Best of Little Anthony & The Imperials [Original recording remastered]

Little Anthony & The Imperials | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 28, 1996)
• Original Release Date: May 28, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002U54
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,383 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'm on the Outside (Looking In)

2. Goin' Out of My Head

3. Hurt So Bad

4. Take Me Back [Single Version]

5. I Miss You So

6. Hurt

7. Better Use Your Head

8. Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad)

9. It's Not the Same

10. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

11. The Ten Commandments of Love

12. Help Me Find a Way (To Say I Love You)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

According to Bob Dylan, "rock & roll ended with Little Anthony and the Imperials," an odd comment considering that the group continued performing long after he made his observation. Dylan got one thing right: the Imperials' vocal mastery expressed something essential to the soul of rock & roll. Along with the Monotones, the Dells, and the Moonglows, Anthony Gourdine's quintet (later a quartet) was an exemplar of the golden age of doo-wop at its most heart-wrenching. Their signature tunes--"Tears on My Pillow," "Going Out of My Head," "Two People in the World," "Wishful Thinking," and "Hurt So Bad"--are nothing less than majestic. This ample and thoughtfully composed Rhino compilation belongs in every home. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here is a CD you'll listen to again and again....guaranteed!, April 28, 2004

By 

Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

Recently, I was watching one of T.J. Lubinsky's sensational "American Soundtrack" shows on PBS. Much to my surprise the group that blew me away that evening was Little Anthony and the Imperials. Watching that program caused me to pull out this CD for the first time in quite a while. I had forgotten what a terrific vocalist Anthony Gourdine really was. And his appearance on the PBS special made it clear that after more than 40 years in the business this guy has not lost it one bit. This collection from Rhino offers up around a dozen tracks from the groups early days at George Goldner's End records. Among the pick of this litter are the groups first major hit "Tears On My Pillow" from 1958 as well as an impassioned version of Neil Sedaka's "The Diary". And though the song never made the charts, many consider "Two People In The World", the flip side of "Tears On My Pillow" to be the groups best effort. The group disbanded in 1962 and Little Anthony went off searching for the Holy Grail of a solo career.
But it was not to be. Little Anthony and the Imperials would reunite in 1964 and surface at Don Costa's DCP records. Here the group would team up with producer Teddy Randazzo to make some of finest pop records of that period. To this day, "Hurt So Bad" is still one of my all-time favorite records. Little Anthony also exhibits his considerable vocal prowess on several other hits from that period including "Goin' Out Of My Head", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)" as well as the haunting "Take Me Back". After listening to this CD I am confident that you will agree with me that there is not a bad song to be found. Extensive liner notes make this CD an even better buy. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brooklyn Boys Do Good...What Else?, January 21, 2000

By 

Joseph Panzarella "joeytunes" (West Islip, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

I guess i'm kind of partial to groups from Brooklyn, maybe because I was born there too. This is the best compilation of hits by Little Anthony & The Imperials I've heard. Nine out of the eighteen tracks are in true stereo, have you ever heard "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop" in stereo, it's like you were there. It includes all their early material as well as those beautiful Teddy Randazzo productions from the mid sixties, although I would've perferred a stereo version of "I'm On The Outside Looking In", the mono version is just as beautiful. I've seen Little Anthony perform many times and not so long ago, the man still got it. Rhino records did a fantastic job with this release.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars before and after,music arrangement complaments the group., January 1, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

the group started out singing street corner, the sound was very good but lack that certain instruments quality, not just any instruments,strings, harps, you get the picture. WHEN THAT SOUND WAS EMPOYED, LITTLE ANTHONY AND THE IMPERIALS WERE GREAT, THAT WHY THEIR SONGS HAVE WITHSTOOD THE TIME TEST.