FM
History
The Real Thing, a Liverpool based vocal group, had its origins in the Merseybeat boom of the 1960s. Lead Singer Chris 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.
Re-labelled as The Real Thing, and with brother Eddie Amoo, Ray Lake and Dave Smith on board, they got their big break following an appearance on the "Opportunity Knocks" ITV talent show. Spotted by an ex-Radio Luxembourg DJ, Tony Hall, he 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, before signing to Pye Records in 1975. A spell acting as backing singers on tour with David Essex, also helped to increase their profile.
