An obscurity. Chanteclair seems to have been closely associated with the Steenhuis Recording Studios (q.v.). Its labels featured the Steenhuis 'Rooster' logo and used numbers from the Steenhuis SPC-300 series, but while Steenhuis labels usually had the words 'Steenhuis Recording Studios' in a bar across the middle Chanteclairs left the bar out and added the word 'CHANTECLAIR' or 'CHANTE CLAIR'. Thus far I'm only aware of two Chanteclair records, but given the paucity of information about Steenhuis recordings in general there may well be others out there. SPC-338 was an album by The Rhythmic Sounds, 'Rhythmic Sound', which had the 'Chante Clair' alternative, but fortunately for the purposes of this site SPC-340 was the EP by Sounds Country pictured above, 'Harold Super Service'. In addition to the tracks shown the EP offered 'Help Me Make It Through The Night' and 'She's Got Leaving On Her Mind'. Neither record had a date on it, but according to Discogs the Sounds Country band was formed in mid 1972 and had already released an album on Steenhuis ('Sounds Country', SPC-335) before the EP, so it sounds likely that the EP is from 1973 - SPC-342 came out in that year. 'Chanteclair', 'Chante Clair' and 'Chanticleer' are alternatives to 'Rooster', going back to the Middle Ages. News of other Chanteclair issues would be welcome - was the record between these two, SPC-339, one? Thanks to Klepsie of the 45Cat site for bringing the label to my attention, and to Ade Mecrow of that site for permission to use his scan here.
Copyright 2023 Robert Lyons.