Laughlin Entertainer: Cover Stories

If there was one thing neighborhood kids of the 1950s learned from their impromptu a capella street-corner “concerts was the concept of “less is more.” They quickly discovered how to shape raw talent into tight vocal harmonies becoming, in essence, instruments as well as vocalists. It was music in its purest form. It was all they knew how to do because they didn't have anything else. Most came from meager backgrounds and it didn't cost a dime to take up a little space on the street corner.

Once on that corner, they tested the musical waters by blending tenors and baritones with that one guy who could really hit those falsetto notes-with that other guy who could dig deep to nail the bass. And if the group was lucky enough to do all of it well, they quickly moved from street corners to recording studios to concert halls.

One of those ‘50s groups that accomplished the vertical climb was Little Anthony & The Imperials.

Little Anthony is Anthony Gourdine-a product of the Fort Greene projects of Brooklyn, New York who, by his mid-teens, was already singing in established groups and on shows beyond the street corner.

Once he graduated from high school, Gourdine became lead singer of a group called The Chesters. The lineup consisted of Gourdine (lead), Tracy Lord (tenor), Ernest Wright (second tenor), Clarence Collins (baritone) and Glouster Rogers (bass). In early 1958, Richard Barrett of End Records spotted the group and signed them to a contract, changing their name to The Imperials in the process. Their first record for End was a double-sided success with the A side, “Tears On My Pillow,” instantly launching their career into musical history, becoming their biggest-selling hit with over one million copies. And it became one of the most enduring love ballads of the '50s.

Gourdine became “Little Anthony” when popular DJ Alan Freed dubbed him as such while playing “Tears on My Pillow” again and again.

Shortly after, Sammy Strain joined the group when Lord and Rogers left, thus beginning a relationship with Gourdine, Collins and Wright that has lasted to the present day-the only early rock and roll group that is performing today with the same members it did during its early hey days.

The group went on to record additional chart-toppers including “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop,” “I'm On the Outside Looking In,” “Goin' Out of My Head” and “Hurt So Bad.”

During their career they charted 17 pop and R&B hits.

The group disbanded in 1969, with Gourdine going on to a solo career and Strain joining the O'Jays. The quartet reunited in 1992 for the first time in more than 17 years-and they've been on the road ever since.

During their last appearance in Laughlin, the Laughlin entertainer talked with Anthony Gourdine about the Imperials, their career, and their music.

Q. What have the Imperials been up to of late?

A. We're working on a new CD called You'll Never Know (Ed. note: the CD was released earlier this year and is available on iTunes). It's a mixture of remixes and remakes and some original stuff I wrote. It's something I've always wanted to do. We recorded it in New York City. It marks our 50th year in the music business.

Q. You are marketing the new CD via the Internet. What do you think about the impact the Internet has had on the music industry?

A. It's tough for older artists to get played on radio stations and TV because of the hip-hop, youth oriented market. It's hard to get your music out there. Thank goodness for the Internet and stores like Wal-Mart, Kmart and Best Buy. People can actually buy records. It was quiet (how those outlets got in the record selling business). No one saw it coming, but they have everything-opera, the classics, old stuff that I like by guys like Miles Davis-and the new stuff by old guys like us.

Johnny Mathis was probably one of the first to use the Internet as a source of distribution. We distribute to itunes where people can download onto ipods-slowly our music is being heard more and more. Hip-hop, R&B-there's room for all of us.

There's also a lot of radio stations popping up like xm and Sirius. They have hundreds of easy listening and R&B stations and that's where they're playing our songs. They're servicing the baby boomers. It's why Michael McDonald sold a million records without having to go to a record company.

When that happens, they (the record companies) try to buy you out. They get worried-it absolutely petrifies them. It's like they created this monster and they can't cage it. Record companies don't have the power they once had. They are downsizing with the mentality that if they can't beat them, join them and they're only picking up certain artists to break-through-but without the strong distribution they once had.

Q. Very few of the newcomers today have the staying power of groups like the Imperials. They're stars one day, gone the next. What is your take on that?

A. The market these days is totally geared to youth-the flavor of the month-and there's fewer good artists. And the few good ones tend to be female-like Beyonce and Mariah Carey.

They've lowered the bar. You see these young stars names pushed into magazines-in rags-and it's constant. But left to themselves, they're not singers, they're not good performers. They're surrounded by a lot of bells, whistles, and a stable of dancers to cover up their deficiencies. But you can't beat the fact that they're making a bazillion dollars.

Q. So the music part of the equation is lost?

A. Today it's all about a beat and a sound that titillates the senses. When we were younger-we and guys like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra dealt with the heart-the inner person. Today they're reaching for that sensory attraction. Children are living in such a technological world- it's like they have these computerized brains that don't have something to hold onto.

I am happy we did come through at a time when music was special as opposed to today's artist who seems to be indifferent. It's about the money. They don't care about the song.

Q. Well, when you started, it was all about the music and the song, and definitely without the bells and whistles. What was it like to sing a capella on the street corners?

A. It's hard. It's why a lot of people won't do it in their acts. When you have no drums and no piano because you have no money for instruments-you make a drum by snapping your fingers to keep a tempo. You grab keys out of the air without anybody telling you.

When you're from the streets, you grow up not knowing any other way to do it. Every group came up the same way-singing in school bathrooms, street corners, in the subways in places like Philly, Chicago, New York. They started a capella because there was no money, no band. It was just making music. We were so glad to have real music.

Q. The Imperials have survived with the original members in tact. How did that happen?

A. We are the same four guys-occasionally we have Howard Jenkens fill in when one of the guys can't make it to a show.

It's an odd thing that we're still together. We've had our good days, our bad days-we broke up, came back together. There's less baggage nowadays and we're more focused on the music.

It was good to get the stuff of our youth out of our system-it used to be we talked about which girls would be our next conquests. Now it's, “What kind of blood pressure pills are you taking?”

But we see life in a better light. The stuff that used to start arguments is not important any more. It takes a lot of stress off because we know each other so well. It's how we can be so tight.

We're like a baseball team-we know what the other guy is going to do so when he does it, we know how to react, how to respond.

Q. How are the pipes holding up?

A. By the grace of God, I'm better than I've ever been in my life. Like Mel Torme once told me-“After all these years, all of a sudden, I've learned my instrument.”

I've been fortunate to have my “instrument” for a long time. Physically I feel as good now as when I was younger.

Q. Was there a song you knew the moment you heard it that it would be a hit?

A. Only one song I remember like that-“I'm On the Outside Looking In.” Our producer, Teddy Randazzo called us to meet him as soon as we arrived from an overseas flight. We were dead tired and the last thing we wanted to do was go to the studio. But he was adamant. The minute we all heard the song, we started banging it out.

Q. Which song surprised you and became a hit that you didn't think had a chance?

A. “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop.” I didn't think it was worth a dime then-and I still don't.

Q. Why do you think your music is considered classic, enduring?

A. I think it has to do with the chemistry between the guys as much as vocal ability.

But the most important thing is the magic in the music - music that gives you chills no matter how many times you hear it. That's the way I feel about the artists I love-like Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald.

We attended the Long Island Music Awards and were surprised that we got an award. We were there with all kinds of people - Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, and DMZ. One of their young artists came up to us and told us that the way we spoke, and sang-our tight harmonies-were things they took into consideration when they were coming up with their material-even in rap. They're listening.

I don't know where the music business will go, but I hope to keep doing music as long as there are still people we can reach.

Q. What's a life lesson you'd like to pass on?

A. When you get older, you should never be defined. Only you should define yourself. Don't let society put you in a bag and label you as old and unimportant.

Our society is bad about taking down a work of art in favor of a parking lot. Some things are larger than that.

LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS

Saturday, August 9

9 p.m.

Aquarius Pavilion

at the

AQUARIUS

CASINO RESORT

Tickets are $24.95/$34.95, buy one ticket, get one free for locals who present their A.C.E. Rewards Club card at the time of purchase

For tickets, see the box office on the main casino floor

or call

1-800-435-8469