Doo Wop: Little Anthony & The Imperials

Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Bill Price, and in this Rock and Roll Flashback episode I will review the career of Little Anthony & the Imperials, a vocal group whose performances included Rhythm and Blues, Doo Wop, and Soul. The group was one of the Doo Wop acts that managed to stay relevant in the R&B and pop charts well into the 1960's.

All podcasts on the Rock and Roll Flashback Podcast are produced by brothers-in-law Bill Price and "Jumpin' John" McDermott.  The Podcast Theme Song, "You Essay", was written by John.  It was initially recorded by Bill and John on April 1, 2004 with several revisions since then. 
Multiple promo videos and photos for Rock and Roll Flashback Podcasts are available on the following social media sites:

https://www.youtube.com/@RockandRollFlashback

https://www.facebook.com/rockandrollflashbackpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/jumpinjohnmcdermott/

Bill and John welcome your feedback and comments, and they can be emailed to rockandrollflashback@outlook.com.
Thank you for listening to Rock and Roll Flashback Podcasts!
Until next time...
Rock On!

Transcript

In this Rock and Roll Flashback episode I will review the career of Little Anthony & the Imperials, a vocal group whose performances included Rhythm and Blues, Doo Wop, and Soul. The group was one of the Doo Wop acts that managed to stay relevant in the R&B and pop charts well into the 1960's.

 The Chesters a Doo Wop group, was started by Clarence Collins in 1957. The group’s members initially included Tracy Lord, Nathaniel Rodgers, and Ronald Ross. Anthony Gourdine who was a former member of The DuPonts, joined the group as the lead vocalist and Ernest Wright then replaced Ross. For a short period of time, the group recorded for Apollo Records. Later The Chesters were signed to End Records and the group’s name was changed to The Imperials in order to sound more regal. Then DJ Alan Freed came up with the stage name for Anthony as Little Anthony. Freed and promoter and DJ Murray the K, were instrumental in the group’s career by playing their records and booking the group for concert performances. 

The first single to be released in 1958 was titled  “Tears on My Pillow”, which went on to be one of the biggest hits of the year, reaching #4. The single sold well over one million copies and the RIAA awarded the group a gold disc. The next several releases failed to chart, but in 1960 they had a hit with “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop”, that peaked at #24. However by 1961 their success began to diminish, which prompted Gourdine to leave the group to pursue a solo career.  Numerous personnel changes would also take place through out the 1960's and well into the 1990's.

Here is an excerpt from their second hit from 1960, “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop”.   

In 1963 Gourdine returned and the classic lineup consisted of Gourdine, Wright, Collins and Sammy Strain. After producer/songwriter Teddy Randazzo got the group to record for the DCP record label, they regained success by competing with the British invasion 

and the Motown label.  In 1964 the single titled “I’m on the Outside” became a Top Twenty hit, reaching #15 and “Going Out of My Head” peaked at #6.

Here is the 1964 hit, “Going Out of My Head”.    

In 1965 several singles were released  “Hurt So Bad” reached the #10 position and “Take Me Back” peaked at #16. “I Miss You So” peaked at #34 and “Hurt” at #51. In 1965 the single titled “Better Use Your Head” managed to reach the #54 position. With the success of the releases, they became the first contemporary pop and R&B vocal group that appeared at New York’s Copacabana nightclub. In 1965 they performed on the CBS television special Murray The K - It’s What’s Happening. They performed twice on the Ed Sullivan Show and performed on Shindig, Hullabaloo, The Kraft Music Hall, Soul Train, American Bandstand, The Midnight Special and the Tonight Show.

Here is the number ten hit from 1965, “Hurt So Bad”.   

In the 1970's personnel changes continued plus recording for different record labels. In 1975, Gourdine left the group for a second time and a more successful solo career. Then on January 1992 Gourdine, Collins, Wright and Strain reunited for a concert appearance called “Royalty of Rock: The Ultimate Reunion” at Madison Square Garden. Dion & the Belmonts, Ronnie Spector and several former members of the Drifters also performed.

Here is the number sixteen hit from 1965, “Take Me Back”. 

In 1992 the group reformed and appeared on the 40th anniversary of Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. The group’s first live album titled Little Anthony & the Imperials-Live: Up Close & Personal was recorded in 1996, and the following year they performed on NBC’S Today Show. In the 2000's they performed on several PBS television programs; Rock, Rhythm and Doo Wop, Red, White and Rock and Soul Spectacular: 40 Years of R&B.

Here is their Top Twenty hit from 1964, “I’m on the Outside”.”[[]

 On January 2009 Little Anthony & the Imperials were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2014 Goldmine magazine named the group as one of the few Doo-Wop groups that managed to have hits during the British Invasion. Interestingly, they disliked being referred to as a Doo-Wop group. In 2018 they were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, and on April 2023 they were inducted into the Atlantic City Walk of Fame.  The discography encompasses fifteen albums and thirty-nine singles.

Here is the group’s first single, the top ten hit from 1958,  “Tears On My Pillow”.   

This been a look back at the career of Little Anthony & the Imperials. And until next time, I’m your host Bill Price.