The Real Thing (British band)

Last updated

The Real Thing
The Real Thing (1972).jpg
The Real Thing (1972)
Background information
Origin Liverpool, England
Genres
Years active1970 (1970)–present
Labels Pye, Calibre, Jive
Members Chris Amoo
Dave Smith
Past membersEddie Amoo
Ray Lake
Kenny Davis

The Real Thing is a British soul group formed in the 1970s. The band charted internationally with their song "You to Me Are Everything", which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. They also had successes with a string of British hits such as "Can't Get By Without You" and "Can You Feel the Force?". They returned to mainstream success in 1986 with the Decade Remix of "You to Me Are Everything". By number of sales, they were the most successful black rock/soul act in England during the 1970s. [1] The journalist, author and founder of Mojo magazine Paul Du Noyer credits them alongside Deaf School with restoring "Liverpool's musical reputation in the 1970s" with their success. [2]

Contents

History

Founded in 1970 by Chris Amoo, Dave Smith, Kenny Davis and Ray Lake, the Real Thing's live, progressive soul-influenced covers of American hits attracted enough attention for them to secure a recording deal with EMI. [3] The singles they released through EMI in 1972 and 1973 such as "Vicious Circle" were, despite their high quality, not successful sellers (and have not so far been included on any of the band's compilation albums). But the band persisted, even after the departure of Kenny Davis. They did appear on Opportunity Knocks (the TV talent show). The turn-around for their career began with their collaboration with David Essex and Pye Records. They toured internationally with Essex, recording with him a number of popular songs, though none were big charters. After Chris Amoo's brother Eddie joined the band, the Real Thing finally found chart success with the pop-soul single "You to Me Are Everything", which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 29 on Billboard's "R&B Singles" and No. 66 on Billboard's "Hot 100". [3] The song was certified silver for 250,000 in sales. Their follow-up, "Can't Get By Without You", did not chart in the US but was still a success in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 2. [4]

In 1976, they released their first album, Real Thing, which included both of their hit singles as well as a third UK hit, "You'll Never Know What You're Missing", [3] which peaked at No. 16. [5] They continued recording prolifically, releasing a steady stream of subsequent albums: 1977's Four from Eight (originally to have been called Liverpool 8 in honour of the racially mixed, economically depressed neighbourhood in which they grew up, before Pye rejected the title), 1978's Step into Our World, (reissued in 1979 as Can You Feel the Force) and 1982's compilation 100 Minutes. [3] During the time period, they accumulated eight more British hits. "Love's Such a Wonderful Thing" peaked at No. 33 in 1977. [5] 1978 saw "Whenever You Want My Love" at No. 18, "Let's Go Disco" at No. 39 and "Rainin' Through My Sunshine" at No. 40. "Can You Feel the Force?" climbed to No. 5 in 1979, the same year that "Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)" hit No. 33. 1980's "She's a Groovy Freak" capped a successful run, at No. 52, coming just a few months too late to be included in the band's first compilation, a K-tel collection of their Greatest Hits released in May 1980. [5] [6]

In 1982, they returned to working with David Essex, performing as backing vocalists on his tour and they also performed as backing vocalists on Essex's 1982 top 20 hit "Me and My Girl (Nightclubbing)" appearing with him on Top of the Pops . They scored a dance-floor hit, reaching No. 58 on the UK Disco chart published in Record Mirror [7] [8] and radio playlisted [9] [10] with a single specially written for them by Lynsey De Paul and Terry Britten, called "We Got Love (Real Thing)" produced by Nick Martinelli in 1984. [11] The song received positive reviews, [12] spending 6 weeks on the UK Top 200 charts and peaking at peaking at #118, [13] and it was included on a greatest hits of 1984 compilation released by Team Records in Indonesia as well as on the album Black Magic. [14]

In 1986, the band enjoyed a chart resurgence with the remixing of several of their hits. "You to Me Are Everything (The Decade Remix)" by DJ Froggy, Simon Harris and KC charted twice in the UK, peaking at No. 5 during a 12-week run in spring and returning in June for an additional week at No. 72. [5] "Can't Get By Without You (the Second Decade Remix)" rose almost as high to No. 6, remaining for a consecutive 13 weeks. "Can You Feel the Force" ('86 Remix) climbed to No. 24, but the band's final UK charter for the year, "Straight to the Heart", peaked at No. 71, remaining for only two weeks.

In 2002, Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter teamed up with DJ Falcon to release a single under the name of Together, which sampled the Real Thing's 1977 song "Love's Such a Wonderful Thing". The song was entitled "So Much Love to Give" and became a big club hit (though the single only peaked at No. 71 [15] in the UK charts for Bangalter & Falcon), so much so that a number of other dance records used the same sample over the following years. One of these releases was by N-Trance's Kevin O'Toole and Dale Longworth, who covered "So Much Love to Give" under the name of Freeloaders and released it as a single crediting the Real Thing's vocal contribution unlike the earlier French duo's release. [16] [17] The single, released by AATW in 2005, peaked at No. 9 in the UK charts, giving The Real Thing their sixth Top Ten hit (including remixes) and last hit single.

On 28 January 2022, the duo released their first album in over 40 years.[ citation needed ]

Everything – The Real Thing Story

In 2019, the band were featured in a documentary called Everything – The Real Thing Story directed by Simon Sheridan, [18] [19] [20] which charted the history of the band from Eddie's days in Merseybeat doo-wop act the Chants [21] (said to be the only group ever to be backed by the Beatles), [22] [23] [24] through Chris' group's SSB (the Sophisticated Soul Brothers) and Vocal Perfection. [25] The latter act went on to be renamed The Real Thing by manager Tony Hall, after seeing the Coca-Cola advert on a large billboard in Piccadilly Circus. The documentary featured interviews with David Essex, Billy Ocean, Five Star's Denise Pearson, Kim Wilde and Leee John from Imagination; as well as all surviving members of the Chants and the Real Thing. As Eddie Amoo died during the production of the film, the documentary ended up being released two years after his death. After a theatrical run, the film was screened on BBC Four in August 2020.

Group members

Current

Real Thing Band

Former

Discography

The Real Thing discography
Studio albums5
Live albums2
Compilation albums4
Singles37

Albums

Studio albums

YearTitleChart positions Certifications
UK
[16]
AUS
[29]
1976Real Thing3470
19774 from 8
1978Step into Our World/Can You Feel the Force73
1980....Saints or Sinners?
2022A Brand New Day
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Live albums

YearTitle
1994The Heart Rock Concert at the Philharmonic
1998The Real Thing Live

Compilation albums

YearTitleChart positionsCertifications
UK
[16]
198020 Greatest Hits56
1982100 Minutes
1986The Best of the Real Thing24
2020Best of the Real Thing58

Singles

YearTitleAlbumChart positionsCertifications
UK
[5]
AUS
[29]
IRL
NZ
[32]
US Pop
[33]
US R&B
[33]
1972"Vicious Circle"Non-album singles
1973"Plastic Man"
"Listen, Joe Mcgintoo"
"Humpty Dumpty"
1974"Daddy Dear"
1975"Watch Out Carolina"
"Stone Cold Love Affair"
1976"You to Me Are Everything"Real Thing1223106428
"Can't Get By Without You"2
1977"You'll Never Know What You're Missing"16
"Love's Such a Wonderful Thing"33
"Lightning Strikes Again"4 from 851 [upper-alpha 1]
1978"Whenever You Want My Love"Step into Our World /
Can You Feel the Force
18
"Let's Go Disco"Non-album single39
"Rainin' Through My Sunshine"Step into Our World /
Can You Feel the Force
40
1979"Can You Feel the Force?"52324
"Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)"....Saints or Sinners?3346
1980"Give Me Your Love"
"Saint or Sinner?"
"She's a Groovy Freak"Non-album singles52
1981"I Believe in You"
"Foot Tappin'"
1982"Love Takes Tears"
"Seen to Smile"
1983"Street Corner Boogie"
1984"We Got Love (Real Thing)"118
"Street Scene"
1986"You to Me Are Everything (The Decade Remix 76–86)"562
"Can't Get By Without You" (The Decade Remix II)68
"Can You Feel the Force?" ('86 Remix)2417
"Straight to the Heart"71
1987"Hard Times"90
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
1989"The Crime of Love"
1993"I Love Music"
2005"So Much Love to Give" (with Freeloaders)Freshly Squeezed
(Freeloaders album)
930
2005"You to Me Are Everything" (with Darren Deezer)Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

Further reading

Notes

  1. Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Ocean</span> British singer (born 1950)

Leslie Sebastian Charles, known professionally as Billy Ocean, is a Trinidadian-born British singer and songwriter. Between 1976 and 1988, he had a series of hit songs in the UK and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas (band)</span> Scottish alternative rock band

Texas is a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, founded in 1986 by Johnny McElhone, Ally McErlaine, and Sharleen Spiteri. Texas, despite their name, has no connection with the state of Texas USA. Texas made their performing debut in March 1988 at the University of Dundee. The band released their debut album Southside in 1989, along with the debut single "I Don't Want a Lover", which was a top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart and peaked within the top ten of the charts in many other European countries. Southside entered at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number 88 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States, and sold over two million copies worldwide. Despite the success of Southside, the follow-up albums Mothers Heaven (1991) and Ricks Road (1993) were less successful, peaking at number 32 and number 18 on the UK Albums Chart respectively, but achieved moderate success on various European markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fine Young Cannibals</span> English pop rock band

Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) were an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984 by former The Beat band bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox with singer Roland Gift. Their self-titled 1985 debut album contained "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of "Suspicious Minds", two songs that were top 40 hits in the UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. Their 1989 album, The Raw & the Cooked, topped the UK, US, Australian and Canadian album charts, and contained their two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander O'Neal</span> American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger (born 1953) (

Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Stansfield</span> British singer (born 1966)

Lisa Jane Stansfield is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition Search for a Star. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first singles, Stansfield, along with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, formed Blue Zone in 1983. The band released several singles and one album, but after the success of Coldcut's "People Hold On" in 1989, on which Stansfield was featured, the focus was placed on her solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sade (band)</span> British band

Sade are an English band, formed in London in 1982 and named after their lead singer, Sade Adu. The band consists of Adu alongside bassist Paul Denman, saxophonist and guitarist Stuart Matthewman, and keyboardist Andrew Hale. Founding drummer Paul Anthony Cooke left the band in 1984, while Dave Early, Cooke's replacement, left in 1985. Since Early's departure in 1985, the band has employed numerous session and touring drummers in absence of an official drummer. The band's music features elements of soul, quiet storm, smooth jazz and sophisti-pop. All of the band's albums, including compilations and a live album, have charted in the US Top Ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutting Crew</span> English rock band

Cutting Crew are an English rock band formed in London in 1985. They are best known for their debut studio album Broadcast (1986) and hit singles, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" and "I've Been in Love Before".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Christians (band)</span> British musical ensemble

The Christians are a musical ensemble from Liverpool, England. They had the highest selling debut album of any artist at Island Records and international chart hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

<i>All Over the Place</i> (The Bangles album) 1984 studio album by The Bangles

All Over the Place is the debut studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. Released in 1984 by Columbia Records, the sound is lively and shows more Bangles collaboration and fewer keyboard overdubs than were used later on their more commercially successful albums. Although the album was not a major commercial success – peaking at #80 on the Billboard 200 albums chart – and did not produce a hit, it sold respectably, mostly through steady airplay on college stations. It also gave them the chance to perform as an opening act for Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis and the News, and brought the group to the attention of Prince, who would write "Manic Monday", their first hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Are Everything</span> 1971 single by The Stylistics

"You Are Everything" is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed and originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics.

<i>Wall of Hits</i> 1991 compilation album by Slade

Wall of Hits is a compilation album by the British rock band Slade. It was released on 11 November 1991 and reached No. 34 in the UK Albums Chart. The album was issued by Polydor and included the last two singles to be recorded by the band: "Radio Wall of Sound" and "Universe".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You to Me Are Everything</span> 1976 single by the Real Thing

"You to Me Are Everything" is a song by British soul group the Real Thing, released as a single in 1976. Written by Ken Gold and Michael Denne and produced by Gold, "You to Me Are Everything" was the Real Thing's sole number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top in July 1976. The song was re-released ten years later titled the "Decade Remix" which returned the song to the chart in March 1986, reaching number five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deacon Blue discography</span>

The discography of Scottish band Deacon Blue consists of ten studio albums, two live albums, seven compilation albums, and one album that is both a studio and a compilation album. As of 2020, Deacon Blue's total album sales stood at seven million, with twelve UK top 40 singles, along with two number one albums in the UK. Their debut album, Raintown (1987) reached number fourteen in the United Kingdom, and received a Platinum certification. It reached number fifty-four on the Dutch Album Top 100, and spawned the successful singles "Dignity", "Chocolate Girl" and "Loaded". Their follow up album, When the World Knows Your Name (1989), was a major success for the band, peaking at number one in the United Kingdom, achieving a double platinum certification. It charted in other European countries, including Sweden and Germany, and in international markets including Australia and New Zealand. Its lead single, "Real Gone Kid", peaked within the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, and peaked at number one in Spain and number five in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Libertines discography</span>

The discography of the Libertines, a London-based indie rock band, consists of four studio albums, four extended plays (EPs), one compilation album, 11 singles and six music videos. Formed in 1997, the Libertines consisted of Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall (bass) and Gary Powell (drums).

British pop music is popular music, produced commercially in the United Kingdom. It emerged in the mid-to late 1950s as a softer alternative to American rock 'n' roll. Like American pop music it has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, as well as that of the Singles Chart usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs. While these basic elements of the genre have remained fairly constant, pop music has absorbed influences from most other forms of popular music, particularly borrowing from the development of rock music, and utilising key technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes. From the British Invasion in the 1960s, led by The Beatles, British pop music has alternated between acts and genres with national appeal and those with international success that have had a considerable impact on the development of the wider genre and on popular music in general

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Darkness discography</span> Band discography

As of August 2022, the discography of The Darkness, a British hard rock band, consists of seven studio albums, one compilation album, one live album, one extended play (EP), one box set, thirty-two singles and twenty-four music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Psychedelic Furs discography</span>

The discography of English rock band The Psychedelic Furs consists of eight studio albums, 22 singles, six compilation albums, and two live albums.

Christopher Charles Amoo is a British singer-songwriter, and the lead singer of English soul group, The Real Thing.

"Love's Such a Wonderful Thing" is a song released in 1977 by the UK band The Real Thing taken from their album 4 from 8. The song peaked at #33 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Can You Feel the Force?" is a song by British soul group The Real Thing, released as a single on 26 January 1979. It was written by band members Chris Amoo and his brother Eddie Amoo, and produced by Ken Gold for Tony Hall Productions and mastered at Sterling Sound. The song was the group's biggest disco hit, reaching number five in the UK Singles Chart and spending 11 weeks in the top 75, and also charting in a number of other countries. In March 1979 it was certified silver by the BPI for shipments of 250,000 copies.

References

  1. Cohen, Sara (2007). Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture: Beyond the Beatles. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 51. ISBN   978-0-7546-3243-6 . Retrieved 24 June 2010. Earlier on The Real Thing, Britain's biggest selling black rock/soul act of the 1970s....
  2. Du Noyer, Paul (1 September 2007). "Subversive dreamers: Liverpool songwriting from the Beatles to the Zutons". In Michael Murphy; Deryn Rees-Jones (eds.). Writing Liverpool: Essays and Interviews. Liverpool University Press. p. 246. ISBN   978-1-84631-073-7 . Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hamilton, Andrew. "The Real Thing - Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  4. "Children of the Ghetto; the Story of the Real Thing". North West Labour History Journal. 2002. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Roberts, David (2002). Guinness World Records British Hit Singles (15th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Ltd. p. 392. ISBN   0-85112-187-X.
  6. Hanson, Amy. "The Real Thing - Greatest Hits: Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  7. Record Mirror , 20 October 1984.
  8. "October 20, 1984: Champaign, Angela Bofill, Teena Marie, Force MD's, Laura Pallas". Jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com. 20 October 1984. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  9. Eurotipsheet , 22 October 1984, p. 4
  10. "Dance 80 - Euro Hits 80'". Dance80.com. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  11. "The Real Thing – We Got Love / Street Scene – RCA – UK – RCA 445". 45cat.com. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  12. Smith, Jerry. Music Week . 20 October 1984, p. 26
  13. "UK Singles Charts: 1984 (including chart panel sales)". Ukmix.org. 27 June 2022. p. 17. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  14. "Various - Black Magic". Discogs.com. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  15. "THOMAS BANGALTER/DJ FALCON | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 "REAL THING | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  17. "FREELOADERS FEAT. THE REAL THING | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  18. "Everything – The Real Thing Story". IMDb . Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  19. Jeffries, Stuart (7 August 2020). "Everything: The Real Thing Story review – the searing saga of Britain's soul pioneers". The Guardian . Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  20. "Everything - The Real Thing Story". BBC . 7 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  21. "How to be a Musician: Eddy Amoo". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  22. "Chants, The". Nostalgiacentral.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  23. "Sixties City – Bill Harry's Sixties – articles from the creator of iconic 60s music paper Mersey Beat". Sixtiescity.net. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  24. "Mersey Beat - The Chants". Thefootballvoice.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  25. Reporters, Telegraph (24 February 2018). "The Real Thing singer Eddy Amoo dies at 74". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  26. "Soul Walking: The Real Thing". Soulwalking.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  27. "Eddy Amoo: The Real Thing singer dies at 73". BBC News . 23 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  28. "The Real Thing: Where are they now?". Smooth Radio . 31 January 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  29. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 247. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  30. "Real Thing - Real Thing". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  31. "Real Thing - The Best of the Real Thing". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  32. "Discography The Real Thing". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  33. 1 2 "The Real Thing - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  34. "British certifications – You to Me Are Everything". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  35. "Real Thing - Can't Get By Without You". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  36. "Real Thing - Can You Feel the Force". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.