame: Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"; Aretha Franklin's "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "Natural Woman"; Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man"; and Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" and "Land of a Thousand Dances." He also holds an Album of the Century award for his work on Aretha Franklin's, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.
Chalmers attended South Side High School in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to read music. His mother bought him a used tenor saxophone as a graduation gift. He took classes at Memphis State University, but quit after six months so he could start touring with Jerry Lee Lewis.
By age 19, he had toured with Jerry Lee Lewis and worked extensively with Charlie Rich.
Chalmers came to the attention of Bill Black, who called Chalmers for a session. Not long after working with Black, Willie Mitchell asked Chalmers to play on some of his recordings. Chalmers played lead sax on Mitchell's instrumental, "Soul Serenade". Mitchell then called Chalmers to work regularly on his productions, not only as a saxophone player, but also as an arranger and back up singer.
Chalmers helped arrange and sang backup on "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green with Sandy and Donna Rhodes in a group that came to be called Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes. They also sang on Green's album, I Can't Stop, produced by Mitchell, for Blue Note Records (2003).
Before recording with Al Green, Chalmers was asked to go to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to play 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 Chalmers met Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd.
Wexler brought 25-year-old Aretha Franklin to the Fame Studio at Muscle Shoals, introducing her to Chalmers, Chips Moman, and Dewey "Spooner" Oldham, resulting in Chalmers's first track with Franklin, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You". Chalmers wend on to arrange the horns and played sax on many other Aretha Franklin songs, including "I Ain't Never Loved A Man", "Respect", "Do Right Woman", "Chain of Fools", and "Dr. Feel Good".
In 1969, Chalmers announced a partnership with Sandy Rhodes, and a contract with Chess Records. Rick Hall produced Charlie Chalmers' Sax and the Single Girl for Chess Records.
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Charles Chalmers
Charles Chalmers is an American saxophonist, backup vocalist, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs for many recording artists, and has also arranged and performed on many Grammy winning recordings. Seven of those recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame: Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"; Aretha Franklin's "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "Natural Woman"; Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man"; and Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" and "Land of a Thousand Dances." He also holds an Album of the Century award for his work on Aretha Franklin's, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.
Chalmers attended South Side High School in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to read music. His mother bought him a used tenor saxophone as a graduation gift. He took classes at Memphis State University, but quit after six months so he could start touring with Jerry Lee Lewis.
By age 19, he had toured with Jerry Lee Lewis and worked extensively with Charlie Rich.
Chalmers came to the attention of Bill Black, who called Chalmers for a session. Not long after working with Black, Willie Mitchell asked Chalmers to play on some of his recordings. Chalmers played lead sax on Mitchell's instrumental, "Soul Serenade". Mitchell then called Chalmers to work regularly on his productions, not only as a saxophone player, but also as an arranger and back up singer.
Chalmers helped arrange and sang backup on "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green with Sandy and Donna Rhodes in a group that came to be called Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes. They also sang on Green's album, I Can't Stop, produced by Mitchell, for Blue Note Records (2003).
Before recording with Al Green, Chalmers was asked to go to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to play 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 Chalmers met Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd.
Wexler brought 25-year-old Aretha Franklin to the Fame Studio at Muscle Shoals, introducing her to Chalmers, Chips Moman, and Dewey "Spooner" Oldham, resulting in Chalmers's first track with Franklin, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You". Chalmers wend on to arrange the horns and played sax on many other Aretha Franklin songs, including "I Ain't Never Loved A Man", "Respect", "Do Right Woman", "Chain of Fools", and "Dr. Feel Good".
In 1969, Chalmers announced a partnership with Sandy Rhodes, and a contract with Chess Records. Rick Hall produced Charlie Chalmers' Sax and the Single Girl for Chess Records.