1965 Little Anthony and the Imperials – Take Me Back
After releasing two singles that reached #4 and #24 in 1958 and 1959, Little Anthony and the Imperials ran into a string of bad luck. Their only charting single for the next two years stalled at #86.
Little Anthony Gourdine decided to leave the group and pursue a solo career. The original founder of the Imperials, Clarence Collins, recruited other singers and continued recording new songs as The Imperials.
None of them found any success at all.
Anthony rejoined the group in 1964 with Clarence, Ernest Wright, and their childhood friend, Sammy Strain.
The singers started working with another old friend, Teddy Randazzo, who began writing and producing their singles. He made a major difference in the group’s direction. Five consecutive singles reached the top forty on both the pop and R&B charts.
The last of those singles to reach the top twenty was Take Me Back. The record peaked at #16 on the Hot 100 and #15 on the R&B chart in 1965.
Two more minor hits followed, after which the band was unable to return to the top forty. They continued making public appearances and somehow one of their recordings became a top twenty hit in the UK in 1978.
Little Anthony again pursued a solo career and began an acting career in the late seventies before rejoining the band.
I got to see the band before they briefly broke up again in 1988. They reformed in 1992 and have continued performing in oldies concerts and on television specials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Anthony_and_the_Imperials
https://www.allmusic.com/album/shades-of-the-40s-mw0000843508
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Back_(Imperials_song)
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