Feel the force of soul favourites
If you like soul music then you should head for The Castle, Wellingborough, tonight to hear Britain's number one soul band The Real Thing.
It is almost 35 years ago when the Liverpool group topped the charts with You To Me Are Everything and have since remained a firm favourite with fans.
Eddy Amoo started singing with a group called Chants, a five-piece harmony R&B act harking back to the styles of American doo-wop.
Eddy said: "We were at one gig in Liverpool with Paul McCartney, who was astonished at how good we sounded.
"He gave us a card and invited us to the legendary Cavern when The Beatles next played there, and this was at the height of their popularity. We went to one of their lunchtime sessions and got up on stage to sing for them.
"They dragged out a couple of extra microphones for us – we hadn't used them before – and we sang for them and all four of them couldn't believe their ears.
"We were invited back to the Cavern and rehearsed four songs with them then, half way through the show, were called up to the stage to perform.
"I was 18 at the time and that was the start of my career."
As the '60s gave way to the '70s the Chants had virtually run their
course. By this time, Eddy's younger brother, Chris, was getting into the music scene and with a trio of his Liverpool friends, formed four-man line-up The Real Thing.
In 1975 Eddy joined his brother and a year later, they stunned the music world with the classic hit You to Me Are Everything.
At the end of the '70s The Real Thing were recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the UK's best-selling black group of the decade, with only The Beatles and Frankie Goes to Hollywood having had more singles in the all-time 100 with their other two number ones, Can't Get By Without You and Feel the Force.
Both Chris and Eddy are songwriters and over the years have penned songs covered by a diverse range of artists including Mary J Blige and Courtney Pine.
Eddy said: "The reason soul music and harmony singing was popular with black people is because it didn't cost anything.
"You didn't have to buy any instruments, didn't have to hire a band.
"It meant we were self sufficient and could just go down in the cellar and record.
"When we started we were a pop act but over time our hit records have become classics and are still floor fillers where other songs are hits one year and forgotten the next.
"If I understood how it works I'd be a multi-millionaire by now.
"Since then we have written serious songs, such as Children of the Ghetto, and, constantly writing, Chris and I are always coming up with new material.
"We keep our acts and shows very fresh and the concerts are a mix of the old songs, which always go down a storm, plus new material and some covers.
"It's a real 'out there' show but one which has a serious side as well."
Eddy and Chris, along with Dave Smith, three founder members of The Real Thing came to a Wellingborough club last year and received a great reception.
They are looking to better that with this concert at The Castle.
The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets, priced 15.65, are available on 01933 270007 or at www.thecastle.org.uk.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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