| The Real Thing | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Liverpool, England |
| Genres | British soul, R&B |
| Years active | 1970 - present |
| Labels | Pye, Calibre, Jive |
| Associated acts | David Essex The Chants[1] |
| Website | therealthinggroup.com |
| Members | |
| Eddie Amoo Chris Amoo Dave Smith |
|
| Past members | |
| Kenny Davis Ray Lake |
|
The Real Thing is a British soul group formed in 1970. In addition to a string of British hits, the band charted internationally with their song "You to Me Are Everything", which reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, #28 on Billboard's "R&B Singles" and #64 on Billboard's "Hot 100". By number of sales, they were the most successful black rock/soul act in England during the 1970s.[2] The journalist, author and founder of Mojo, Paul Du Noyer credits them alongside Deaf School with restoring "Liverpool's musical reputation in the 1970s" with their success.[3]
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Begun 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.[4] The singles they released through EMI in 1972 were not successful sellers, but the band persisted even after the departure of Kenny Davis. They did appear on New Faces (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 single "You to Me Are Everything", which reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, #28 on Billboard's "R&B Singles" and #64 on Billboard's "Hot 100".[4][5] Their follow-up, "Can't Get By Without You", did not chart in the U.S. but was still a success in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 2.
In 1976, they released their first album, Real Thing,[6] which included both of their hit singles as well as a third UK hit, "You'll Never Know What You're Missing",[7] which peaked at #16.[8] They continued recording prolifically, releasing a steady stream of subsequent albums: 1977's Four from Eight[9] (originally to have been called Liverpool 8 in honor of the racially mixed, economically depressed neighborhood 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)[10] and 1982's compilation 100 Minutes.[4] During the time period, they accumulated eight more British hits. "Love's Such a Wonderful Thing" peaked at #33 in 1977.[8] 1978 saw "Whenever You Want My Love" at #18, "Let's Go Disco" at #39 and "Rainin' Through My Sunshine" at #40. "Can You Feel the Force?" climbed to #5 in 1979, the same year that "Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)" hit #33. 1980's "She's a Groovy Freak" capped a successful run, at #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.[8][11]
In 1986, the band enjoyed a chart resurgence with the remixing of several of their hits. "You to Me Are Everything (the Decade Remix)" charted twice in the U.K., peaking at #5 during a 12-week run in spring and returning in June for additional week at #72.[8] "Can't Get By Without You (the Second Decade Remix)" rose almost as high to #6, remaining a consecutive 13 weeks. "Can You Feel the Forces ('86 Remix)" climbed to #24, but the band's final U.K. charter for the year, "Straight to the Heart", peaked at #71, remaining for only two weeks.
| Releases | ||
|---|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 4 | |
| ↙Live albums | 1 | |
| ↙Compilation albums | 3 | |
| ↙Singles | 24 | |
| Year | Title | Album | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRL | NZ | |||
| 1973 | "Plastic Man" | — | – | – | – |
| "Listen, Joe Mcgintoo" | – | – | – | ||
| "Humpty Dumpty" | – | – | – | ||
| 1974 | "Vicious Circle" | – | – | – | |
| "Daddy Dear" | – | – | – | ||
| 1975 | "Watch Out Carolina" | – | – | – | |
| "Stone Cold Love Affair" | – | – | – | ||
| 1976 | "You to Me Are Everything" | Real Thing | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| "Can't Get By Without You" | 2 | – | – | ||
| 1977 | "You'll Never Know What You're Missing" | 16 | – | – | |
| "Love's Such a Wonderful Thing" | 4 From 8 | 33 | – | – | |
| "Lightning Strikes Again" | – | – | – | ||
| 1978 | "Whenever You Want My Love" | Step Into Our World / Can You Feel the Force | 18 | – | – |
| "Let's Go Disco" | — | 39 | – | – | |
| "Rainin' Through My Sunshine" | Step Into Our World / Can You Feel the Force | 40 | – | – | |
| 1979 | "Can You Feel the Force?" | 5 | 23 | 24 | |
| "Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)" | ....Saints Or Sinners? | 33 | – | 46 | |
| 1980 | "Give Me Your Love" | – | – | – | |
| "Saint or Sinner?" | – | – | – | ||
| "She's A Groovy Freak" | — | 52 | – | – | |
| 1981 | "I Believe in You" | – | – | – | |
| "Foot Tappin'" | – | – | – | ||
| 1982 | "Love Takes Tears" | – | – | – | |
| "Seen to Smile" | – | – | – | ||
| 1986 | "You to Me Are Everything (The Decade Remix 76-86)" | 5 | 6 | 2 | |
| "Can't Get By Without You (The Decade Remix II)" | 6 | 8 | – | ||
| "Can You Feel the Force? ('86 Remix)" | 24 | 17 | – | ||
| "Straight to the Heart" | 71 | – | – | ||
| 1987 | "Hard Times" | 90 | – | – | |
| "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" | – | – | – | ||
| 1989 | "The Crime of Love" | – | – | – | |
| 2005 | "So Much Love To Give" (with Freeloaders) | Freshly Squeezed (Freeloaders album) | 9 | 30 | – |