Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her (Live)

The Chi-Lites (/ˈʃaɪlaɪts/ SHY-lyts) are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet whose greatest fame came during the early 1970s, one of the few from the period to have not come from Memphis or Philadelphia. They were led by Eugene Record, and scored eleven Top Ten R&B hits from 1969 to 1974.

The Chi-Lites recorded "Have You Seen Her" in a style owing much to the doo-wop traditions of the late 1950s, after the success of another such song earlier in the year, The Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)." The song begins and ends with a spoken narrative that tells the story that once he was happy. However, his girl left him, and so he takes walks to the movies, or to the park, and tries to hide from his misery by telling jokes to the kids who know him. However, this does not work, believing that she would be back, but it does not happen. Towards the end of the song, as another day comes to an end, he hopes to see a letter from her. He ends his narration thinking that he had the girl in the palm of his hand. Some radio edits have omitted the spoken dialogue for just the singing portions. The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top of the Billboard R&B Singles chart in November 1971. It also reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1972.

The most significant cover of "Have You Seen Her" was recorded by MC Hammer, for his successful 1990 LP, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #8 on the UK Singles Chart.