Anthony Gourdine started out singing legit pop songs on the "Startime
Studio Shows" but by his mid-teens wanted to be doing what other teens
in Boys High School were doing: singing with a group. Anthony put
together a quartet with William (Doc) Dockerty (tenor), William Delk (
baritone), and William Bracy in 1954.
Anthony's
group performed at local shows that offered $5 prizes to the winners
and on one such show ran up against a young Harlem group named Frankie
Lymon & the Tennagers. At that point Anthony's quartet was called
the DuPonts, having seen a sign for DuPont textiles. Doc Dockerty's dad
knew a writer/producer named Paul Winley (who had written for The
Clovers and Joe Turner and was the brother of the Clovers' Hal Winley).
Alan Freed Show at the New York Paramount with the the Duponts, February 1957.
After hearing the DuPonts he committed to record them for his own
Winley label — which didn't even exist until after he recorded the
group. He put out their first single "You" in August 1955 . Promotion by
the fledgling label was insufficient and the DuPonts' first single
never got a shot. Once again Doc's dad took things in hand and
introduced the boys to songwriter Otis Blackwell, who brought them to
Alan Freed's manager Jack Hook.
Jack signed them to Royal Roost Records in February 1957 and by March
"Prove It Tonight," a pop/R&B rocker, hit the streets and stayed
there. Hook then arranged for the DuPonts to do Alan Freed's Easter Show
at the New York Paramount, and the group became the opening act for The
Cleftones, Ruth Brown, The Platters... Three days into the show Anthony
came down with laryngitis, so the group covered his parts. When the
Paramount shows ended so did the DuPonts. They did re-form in 1958
without Anthony for one single on Roulette called "Screamin' Ball at
Dracula Hall". During 1957 Anthony connected with a neighborhood
foursome looking for a lead singer. The new quintet became the Chesters.
Jay Warner (American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today)
1960 - I'm Taking A Vacation From Love / Only Sympathy (End 1074)
1960 - Limbo (Part 1) / Limbo (Part 2) (End 1080)
1960 - Formula Of Love / Dream (End 1083)
1961 - Please Say You Want Me / So Near Yet So Far (End 1086)
1961 - Traveling Stranger / Say Yeah (End 1091)
1961 - A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / Dream (End 1104)
Eps :
1958 - Little Anthony and the Imperials (End EP-203)
The Diary / Tears on My Pillow / Traveling Stranger / So Much
1959 - We Are The Imperials (End EP-204)
When You Wish Upon A Star / Over The Rainbow / Love Is A Many Splendid Thing / What Did I Do
End EP-203 End EP-204
Lps :
1959 - We Are The Imperials (End LP-303)
Tears On My Pillow / Over
The Rainbow / Cha Cha Henry / The Diary / Oh Yeah / Two People In The
World / When You Wish Upon A Star / Wishful Thinking / So Much /
Traveling Stranger / What Did I Do / Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
1960 - Shades Of The Forties (End LP-311)
This Love Of Mine /
Don't Get Around Much Anymore / They Say It's Wonderful / If You Are But
A Dream / Undecided / All Or Nothing At All / /I'll Never Smile Again /
Dream / A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening / I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last
Night / Oooh! Look-a There, Ain't She Pretty / I've Got A Crush On You
End LP-303 End LP-303
Unreleased :
1958 - I Cover The Waterfront (End)
1958 - Little Girl (End)
1959 - Dry Your Eyes (End)
Biography :
Little
Anthony & the Imperials enjoyed one of the longest career runs of
any doo wop group, adapting their honey-smooth style to fit the sweet
uptown soul sound of the mid-'60s. Right from the beginning, Little
Anthony's aching way with a ballad was the group's calling card, but
their repertoire was balanced by more R&B-inflected dance tunes.
Little Anthony was born Jerome Anthony Gourdine in 1940, and grew up in
Brooklyn's Fort Greene projects. While in high school, he sang in a doo
wop group called The Duponts, who recorded a single called "Prove It Now" in 1957. They disbanded after graduation.
In
the meantime, Anthony Gourdine still had hopes to make it big in music.
He persevered and soon formed a new vocal group consisting of
neighborhood guys - Clarence Collins, Tracy Lord, Nat Rogers, and Ernest
Wright, and they called themselves The Chesters. They hoped to record
for George Goldner at Gone / End Records, but he was not impressed with
the presentation or style of the group. Meeting with a successful group
from the neighborhood, The Cellos, Gourdine seemed to think that the
group had a better shot with Apollo Records, a longtime R & B
independent that had been at the forefront in New York for many years.
A
recording session was set up at soon "Lift Up Your Head" and "The Fires
Burn No More", two originals written by Gourdine were recorded by
Apollo and released on # 521 in early 1958. It began selling moderately
in New York and was featured by disc jockey Bill Powell at WEEP in
Pittsburgh. "Fires" was a great vocal group performance by the Chesters,
featuring call and response patterns on the bridge, and Anthony lapsing
up into falsetto as he transitions into the last chorus. He really hits
the high note on the last wortd for a dramatic ending.
It
had all the makings of a substantial hit but as the record suddenly
tailed off, the Chesters felt that Apollo had dropped the ball and did
not do enough to promote the record. In their minds, this inaction
caused it to become lost in the shuffle of so many new records released
every week. They began to look elsewhere for a new label and perhaps a
better shot at success. The group had been working on an Ernest Wright
written song called "Two People In The World". They gave George Goldner
and Gone / End another chance this time championed by Richard Barrett,
formerly of The Valentines, and now a record producer and talent scout.
They were given a second song called "Tears On My Pillow" and after a
few takes, Goldner changed the arrangement around a bit and had
Gourdine alter his delivery using a clipped shortened style rather than
the elongated crooning effect used by most lead vocalists. When everyone
was satisfied with the proper "take" of both songs, the record was set
for release on End # 1027. Almost immediately, those at End decided they
didn't like the name Chesters, and settled on Imperials for the group.
Most of the sides naming The Chesters were recalled, and the group
finally had hit their stride.
On
the second pressing of the record, the group had another name change,
this time as Little Anthony & The Imperials. Where the "Little
Anthony" came from is not clear. Some say it was the idea of Richard
Barrett, others claim that George Goldner gave the group that name
hoping to create another "Frankie Lymon type group", and still others
say that it was the idea of Alan Freed. Whatever the truth, the group
would become world famous with that name in the years ahead.
The group followed up with "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop" in 1960. When
their success dwindled in 1961, Gourdine left to attempt a solo career.
Original Imperials member Nate Rogers was drafted into the service and
Tracey Lord, another original member, left to get married. and the
line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain,(a childhood friend
who had grown up together with the Imperials in Brooklyn), and George
Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This
line-up had little success. Gourdine returned in 1963, replacing Seymour
for another Story...
