Little Anthony and the Imperials - CONCERT REVIEW

Don't think for a minute that Little Anthony and the Imperials is an "oldies but goodies" nostalgia act ...

Not even close.  

Backed by a nine-piece crackerjack band (augmented by a four piece horn section), Little Anthony rocked The Arcada stage Sunday Night in a way you would NEVER expect to hear them perform.  (This is a class act every step of the way.)   

Sure, they did all the hits ... "Tears On My Pillow", "Take Me Back", "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop", "I'm On The Outside Looking In", "Hurt So Bad" and "Goin' Out Of My Head", all Top 20 Hits for the group between 1958 and 1965 ... but they did them in an emotionally charged way that made you feel every note as they tugged at the heartstrings.  ("Hurt So Bad" was especially moving.)   

And the fact that Anthony is now 76 years old makes it all that much more incredible when you hear the spot-on tone and power in his voice as he hits and holds each note. 

Great show ... great band.  

One original Imperial remains ... Ernest Wright ... and he and Anthony Gourdine are both Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees, Class of 2009.  

(Anthony makes a good point as he introduces the other members of the band ... when you keep a band together for 58 years, you're going to have some changes!!!)   
 

  

Highly recommended ... we loved them last time we saw them, too ... a couple of years ago.  

(Check out our review from April of 2014 ... it is every bit as glowing ... 
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/search?q=little+anthony )  

Very special thanks to Luciano Bilotti for the great photographs!  Thanks, Lou!  (kk)  

*****

We ran into R&B Fan Chet Coppock at the show ... who files his own report ...

The diminutive Hall of Famer arrived on stage at The Arcada with no fanfare and no introduction while sporting a red pocket square with his jet black tuxedo.  

Perhaps, Anthony Gourdine, "Little Anthony", was stealing a page from the understated entrances used for so many years in so many countries by Francis Albert Sinatra. Frank required no booming p.a. announcement to signal his arrival - nor does Anthony.  

God, Anthony's band was air tight. The horn section was riveting while the piano player's work on the group's cover of Little Richard's "Lucille" was a distinct reminder of the keyboard work Johnny Johnson did for so many years with the St. Louis Tiger, Chuck Berry.  (I've always said it was Johnson who provided the body to Chuck's work.)  

After all these years, Anthony can still make "Tears On My Pillow and "Hurt So Bad" sound refreshing and vital.  

The old timer, who admits to being 75 but is probably closer to 80, is given a big boost by three prolific backup singers, all multi-talented.  They joke with Anthony, teasing him in good-natured fashion. At one point, as Anthony took the house on a journey about some aspect of his life, one of his guys barked, "Anthony, this isn't the History Channel. We're doing a rock concert."  

The byplay between Anthony and the band is obviously rehearsed, but it manages to come off in remarkably spontaneous fashion.  This is a classy Vegas showroom act with soul and heart.  

I recall seeing Anthony in Madison Square Garden twenty years ago with Bo Diddley, Leslie Gore and Dion.  It was an honor to see this musical genius again.  

Late entry ... Anthony's guitar player was wickedly good, adding life and additional passion to the show. His solo that kicked off the festivities told you this act wasn't a garage band from Des Moines.

**** 4-stars  

Ron Onesti books another big time winner. 

-- Chet Coppock

Me, Little Anthony and the Imperials from a couple years back ...

 

Little Anthony and the Imperials

In a word:  

OUTSTANDING!!!   

Backed by an exceptional nine piece band (that included a four-piece brass section), plus three Imperials as back-up singers (including original member Earnest Wright), Little Anthony Gourdine (at 74 years of age) absolutely killed it Saturday Night at The Arcada Theatre. 

Incredibly, his voice still sounds EXACTLY the same ... he still hits and holds EVERY note ... and he completely won us over from the moment he took the stage.   

The show opens with a clip of the band from 1965 on The Ed Sullivan Show singing their monster Top Ten Hit "Hurt So Bad".  This then dissolves into a full-blown overture by the band, featuring bits and pieces of all of their best-known hits.  When that wraps up, we hear a single piano note, played repeatedly as Anthony takes the stage all by himself ... to sing "All By Myself", the #1 Eric Carmen Hit from 1976 ... an absolute show-stopper right off the bat.  The Imperials join him for the big-build ending, taken more from the Celine Dion songbook than the Eric Carmen original ... but their voices soar in perfect (and quite dramatic) harmony for the big finish.  People, we've got a SHOW!!!  

Next up, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" ... these don't sound like any late-'50's / early-'60's Imperials at all ... it's a totally contemporary arrangement of a Motown classic. (As it turns out, one of the current Imperials used to sing back up for Marvin Gaye back in the day.)   

And then, their very own first hit ... "Tears On My Pillow" (#4, 1958), executed PERFECTLY to complete crowd approval.  (A standing ovation on the third song!  These guys were smokin' ... and the audience loved them!)  

It really is incredible how much ... in 2014 ... Little Anthony sounds like Little Anthony!!!  Later in the evening, he will tell the story of how when the record promoter first brought their single to Alan Freed and asked him to play it on the air, Freed's reaction was "Boy, that girl can really sing!"  (Original pressings listed the artist as simply "The Imperials".)  The promoter immediately corrected him ... "Girl?!?!?  That ain't no girl ... that's ANTHONY!!!" to which Freed replied, "Wow!  Well he must be little!" ... and he's been LITTLE Anthony ever since!  (Later in the set he would pay tribute to another famous "Little" ... as in Richard, with a rip-roaring rocker, the likes of which you've never heard Little Anthony and the Imperials lay down on record.)

Other hits and funk tunes followed ... including a nice reading of Prince's "Kiss" (which at one point evolved into "U Can't Touch This") along with the expected Little Anthony and the Imperials classics like "I'm On The Outside Looking In" and "Take Me Back".  Before playing their 1960 Top 20 Hit "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" Anthony took a moment to level with the audience:  "I've got to tell you that I don't like this song ... I've NEVER really liked this song ... but it was a hit ... and it sold over a million copies ... so we have to play it ... so we're going to play it ... but I want you to know that since I don't like it, I'm going to do the best that I can."  (Little Anthony's speaking voice is very reminiscent of Flip Wilson's ... and his comic timing is impeccable.  You can tell he's been doing this for a long, long time ... everything just flows ... yet from the audience's perspective, it all still feels natural and real, the ultimate testament to an artist with a career that has lasted this long.  The crowd LOVED him!)

In fact, all of the between-song patter was entertaining. (I don't want to give too much away, should you have the chance to see this Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer yourself ... don't pass us an opportunity ... DO IT!!!  You will NOT be disappointed.  Upcoming dates include June 27th and June 28th at the Niagra Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagrara Falls, Ontario, Canada ... and July 18th at The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT.)  It's a class act from start to finish ... precision timing, clearly well-rehearsed ... but a real treat to watch.  Every single one of them genuinely looked like they were having fun up there.   

Naturally, he saved two of his biggest hits for the end ... "Hurt So Bad" and "Goin' Out Of My Head" BOTH received well-deserved standing ovations.  After "Goin' Out Of My Head", Anthony said "I don't want to sing any more sad songs ... I've been singing sad songs now for 56 years ... no more sad songs" at which point the band launched into a killer funk finale.  It was nothing short of incredible to watch these guys still handle all the dance moves.  Good show!

Anthony mentioned that he is writing a book, looking back over their entire career.  I, for one, can't wait to read it.  A great show ... and well worth seeing.  With at least half-a-dozen well-deserved standing ovations spread throughout the evening, there is no question that the audience felt satisfied and entertained.  Highly recommended if you get the chance to see it.

*****

Opening for Little Anthony and the Imperials was Darrian Ford and the Cookebook, who put together an AMAZING tribute to the music of Sam Cooke.  Ron Onesti just happened to catch his sold-out act the week before at The City Winery and invited him to kick off the show this weekend at The Arcada.  Once again, the fans LOVED him ... and he did spot-on renditions of many of Sam's biggest and best-known hits.  Onesti has already invited him back for a return engagement on August 31st ... so keep your eyes open for that one. (kk)

 kk and the imperials ... that's some guy named "anthony" to my left

(backstage at the Arcada Theatre ... photo by Luciano J. Bilotti)

Tuesday This And That

Man, we LOVE The Turtles …

And Best Classic Bands just put out an excellent piece where lead singer Howard Kaylan shares his favorite memory from each of The Turtles’ albums.  (Yeah, they were always more of a singles band … but a lot of thought and effort went into each of their LP’s, too.)

You can check it out here … GREAT to hear from Howard again after a long while!  (kk)

https://bestclassicbands.com/turtles-band-interview-howard-kaylan-10-4-16/

And, speaking of The Turtles, Frank B sent us this classic clip of Flo and Eddie, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, talking about their experiences with rock and roll managers over the years …

Yes, we’ve run it a few times before …

But it’s just SO good, we’re running it again.  (kk)

And, speaking of Frank B, he also shares this bit of news with us …

kk …

Don't Know If You Know About It --- Little Anthony Has A Show On Sirius X M.

"LITTLE ANTHONY & THE MUSIC" / On 50's Gold.

You Can Find Taped Shows On You Tube.

Try Show # 1 …

Right At The Start, Little Anthony Tells A "TEARS ON MY PILLOW" Story. Interesting.

FB

I did NOT know … I like Little Anthony … will have to check this out!  Thanks, Frank! (kk)

Something else I did not know …

Serial killer John Wayne Gacy once promoted a Kinks concert here in The States … and even invited the boys to spend the night at his house?!?!?!  (What a tragic story THAT could have been!!!)

Although various stories seem to be circulating regarding the circumstances, the bottom line facts appear to be true.

Check this out …

https://bestclassicbands.com/kinks-john-wayne-gacy-6-23-15/

We no sooner told you on Sunday that our FH Buddy LJ Coon’s screenplay for “The Winter Dance Party Tour – 1959” was being considered in The Nashville Screenplay Competition, 2024, only to be notified that LJ’s screenplay has advanced to the quarter finals!  Congratulations, LJ … I know this is something you’ve been working toward for a long, long time.  (kk)

Just saw the sad news that songwriter Buzz Cason has passed away …

Buzz has made our pages numerous times over the years.  His most notable composition has got to be “Everlasting Love,” a hit multiple times over the years for Robert Knight, Carl Carlton and Gloria Estefan, all of whom reached Billboard’s Top 40 Pop Singles Chart.  (It was Carl Carlton’s 1974 remake that charted highest, reaching #6, besting Robert Knight’s original version, a #13 pop hit in 1967.  Gloria Estefan’s 1990’s remake went to #27 in 1995.)

Cason also wrote the song “Soldier of Love,” recorded by Arthur Alexander and covered by The Beatles and, early in his career, sang background vocals for both Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison.  (kk)

I attended Buzz Cason’s memorial service yesterday. Buzz’s hits as an artist include “Look For A Star” (as Garry Miles) “Blue Velvet” and “White Christmas” with the Statues. His Casuals were Brenda Lee’s back up band and he toured and recorded with The Crickets after Buddy Holly’s death. The Beatles recorded “Soldier of Love,” which he co-wrote. So much more, including how he gave Jimmy Buffet his start, is in his book “Living The Rock ‘n Roll Dream,” which I recommend.

Buzz’s grandchildren read the Bible verse Jeremiah 31:3, which inspired the hit he is probably best known for co-writing “Everlasting Love” (Robert Knight, Carl Carlton, U2, etc.).

Buzz’s good friend Bucky Wilkin (Ronny of the Daytonas) recently passed away and I like to think of them reuniting in heaven to sing “Tiger-A-Go-Go” by Buzz and Bucky, which was a big hit at WQAM Miami.

Ed Salamon

 

>>>Now it finally all makes sense! Also, the fact that Roman Numerals came so easily to me. Does this also mean they may have "fiddled while Rome burned"?  (Shelley)

 

Yes, and several songs played back then by that historic trio have since been covered centuries later in modern times to great success.

Perhaps the most well-known Forgotten Hits of theirs that have since been reintroduced in “recent” years include “Great Balls of Fire” in 1957 by Jerry Lee Lewis, “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash in 1963, and “Disco Inferno” by The Tramps In 1975. 

And, yes, there were other great covers, like “Light My Fire” from the Doors, “Fire” by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and most notably, as re-worked by Billy Joel, “We . Didn’t . Start . The Fire!”      

They were True Early Hitmakers, for sure, with songs that have stood the Test of Time!

- CB