Concert News

The Real Thing Reunite For Special Liverpool Show

• 19th Sep 2012

Liverpudlian soul legends The Real Thing, are set to perform a spectacular one-off show in their home town of Liverpool on Friday 12th October at the prestigious Philharmonic Hall, celebrating an incredible 40 years in the business. With over 3 million selling hit singles to their name, the three original vocalists, Chris and Eddie Amoo and Dave Smith, return for this must-see show with their own 7 piece band in a performance that includes all their million selling hits. They will be celebrating this special occasion by having the performance filmed for an exclusive DVD.

The Real Thing became the UK’s best selling black group of the late 70’s with a run of hits that began in 1976 and continued for a decade. They became the 3rd biggest selling band in the UK in 1986 with the remixed versions of their hits You to Me Are Everything and Can’t Get By Without You, both hits for the band originally ten years earlier. 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 huge success. Since the band has been together they have released 4 studio albums, 24 singles, 1 live album and 3 compilation albums. You to Me Are Everything and Can’t Get By Without You have also made the Guinness Book of Records Millennium top 100 best selling UK records of all time.

The story begins in 1962 with Eddy Amoo and his a cappella group, The Chants. A chance meeting with Paul McCartney led to the band being invited to audition for the Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. So taken back by the band’s sound, The Beatles rehearsed 4 songs with them and asked them to perform with them that evening. To a packed room of screaming teenage girls, The Chants made their official live debut with The Beatles providing the musical backing!

Influenced by his older brother’s band, Chris Amoo formed his own group, The Sophisticated Soul Brothers, in 1972 alongside Dave Smith, later adding Kenny Davis, Edward Ankrah and Ray Lake. After a meeting with mentor and music manager Tony Hall they renamed themselves The Real Thing, performing a progressive mix of soul covers and original compositions written by Chris and Eddy Amoo.

The Amoo Brothers now formed a strong song writing partnership and the first pivotal moment in the bands career arrived when they were offered the chance to appear on the Pop Idol /X Factor of the time, Opportunity Knocks. A resounding success, The Real Thing triumphed, winning the competition outright and it established the band on the club circuit resulting in a recording deal with EMI. A collaboration with David Essex and Pye Records followed – the band touring internationally with Essex and recording a number of popular songs with him.

In 1976 the band released their debut album Real Thing which featured 3 hit singles; You To Me Are Everything (1976), reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart, #28 on Billboard’s “R&B Singles” and #64 on Billboard’s “Hot 100”, Can’t Get By Without You (1976), reached number 2 in the UK charts and a third UK hit, You’ll Never Know What You’re Missing (1977) which peaked at #16.

They continued recording prolifically, releasing a steady stream of subsequent albums. The band’s second album, 4 From Eight, followed in 1977 (originally to have been called Liverpool 8 in honor of the racially mixed, economically depressed neighbourhood in which they grew up), and featured the L8 Trilogy Liverpool 8, Children Of The Ghetto and Stanhope Street bringing them media attention and a credibility denied to black groups at that time. Children Of The Ghetto would later be covered by soul diva Mary J Blige, Earth, Wind and Fire’s Philip Bailey and Jazz musician Courtney Pine.

During the time period, they accumulated eight more British hits; Love’s Such a Wonderful Thing peaked at #33 in 1977, Whenever You Want My Love #18 and Rainin’ Through My Sunshine #40 in 1978 respectively. 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.

In 2005, Love’s Such a Wonderful Thing was sampled by French dance outfit Daft Punk and re-titled So Much Love To Give. The same year the Freeloaders had a UK Top 10 single with So Much Love to Give which featured The Real Thing resulting in the band charting across 3 decades.

In more recent times they recorded a cover of The Beatles’ classic Eleanor Rigby which featured on the chart album Liverpool, The Number Ones and have released The Singles Collection a 35-track double album. The Real Thing regularly perform at the Rewind the 80’s festivals and the Here and Now festivals alongside such artists as Rick Astley, Boy George, Belinda Carlisle, Kool and the Gang and Chic.

Tickets are priced at £20-£27.50