Amoo's late bandmate Ray Lake is a haunting presence throughout . The first four members of the Real Thing Chris Amoo, Ray Lake, Kenny Davis and Dave Smith all grew up together in Liverpool 8, hung out in some of the street gangs of the time, but bit by bit became more interested in singing than fighting. She loves a good story, even if she has to write it herself. They have one daughter as well. Meanwhile, as Chris Amoo explains, The Real Things formative sound stemmed from a different side of the inner-city: Toxteth (aka Liverpool 8), a largely black working-class neighbourhood which has been likened to Harlem. Edyy started his career in The Chants in the 1960s, a band championed by the Beatles' John Lennon. I'd have liked this film to have explored his story a little more, though obviously I appreciate that there's only so much you can tell in ninety . Prior to the Real Thing, Eddy Amoo was a member of vocal act the Chants who played gigs with the Beatles during the frozen winter of 1962/3. It was always soul, high life [the Amoo family heritage included Ghanaian roots], reggae, Music writer Paul Du Noyer, whose works have included an excellent book dedicated to his native Liverpool, admits that I always get a kick out of telling people The Real Thing are a Liverpool band, when some people dont even realise they were British, and praises the groups extraordinary range. The band remained close to Toxteth, even as they dealt with the highs and lows of the music industry; when anti-police riots erupted in this economically deprived neighbourhood in 1981 (the same year as in Brixton, south London, and other cities in the UK), the media coverage was frequently racist, and Toxteth became tainted by reputation. There was the Northern Soul scene (We couldnt relate to that, says Eddy), but the Real Thing found themselves stuck on the chicken-in-a-basket cabaret circuit, performing a frustratingly narrow range of songs (Drifters medleys, old Motown classics). For one thing, it's still earning the seasoned actor quite a large chunk of change. [7] "Can't Get By Without You (the Second Decade Remix)" rose almost as high to No. On the the bands debut LP, Real Thing, released in October 1976 there is clear tension between their instincts and commercial pressures, with a diversity of styles reflecting the variety of soul music at the time; there were three tracks recorded before the groups first hit, the two successful Gold/Denne singles, and five new songs written by the Amoo brothers. THE Real Thing star Eddy Amoo has died aged 74. Hi there! The Best of The Real Thing compilation is out on BMG. Sheridan's lengthy interview with Amoo was shown in full on BBC Four in August 2020. Lightboxes. Originally named The Sophisticated Soul Brothers, Chris Amoos band took on a savvy manager, Tony Hall (a multi-faceted journalist, promoter and jazz producer), and a snappy new name (The Real Thing was inspired by a famous soft drink advert). Christopher Charles Amoo (born 14 October 1952) is a British singer-songwriter and the lead singer of English soul group, The Real Thing. By 1975 the Real Thing had been signed to Pye records and had also gained a somewhat unlikely supporter; the heart-throb pop star David Essex who had been introduced to the band by Jeff Wayne. To me that is totally bizarre., He still finds it hard to accept the way he was cold-shouldered when the number one artists were invited down to the Albert Dock; I just got up and walked away. Ray Lake, RIP He was The Real Thing Tragic ending but then so too was the fate of Kenny Davis who, having bowed out just before the band hit the big time, eventually drowned in the Mersey. ray lake the real thing daughter caroline byron, alan howard. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. I went down and I was totally ignored by the Liverpool media; the only people they were interested in were Atomic Kitten and Paul McCartneys brother!. Although because of the advent of social media that does give you an outlet; you dont have to go cap in hand to record companies now in order to get played. [13] Also that year he was one of the Easter Team Match judges at The Junior Handlers Club. Enterprise. During the Summer even the New Musical Express had barely registered punks existence. Rays gone, Eddie died in 2018, but otherwise the Real Thing are still keeping it real. Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Real Thing bring their 40th anniversary tour to Edmonton Mattie Lacey-Davidson, "Eddy Amoo: The Real Thing singer dies at 73", Page 75 Billboard Hits Of The World, Britain, Record Details, Chris Amoo, Catalogue: PAR 118, Record Details, Chris Amoo And Debby Bishop, Catalogue: EMI 5455, Marti Caine, BBC Two England, 10 April 1984, Contributors, TV: Compiled by DAVID BELCHER, BBC2, 9.0 Marti Caine, The battle to be top dog is on as Birmingham prepares for Crufts, Irish Wolfhound- Levriero irlandese 25th French Breed Show Nationale DElevage RALIE, CAC Show For all Sighthound and Mediterranean Breeds, Crufts 88, BBC Two England, 7 February 1988, Motown on the Mersey, BBC Radio 2, 6 March 2007, "Everything: The Real Thing Story review the searing saga of Britain's soul pioneers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Amoo&oldid=1130872808, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Wikipedia articles with style issues from March 2017, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Singer, songwriter, dog competition judge, dog breeder, Credited to Sunzet featuring Chris Amoo of the Real Thing, Brian Whitehouse (Dir. \"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. She may not be on the same path toward multi-millionaire status like her comedian dad (not that she needs to, because, inheritance, right? Kenny Davis left the group relatively early on, and member Ray Lake sadly passed away in 2000. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The Real Thing star Eddy Amoo has died suddenly aged 74, His bandmates announced the news on social media today, Eddie on stage at Rewind Festival at Scone Palace last July, The Liverpool soul legend had huge hits with the group including Cant Get By Without You and You To Me Are Everything, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). I think were hearing the legacy of that breakthrough in many acts today., They were the first all-black British band to have a UK number one single, You To Me Are Everything (Credit: Alamy), The Real Thing stood out because they were this amazing R&B band that made pioneering music that was the equal of, if not better then, their American contemporaries, agrees writer/DJ Bill Brewster, co-author of Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. Back in 1972 Eddy watched as his brothers band won themselves a slot on the TV show Opportunity Knocks. "Can You Feel the Force" ('86 Remix) climbed to No. 33. The Real Thing were buff before buff was a thing, and looked good in sleeveless waistcoats. Eddy was still in the Chants, but gave Chris every encouragement, sitting in on rehearsals, coaching the group; I liked the idea because I was into something that would keep them off the streets, so I was really up for it., Black American music had always been revered in Britain, and white youth had devoured releases on the Chess, Stax and Motown labels from the mod era and beyond; bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones had begun their careers in the early 1960s doing cover versions of Chuck Berry and Motown. But the band persisted, even after the departure of Kenny Davis. You didnt hear The Beatles in our part of Liverpool, says Amoo. Stanley House [a once-thriving youth community centre], where wed started making music, was gone, and the police were very heavy-handed. The big boys in our school were still drooling over Pink Floyds Wish You Were Here. lewis hamilton astrodatabank; how to get rid of wild rice in lakes; ano ang kontribusyon ni marina santiago; cottonmouth range virginia; ardmore fields kent ohio 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. On 28 January 2022, the duo released their first album in over 40 years. In 2015, Eddy spoke about the band's hopes for a new album, telling UK Music Reviews:"We have got a huge library of material but it is not that simple. They began making music together in 1970. 71, remaining for only two weeks. The word ghetto is quite a loaded term, but was common currency in the 70s, right from the very start of the decade and the release of Donny Hathaways brilliant evocation of Harlem life, In the Ghetto, and even via television; ghetto was also a word wed got used to hearing on the news in an American context. Download this stock image: Ray Lake of The Real Thing, London 1977 - 2E3RP97 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. In fact, not only was his daughter on 'Everybody Loves Raymond' named after Alexandra (the on-screen daughter was Ally), but . The documentary ends happily, though, with the band on stage recently. They take the band where they can afford that budget, but otherwise they do a playback show, live vocals to a playback track; Its that playback show thats kept us going actually, Eddy admits. Amoos late bandmate Ray Lake is a haunting presence throughout Everything; we learn of his troubled (and, it is implied, abusive) upbringing in childrens care, and we hear his prodigious music talent (he earned the studio nickname One Take Lake). \"Can You Feel the Force?\" climbed to #5 in 1979, the same year that \"Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)\" hit #33. [5] The song was certified silver for 250,000 in sales. Eddy will be remembered for The Real Things hit singles You To Me Are Everything, Feel the Force, and Cant Get By Without You, as well as his energetic performances and political commentary with songs such as Children of the Ghetto. Even now, the recording of Lakes plaintive, poetic, falsetto vocals on Children Of The Ghetto can tear your heart out (Toughness is their motto/ And bitter are their blues). They worked with Jean Phillippe Illiesco who had just worked on the Magic Fly hit by Space which had emerged on the Casablanca label and been a genuine club hit in New York. The hope was that he would help break the band in America; He just had a different sound in mind to what we had and I think the marriage didnt work. The most successful Liverpool-based band of the 1970s, meanwhile, were probably the Real Thing. They had five top 10 hits, broke into the US charts, and were the most successful black rock and soul act in the UK for the whole of the 1970s. Years later, we covered The Beatles Eleanor Rigby for a compilation album and Paul McCartney sent us a note, saying he loved what wed done to his little ditty.. Offer ends Sun 16th Jan. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. They also had successes a string of British hits such as "Can't Get By Without You" and "Can You Feel the Force?". Eddie Amoo. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos Nevertheless, the Real Thing had made their mark. It was the moment that got us into the business; wed never thought about it seriously until then., Beatlemania was just taking off. Cart. Playing Sun City was one of them. Sheridan was certain that The Real Things story needed to be told. But it also sparked at least one of his kid's careers. It was a naive album., At the time a track like Children of the Ghetto seemed to be too ambitious for a pop group from Liverpool; We did it in the wrong point in time in our career. 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 enoug. The turn-around for their career began with their collaboration with David Essex and Pye Records. He and his wife Julie entered their dog into Crufts and won the 1987 Best in Show title. "Love's Such a Wonderful Thing" peaked at No. They did appear on New Faces (the TV talent show). Eddie Amoo (born Edward Robert Amoo, 5 May 1944, Liverpool; Ray Lake (born Raymond Lake, 11 February 1946, Liverpool; died 2000), This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 18:22. One of the group, Joe Ankrah, had met Paul McCartney at a Little Richard concert In Birkenhead and told him about their group. In fact, they've all been quarantining together, according to interviews Ray has given with publications likeNicki Swift. We do them everywhere else in the country. I cant think of anywhere else where that would happen., He thinks it tells us a lot about how the black community in Liverpool is perceived; If that happened to us, and weve been a highly successful band, what must it be like for people who havent had the success that weve had or havent reached the position that weve reached? It makes sense, though, given her entire family's zest for experiencing and making jokes about everything in life. "Can't Get By Without You" (The Decade Remix II), Chris Amoo (born Christopher Charles Amoo, 14 October 1952, Liverpool) vocals, Dave Smith (born David Smith, 6 July 1952) vocals. Furthermore, in a small reversal of soul power, the British-made You to Me Are Everything went into the top 30 in the American soul charts, and spawned three cover versions by American artists; none of them was as successful at the Real Things record (one was a b-side by Frankie Valli). In 2013, his Afghan hound won third place in its class. [4], 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. 18, "Let's Go Disco" at No. And if you liked this story,sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. 5 during a 12-week run in spring and returning in June for an additional week at No. Eddy's brother and bandmates paid tribute to their inspiration in a touching post online. Even now if you go into the town centre of Liverpool you can actually count the number of black people who actually work in the town centre on your hand and thats even now., Its clear the band has been undervalued in Liverpool, even though they made a conscious decision not to move to London; We are a band and weve had about nineteen chart entries and I cant think of one festival or function that we have been invited to do on Merseyside. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Lane is a writer who loves entertainment and media and watches as many movies as she reads books. They werent the hotties my schoolgirl peers supposed. Children of the Ghetto; the Story of the Real Thing originally appeared in the North West Labour History Journal (Autumn 2002). The Real Thing have earned their plaque, but deserve more. 33 in 1977. But the legacy that remains still sounds pioneering and Amoo is still tickled by the Fab Four comparison; he mentions that Ringo Starr was in the audience when The Real Thing played LAs Roxy venue in 1974. [15], In May 2016, he was on the judges panel at the CAC show. climbed to No. Whats strangely less documented is that one of Britains most successful black groups also hailed from Liverpool: The Real Thing, a quartet whose sleek pop-soul smashes included You To Me Are Everything (1976), Cant Get By Without You (1976) and Can You Feel The Force? They toured internationally with Essex, recording with him a number of popular songs, though none were big charters. Some of The Real Things intriguing expressions were frustratingly lost along the way including their original vocals for Jeff Waynes 70s sci-fi musical epic (based on HG Wellss novel), The War Of The Worlds. He had a brainwave. They have been overwhelmed by the love and support of fans, colleagues, and the people of Liverpool. Liverpudlian quartet the Real Thing, who tackled prejudice and challenged the pop status quo in the 70s, are the subject of Simon Sheridans fond and vital documentary. Eddy recalls Liverpool 8 in the early 1970s as a very tight-knit community; It was from the early 70s onwards that people started to realise that if they stuck together politically they could achieve a lot more than they had in the past. We could go into the studio and record an album ourselves but there is absolutely no point if you are not going to get a record company to back you and to market the product. [8] 1978 saw \"Whenever You Want My Love\" at #18, \"Let's Go Disco\" at #39 and \"Rainin' Through My Sunshine\" at #40. One day in 1972, a pop picker called Tony Hall was driving through Piccadilly Circus when he noticed a Coca-Cola billboard. Success brought unwanted attention. Manchester-based band Sweet Sensation had hits eighteen months before the Real Thing; they were the first Black British soul act to get to number one in October 1974, with Sad Sweet Dreamer. Inspired by his elder sibling, Chris formed his own vocal group, extravagantly-called The Sophisticated Soul Brothers. Much missed.. Various statues around the city highlight its other music stars, including rocknroller Billy Fury and 60s singer Cilla Black.

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