Source Material: Little Anthony and The Imperials – “I’m On The Outside (Looking In)”

Little Anthony and The Imperials are a doo-wop group from Brooklyn, New York.  Sometime in the ’50s, when Little Anthony was in high school, he sang in a doo-wop group called The Duponts.  When the group broke up, Anthony joined another group called The Chesters.  This group was comprised of Clarence Collins, Ernest Wright Jr., Tracy Lord, and Nate Rogers.   In 1958, the group landed a deal with End Records, and they changed their name to The Imperials.  Their debut single, “Tears On My Pillow,” was a smash hit; it peaked at #4 on the Billboard chart, and the record sold over 1 Million copies.  Unfortunately, the group was unable to sustain their success.

Little Anthony left the group in 1961 to attempt a solo career.  The Imperials went through some lineup changes, and they struggled to make another hit without Anthony.  But his solo career also didn’t pan out the way he expected.  So after two years, Anthony returned to The Imperials.  This time, the group (now comprised of Anthony, Wright, Collins, and one of their childhood friends Sammy Strain), worked with producer, songwriter, and childhood friend, Tony Randazzo.   Together, they made “I’m On The Outside (Looking In).”

Released in 1964, “I’m On The Outside (Looking In)” was the first song that Little Anthony and The Imperials released with Anthony back at the helm, and it was the first song they released on Don Costa Productions.  It was also the title song to their 1964 album, I’m On The Outside (Looking In).  I like this song because it was the group’s comeback single, and I think it’s dope that they made a hit after they got back together.  That hit propelled Little Anthony and The Imperials into the successful group that we know today.   They made a number of hits after their comeback single, and in 2009, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Little Anthony and The Imperials – “I’m On The Outside (Looking In)”