"The group was one of the few doo-wop groups to enjoy sustained success on the R&B and pop charts throughout the 1960s."
(It's no longer weird to quote Wikipedia, is it?)
If by "sustained success" they're referring to a group that had a big hit, faded away, returned a few years later for some more chart action before going back to relative obscurity then, yes, Little Anthony and the Imperials did enjoy sustained success. It wasn't quite sustained to the extent of The Rolling Stones or Madonna but they did all right for themselves all the same.
Little Anthony and the Imperials (fun fact: they are the first of two groups to make it to number one in 1965 to use a name that recalls antiquity) first hit it big with the single that they are still best remembered for, "Tears on My Pillow". Like a lot of doo-wop, it's good for what it is but nevertheless unable to disguise just how lightweight it is. Though not as big a hit, 1959's "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop" is more engaging and a better example of their harmonic prowess. Not much happened after its Top 30 showing in the US until over four years later when "I'm on the Outside (Looking In)" gave them the first of five straight hits. None charted better nor sounded quite as good as "Goin' Out of My Head".
An important thing to consider about the vocal groups who managed to last or make a comeback or two is that just about anything could accompany the singing they did. Doo-wop and soul were malleable enough to be able to work around Sinatra-esque orchestral pop or even trendy British beat music, vocal harmony groups from Jamaica made a similarly effortless transition to reggae, ska and dance hall at around the same time. The Isley Brothers proved to be masters of changing with the times and Little Anthony and the Imperials may have had a similar approach.
Not that you'd hear much of a radical musical shift on "Goin' Out of My Head". Rather, its production is what makes it stand out from the pack. Though there's more than a little Wall of Sound, Phil Spector couldn't have improved on the ghostly fog that makes it such a compelling but unsettling listen. Jerome "Little Anthony" Gourdine's trademark falsetto is present and correct but it sounds all the more intriguing swamped in this soupy haze. Songs about madness tend to dizzingly smash elements together in a sonic boom of craziness but here we're treated to a looming paranoia.
With the group's immaculate vocal work, fans quickly took to "Goin' Out of My Head" which became their first Top 10 hit in the United States since "Tears on My Pillow". Up in Canada, it pulled off a single week at number one. Staying at the top spot for any longer would've been difficult enough but the creepiness of the recording couldn't have helped. Not that this is a bad thing: what makes the first chart topper of 1965 so compelling is its dark heart. This isn't the place you'd expect a fifties' doo-wop group to go but it's where they ended up. Something of a minor masterpiece.
Score: 8
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Can Con
Described as Canada's answer to Buddy Holly, Joe Popiel's "I Can't Live Without You" was a Top 40 hit on the RPM chart in the early part of 1965. While the singer had roots in early rock and roll, this effort sounds like he'd been paying close attention to The Beatles, a band who owed more than a little themselves to Lubbock, Texas' favourite son. Though it seemed to perform better in some local markets, its peak position of thirty-five is promising enough for a debut but with a stronger promotional push it could have faired a whole lot better. Good stuff and it suggests that he would have been a tremendous live act to have caught. (NB: I couldn't find the actual full recording of "I Can't Live Without You" but a snippet of it is included in a loving tribute to the late singer put together by his sons. While it's a shame he couldn't have become a bigger star, it's nice to hear that he lived a full and happy life)
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