In The 1970s The Real Thing

UPDATED  FEB 2018  FROM skynews

Tributes have poured in for The Real Thing singer Eddy Amoo following his death at the age of 73.

The Liverpool musician was hailed as a "trailblazer" for his work with the 1970s soul band, whose hits included You To Me Are Everything, Can You Feel The Force? and Can't Get By Without You.

A statement on the group's website described him as "a showman, a songwriter, and a legend in British music".

"Eddy will long be remembered as a tour de force in British music and he will be sorely missed," it added.

The Real Thing were the first all-black British band to have a UK number one single with You To Me Are Everything in 1976.

The group The Real Thing featured four UK friends called Chris Amoo, Kenny Davis, Ray Lake (deceased) and Dave Smith who formed the group in 1970. However, they did not have any success until they appeared on the TV show New Faces just after Kenny left. They did well and were signed up to PYE.

The Real Thing - http://theofficialrealthing.com, a Liverpool based vocal group, had its origins in the Merseybeat boom of the 1960s. Lead Singer Eddie Amoo was a former band member of The Chants, whose beat singles gathered considerable critical acclaim, although they failed to chart. After continuing to record for various record labels, the band name was eventually dropped.

They were spotted by an ex-Radio Luxembourg DJ, Tony Hall, who played a significant part in their early career development. Even so, success was not immediate, and contracts they signed with a couple of major record labels came to nothing. Then, in 1975, they signed to Pye Records. Touring as backing singers with David Essex for a spell also helped to increase their profile.

This led to a big No.1 song in 1976 called You To Me Are Everything written by Michael Denne and Ken Gold.

   

The follow up hit managed to get to No.2 in 1976 with I Cant Get By Without You which came from their album The Real Thing and made a perfect summer hit in the 1970s.

  

At this point the group over peaked and in 1977 they had a No. 16 hit with You'll Never Know What You Are Missing. The next top twenty hit was in 1978 with Whenever You Want My Love from the album Step Into The World I Can Feel The Force.

It looked like the life of the group was coming to an end as a couple of minor hits followed. Then in 1979 they came back with a disco classic marching all the way to No.5 with Can You Feel The Force?

Can you feel the force?
Can you feel the force?
Can you feel the force?

Whoo oo oo ooo Can you feel the force?
Whoo oo oo ooo Can you feel the force?

There's a mood spreading round the world today
Can you feel the force?
It's with you in your work or at your play
Can you feel the force?
They're cleaning up the streets throughout the world
Can you feel the force?
Ghetto folk have had the final furl
Can you feel the force?