Search - Little Anthony & The Imperials :: Best of

Here is a CD you'll listen to again and again....guaranteed!

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 04/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recently, I was watching one of T.J. Lubinsky's sensational "American Soundtrack" shows on PBS. Much to my surprise the group that blew me away that evening was Little Anthony and the Imperials. Watching that program caused me to pull out this CD for the first time in quite a while. I had forgotten what a terrific vocalist Anthony Gourdine really was. And his appearance on the PBS special made it clear that after more than 40 years in the business this guy has not lost it one bit. This collection from Rhino offers up around a dozen tracks from the groups early days at George Goldner's End records. Among the pick of this litter are the groups first major hit "Tears On My Pillow" from 1958 as well as an impassioned version of Neil Sedaka's "The Diary". And though the song never made the charts, many consider "Two People In The World", the flip side of "Tears On My Pillow" to be the groups best effort. The group disbanded in 1962 and Little Anthony went off searching for the Holy Grail of a solo career.
But it was not to be. Little Anthony and the Imperials would reunite in 1964 and surface at Don Costa's DCP records. Here the group would team up with producer Teddy Randazzo to make some of finest pop records of that period. To this day, "Hurt So Bad" is still one of my all-time favorite records. Little Anthony also exhibits his considerable vocal prowess on several other hits from that period including "Goin' Out Of My Head", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)" as well as the haunting "Take Me Back". After listening to this CD I am confident that you will agree with me that there is not a bad song to be found. Extensive liner notes make this CD an even better buy. Highly recommended."

The IMPERIALS...IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ?....YES !

willgee | ca | 08/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's been a lot of talk lately that Little Anthony and the IMPERIALS are under serious consideration for induction into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. I say YES YES YES !! The IMPERIALS most DEFINITELY SHOULD be inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.In fact, they should have been among the FIRST groups inducted. They, along with THE MIRACLES and DELLS ,(and to a lesser extent, the IMPRESSIONS),were the only groups of the DOO WOP era of the 1950's to maintain consistant success well into the '60's and '70's. That alone should have gotten them inducted.Their songs have become recognized classics ,having been recorded by artists as diverse as SERGIO MENDEZ,LINDA RONSTADT, FRANK SINATRA,REBA MCENTIRE .and others.They could very well have been the very first "ADULT CONTEMPORARY" GROUP,establishing a new level of class and sophistication never before seen in R&b groups,while at the same time never abandoning their DOO WOP roots. The LETTERMEN,for one, seem to have re-recorded every song they ever made.Songs such as TEARS ON MY PILLOW,HURT SO BAD,I'M ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN,TWO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD,GOING OUT OF MY HEAD,SHIMMY SHIMMY KO KO BOP,{which was featured in the TOM HANKS hit movie "BIG"},TAKE ME BACK,I'M ALRIGHT,BETTER USE YOUR HEAD,OUT OF SIGHT-OUT OF MIND,I MISS YOU SO,HURT,HELP ME FIND A WAY,and others have been recorded and re-recorded many times by others over the last 45 years. GOING OUT OF MY HEAD,for one, has had over 100 recorded versions, but none sounds as good as Little Anthony and The IMPERIALS'original version. They have also influnced an entire generation of artists , such as THE STYLISTICS, DELFONICS,BLUE MAGIC,MANHATTANS,CHI-LITES,and many more.In fact,the entire Philidelphia-based soft - soul movement of the 1970's,as exemplified by producers such as KENNY GAMBLE,LEON HUFF,THOM BELL,VAN MCCOY,and others,with it's emphasis on full symphonic orchestration and vocal harmony,can be traced directly back to the IMPERIALS'ground breaking early '60's recordings with TEDDY RANDAZZO and the late DON COSTA.Go back to the earliest days of rock and roll and they are there, with appearances on such shows as THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, AMERICAN BANDSTAND,PERRY COMO'S KRAFT MUSIC HALL,ABC'S SHINDIG,NBC'S HULLABLOO,THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL,and the MERV GRIFFIN SHOW - all the way up to their show stopping performances on the 2002 & 2003 PBS MUSIC SPECIALS-the IMPERIALS-ANTHONY, ERNEST,CLARENCE,& SAMMY-most definitely SHOULD {along with the MIRACLES,who STILL haven't been inducted }-be inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME ! one listen to this cd,and YOU'LL SEE WHY !!



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Great Doo-wop!

Kevin Stanton | Pittsburgh | 03/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You really have to have been living in the 50's to appreciate this music. Little Anthony and The Imperials had it going on... over and above most.

Thier rich harmonies carried the music to levels barely reached by others.

'Tears on My Pillow', 'Two People in The World', 'The Diary', 'Going Out of My Head', 'Hurt So Bad' and 'I'm On the Outside Looking In' are fantastic! Still carry the oomph that they did years ago.

It was nice to have all these songs in one place and in a great package.

All you Doo-Wop fans... buy it. You won't be sorry."