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The Real Thing (group)

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For the Norwegian jazz quartet, see The Real Thing (band).

The Real Thing were a UK pop group, formed in Liverpool in the early 1970s. The vocal quartet comprised brothers Chris and Eddie Amoo alongside Ray Lake and Dave Smith. Their most famous recording was their debut UK singles chart hit, entitled "You to Me Are Everything", which was recorded in 1976.

1 History
2 Group personnel
3 Discography
4 Trivia
5 References
6 External links

History

The Real Thing - http://theofficialrealthing.com, a Liverpool based vocal group, had its origins in the Merseybeat boom of the 1960s. Lead Singer Eddie Amoo was a former band member of The Chants, whose beat singles gathered considerable critical acclaim, although they failed to chart. After continuing to record for various record labels, the band name was eventually dropped. Original members of the group who appeared on opportunity knocks were, Chris Amoo, Kenny Davis (deceased) Dave Smith, Eddie Ankrah, and Ray Lake(deceased) Re-labelled as The Real Thing, and with brother Chris Amoo, Ray Lake and Dave Smith on board, they got their big break following an appearance on the "Opportunity Knocks" ITV talent show. Spotted by an ex-Radio Luxembourg DJ, Tony Hall, he played a significant part in their early career development. Even so, success was not immediate, and contracts they signed with a couple of major record labels came to nothing, before signing to Pye Records in 1975. A spell acting as backing singers on tour with David Essex, also helped to increase their profile. With a song written and produced by Ken Gold and Mick Denne, The Real Thing finally emerged in 1976 when "You to me are Everything" sailed up to the number one slot in the UK Singles Chart. It led off a list of nine hits on Pye over a three year period, which included "Can't Get By Without You", and "Can You Feel The Force", both of which were top five success stories. Their brand of commercial sweet soul music, mixed with disco influences, established their popularity with the British audience. They were the UK's best selling black group of the late 1970s, but a switch to the Calibre record label in 1980 slowed the momentum. Subsequent material fared less well, although remixes of their first two hits charted some 10 years after their original release. The group, with three of the founder members still on board, continue to perform and record to this day (2006).

Group personnel

Eddie Amoo - born 5 May 1950, in Liverpool - vocalist and guitarist.
Chris Amoo - born 14 October 1952, in Liverpool - vocalist.
Ray Lake - born 11 February 1946, in Liverpool - falseto and backing vocalist.
Dave Smith - born David Smith, 6 July 1952 - vocalist.

Discography

Singles

"You to me are Everything" - (1976) - Number 1.
"Can't Get By Without You" - (1976) - Number 2.
"You'll Never Know What You're Missing" - (1977) - Number 16.
"Love's Such A Wonderful Thing" - (1977) - Number 33.
"Whenever You Want My Love" - (1978) - Number 18.
"Let's Go Disco" - (1978) - Number 39.
"Rainin' Through My Sunshine" - (1978) - Number 40.
"Can You Feel The Force" - (1979) - Number 5.
"Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)" - (1979) - Number 33.
"She's A Groovy Freak" - (1980) - Number 52.
"You To Me Are Everything (The Decade Re-mix 76-87)" - (1986) - Number 5.
"Can't Get By Without You (The Second Decade Re-mix)" - (1986) - Number 6.
"Can You Feel The Force ('86 Re-mix)" - (1986) - Number 24.
"Straight To The Heart" - (1986) - Number 71.
"Hard Times" - (1987) - Number 90.
"So Much Love To Give" (with Freeloaders) - (2005) - Number 9.

Albums

The Real Thing (1976)
Four From Eight (1977)
Step Into Our World (1978)
Can You Feel The Force (1979)

Highest rated compilation

Children Of The Ghetto: The Pye Anthology (1999) - Sequel record label.

Trivia

The Real Thing's vocalist, Chris Amoo, is also a regular on the dog show circuit. His highlight came in 1987, when his Afghan Hound, Champion Viscount Grant, was crowned Supreme Champion at Crufts.