And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox.
When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue.
Welcome back to the Chatterbox Redux Podcast
with Nick and Sue and today we are joined by
Chris Amu of The Real Thing This is Nick and
Sue We're Chatterbox giving you all you need
to know about musical entertainment. Chatterbox,
the best interviews with Nick and Sue. Chatterbox,
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And now on Chatterbox UK, we're just lucky enough
to welcome back Chris removes the real thing.
Chris, welcome. How are you, sir? Hello, Chris.
Well, I've been better. I've been better. I've
been in sunnier weather. But apart from that,
I'm absolutely fine. Thank you. You're looking
happy, and you're looking well. That's the main
thing. When you, as I say, welcome back, because
you were here. about a year ago, just after we
started Charterport Trump. And you very kindly
told us the entire setup of your life story and
how the real thing came about. And that wonderfully
exciting news about working on that album which
you had been doing, sorry, that one song you
had been working on during lockdown. And it's
now completed. Tell us about that, Chris. What's
it called and how do people get on with it? It's
amazing that because last time I spoke to it
was very much in its embryo form And if I remember
rightly I was just starting to get really excited
about it because a lot of the songs had started
to like really come together then you know, yeah,
yeah, well, I'm glad to say it's It's completed
and it's called Going through loads of titles.
What are we gonna call this album? I was thinking
so anyway, it's called a brand new day and I
got the actual title from one of the tracks on
the album, which is called A Brand New Day, and
I wrote that song during lockdown. And it was
actually meant to be a song that we were gonna
hopefully try and get released during lockdown.
But you know, by the time I'd sort of finished
with it, and I had all these ideas going round
in my head, I thought, no, hold on, hold it back.
and hold it for the album, you know. And that's
why, as I say, it didn't come out during lockdown,
but it's called A Brand New Day. It's all new
tracks, apart from Children of the Ghetto, which
I told you about. And the reason why we put Children
of the Ghetto on the album was because over the
years, it's become a kind of cult hit for the
real thing. in that it's been recorded by so
many people, people like who we aspire to, like
Mary J. Blythe, Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind
and Fire, I mean how good does it get, you know,
Courtney Pine, a jazz saxophonist from Paul Hardcastle,
there's been so many people who've done it and
one thing that always used to get to me and Eddie
was we were really disappointed because the record
company would never allow us the real thing to
release it as a single and we always thought
that they were missing the boat somewhere because
i know it's not similar to you to me and can't
get by but people aren't fools sometimes you
do want to listen to something that's slightly
different it doesn't all have to be you to me
for can't get by doesn't all have to be like
that there's room to give people a little bit
of respect, to know that they can listen to a
nice ballad that means something and appreciate
it. They might not want to go out and buy it.
That's fair enough. Have a listen to it. Appreciate
it. Job done. You know, so that's why we decided
to put Children of the Ghetto on the album. And
we decided to do a live version because I don't
think I could deliver the song as well by just
sitting here. at home or going into a studio
and trying to get the emotion of that type of
song to try to get you to feel what I'm feeling
when I sing the song. So we thought we'll do
it and try and do a really good live version
and I know that the night that I did that I was
really feeling it and I think it comes out. on
when you listen to it and that's what I wanted.
Yeah well I'm just listening to it then with
Sue and it's sort of, I can imagine an audience
out there because it was taking me so well done
and so it takes you away and I can imagine people
actually there in the venue hearing that live.
it takes you it really is it's an incredible
song and it does honestly if it's a great one
to me it just takes you away from it and it's
the most amazing ballad one of the best ballads
i've ever heard in 30 odd years i'm assuming
it's amazing and it does take you away i think
you were feeling much the same incredible chris
what a great choice you've made to to put that
on um like i say nick it doesn't really matter
if it sells 10 000 or 10 The thing is, when people
like yourself play it, a lot of people are at
least gonna hear it by the real thing, by the
real thing. And if they hear it once, they hear
it once. If they hear it many times, if they
buy it, they'll hear it as many times as they
want, but at least they hear it. And for the
last 40 years, over 40 years, they haven't heard
it unless they bought a Four From Eight album.
show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then they'd had the
fantastic version that Ray, who's singing lead,
how he does it, you know. But we just felt it
was time. And we're now in control. People say
to me, you know, why haven't you done something
for so long, 40 years? What's taking you so long?
Well, 40 years is incredible, but you know, the
thing is, is that like, you know, There comes
a time with all successful artists where commercially
your star starts to fade a bit, right? And this
happens to everybody, no matter who you are.
Now, depending on the type of person you are,
you can either say, OK, I'm finished now. We've
had our thing and finished. Or you can ask yourself,
well, why is our star starting to fade? and you
can try and do something about it and you know
then you rely on your creativity to try and keep
coming up with good songs right but unfortunately
what happens is the record companies once you
start your commercial start starts to fade you
don't listen to your stuff anymore so you're
writing what you consider really nice material
which you know the people if they got the chance
to listen to would like they're only listening
to it with half an ear the record companies so
basically you're not getting the chance to even
get it to the people who might like it but what's
happened over the years is technology and technology
has put everything back in the artist's hands
And we've now got platforms that can, you can
now get the end result onto a platform that at
least the people can hear what you've done and
judge what you've done. And the record companies
have got nothing to do with it. Sure. Absolutely.
Absolutely. Yeah. No listening children of the
ghetto. You would not have heard that. if we'd
have been with a record company, the only thing
you would have heard is what they consider should
be a single. And if they didn't consider anything
on it a single, you wouldn't even hear the album
because there wouldn't be one. But now you're
hearing an album, you can judge for yourself.
And it's amazing. It really is. And the other
side of hang on, never let go. That's another
really incredible song. I love, I absolutely
love it. I love singing it. You can feel the
emotion in it, sorry. Yes, yes, go on, sing,
go on. You can feel your emotion and how you
feel when you're singing a song in that song.
Yes, and that's why I don't know if you've noticed
there's a lot of ballads on there. That's because
I think that the real thing are not only known
for you to me, but it's the feeling that things
like you to me generate it. It's a sound that
is also important. And I'll tell you why I say
this. You to me was covered by a lot of famous
people like Frankie Valli and that. It meant
nothing. Yeah, I agree with that. But when the
real thing do it, it means something. And that's
because the sound suits the song. That's my song
for you, isn't it, Dolly? It is, actually. Believe
it or not. A real thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It
really is. This is Nick and Sue with Cheddar
Box, giving you all you need to know about musical
entertainment. Cheddar Box. Cheddar Box. Cheddar
Box. We feel that we can best bring our sound
across with ballads, which isn't to say, don't
get me wrong, I don't like a nice dance track
that you put on. I like to do a ballad. When
I'm listening to my favorite artist, which used
to be Luther Vandross. Now Luther used to do
a lot of up tempo songs, but let's be honest,
what were the big songs on his albums? It was
the ballads, wasn't it? House is Not a Home,
the things like that. They were the big ones,
you know. I just think that the real thing at
this point in time can best sell our vocal sound
with ballads. And I also think that it can give
people a nice, romantic, feel -good feeling listening
to the ballads when all this crap is going on
around us. You know, you put something like,
hang on, never let go on. You don't have to sit
there and think, oh, what does that mean? What
does it mean? You just sit back and you just
appreciate it for what it is. You either like
it or you don't like it, but you just, it doesn't
offend you in any way. It's just a nice, romantic
ballad. And that was the whole idea behind us
putting a lot of ballads. And I make no excuses
for it. We like ballads. And we think a lot of
the people who enjoy real thing, as well as having
a nice dance on the dance floor, they also like
ballads as well. Absolutely. Now, when I was...
Now, you can hear everything and the 70s stuff.
It's great, but it's also really good that we're
here. We're not talking about Chris Amu and the
real thing that had this hit and this hit in
the 70s. We're actually here and it's so good.
We're actually talking about a whole new album.
We don't need to do the old stuff. It's true.
It's so wonderful. It's the first time I've felt
like this and Dave. It's the first time we've
felt like this in 40 years. That's brilliant.
We've had records. We've had records out. We've
had record companies who would put records out
like Crime of Love and, you know, We Got Love
and things like that. But they'd never sort of
say, right, let's do an album. Never. They'd
never say let's do an album. And this time we've
actually done it ourselves. And you're playing
it. and other people will be playing it. And
that's the first time in 40 years that we've
been able to sort of do that. And we think there
are people out there who want to hear stuff from
Real Thing. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. your
musical duo. And then of course Sue and I do
live shows elsewhere and I do a brilliant chill
out zone to die for. That's going on, I can assure
you. I want to speak to you first but you know.
So yeah, that is a real... Chill Out Zone thing,
which is enjoyed by people all over the world.
So, yeah. And just so brilliant and congratulations.
It's amazing. I never had any doubt that you
weren't going to put it off. I'm not knocking
the past because what you've done in the past,
that's probably what grabs people initially.
Oh, they get some to listen to that. Chris, back
to you, mate. Yeah. So digitally, This album's
already available. Yes, available from two days
ago. Beautiful. And we've got a date now for
a CD. Yes, the CD will be available within the
next two to three weeks on Amazon. Beautiful,
beautiful. And is this just a single we're talking
about? Hang on, Never Let Go, Children of the
Ghetto, or is it the album as well? Is that already
out on digital as well? Yes, the album's out
as well. You can buy just the singles if you
want or you can buy the album and we hope you're
going to buy the album. Of course. I haven't
got any questions. Put your hand up. If you want
the lutes that way. The thing I was going to
say about the real thing is when you listen to
their music it's unique. How do I explain it?
We need your help here. When you're playing your
songs you know it's you, it's no one else. Does
that make sense? Yes it does make sense. it does
make sense and that's one of the reasons why
we decided Dave and I that we weren't going to
bring a third member into the group because when
Eddie died the easiest thing for us to have done
would have been to okay let's bring somebody
else in so that we still got three and you know
a lot of people would have been think wouldn't
have even known they would have been thinking
oh it's free that's the real thing We thought,
number one, Eddie couldn't be replaced. He couldn't
be replaced. And number two, we thought, if we
bring somebody else in, it's no longer going
to be real thing. No matter which way you want
to look at it, it's not going to be real thing
anymore. And people will start thinking, ooh,
is it the real, real thing? I don't remember
him, you know? And not only that, the texture
of the sound. would change. So it's like Sue
just said, when you hear the real thing, you
know it's them. You bring somebody else in and
I don't care what anyone says, it changes the
texture. Whereas what me and Dave do at the moment
is I can sing all Eddie's parts onto the album.
And because I sung 99 % of the leads on the song,
we've still got the real thing lead vocal sound.
But we've also maintained the harmony sound because
with Eddie, myself and Dave singing together
for so long, the timbre of the voices become
one. So even though I've put Eddie's voice onto
the album, it still sounds like Eddie. Yeah,
yeah, okay, that's brilliant. And so therefore
the actual sound of the real thing hasn't changed.
on this album. You can listen to this now and
it'll be the same vocal sound as it was you listen
to any past real thing album. Yeah I agree with
that totally. Well there's no fans or music lovers
out there from the earlier stuff. No one's going
to be left disappointed with this, not at all
Eddie. It's just amazing and you've done yourself
proud, done Eddie proud as well, you really have,
it's amazing. Thank you. I appreciate that. Let's
hope all our fans think that as well. I've got
a very, very important question. Are you planning
on going on tour? Yes, we're starting off next
week in Horn Church at the Queen's Theatre. on
the 5th and then we're doing the Jazz Cafe on
the 12th of February. So you know in the next
couple of weeks we're coming to Horn Church,
we're coming to London and then the tour starts
to really kick off as well. Let's hope you're
near us as well. Just having a look through because
I know you've been to, we're in Hastings as I
think you know, just thinking if you're coming
anywhere near. I know you've been to the White
Rock a few times because you mentioned it. You
know something weird keeps happening with the
White Rock. something always happens and they
seem to get cancelled yeah it's a lot of stuff
but last time it was covid the time before that
there was something that happened i know something
happened uh where we couldn't do i think it might
have been the party when we were off when eddie
died oh but i know it just twice it's happened
down there um because we've got we've got family
in hastings alone yeah my cousin's family live
in hastings as well. So I know we were looking
forward to doing it. But hopefully we'll be coming
there. Hopefully. It's a medium -sized venue.
Well, it's quite easy to remember its capacity.
You'll remember this for the rest of your life
now. Here's the Battle of Hastings 1066. The
theatre actually has 1066 seats. That's how you
know what your capacity is when you sell out.
I didn't know that. I didn't know that either,
I've lived all my life in pasties. It really
is, it really is. Yeah, it's a nice one to remember,
isn't it? Chris, if you can get to the Right
Rock Theatre, I will come and see you. Absolutely.
Well, I hope you do and I hope you come in. Well,
you know my email and everything now, just email
me and let me know if we're there and I'll arrange
for you to come in. No, just get, you know Barry,
don't you? I know Barry well, yeah, yeah. When
we're there, Tell Bally that you come in and
we'll do an interview from there. Oh, that'd
be amazing. That would be amazing. We'll do a
nice interview from there, you know, and yeah,
that would be great. So do that. That's great.
Thank you, Chris. Thank you for your time. Now,
let's have a look at some social media stuff.
Chris, if you could just say you've got about
eight minutes, you're given eight minutes. This
is a hard one. You've got a radio station or
show. saying right you've got eight minutes to
pick your two favorite tracks of the new album
which ones would they be or your two best ones
as opposed to favorite perhaps i was i like them
all so i'll say favorites as opposed to best
ones children of the ghetto yeah you see i like
i love but i love hang on but you know the ghetto
quadrilogy that's on there there's a song called
daddy deer okay which I want you and Sue to listen
to and let me know what you think. I'm serious.
No, we'll do that. Listen to The Ghetto quadrilogy
when you've got a few minutes. Yeah. Because
I would say that that's what we're most proud
of, that particular section. But if you ask me
what I actually really like, like Children of
The Ghetto, I'm like, hang on, never let go.
Now, social media time somewhere here. brilliant
websites yes so anybody wishes take a further
look at the real thing www .therealthingofficial
.com yes once again www .therealthingofficial
.com now in addition to that you've got a youtube
channel i believe yes we have and you can get
us on facebook of course of course yeah um We'd
like the thing about Facebook the thing about
the real thing Facebook is You will get things
if you follow us that you won't get if you don't
for instance I do a lot of question and answers
on video when people have got questions Once
we get enough people enough questions coming
on like about once every couple of months I'll
come on or Dave will come on and we'll answer
your questions on video And for instance, if
you've got particular favorites, tracks on the
album, or you want to talk about tracks on the
album, send your things onto our Facebook page.
And once we've got enough, I'll promise you,
I will come on and personally answer your questions
for you. That's brilliant. That's very nice.
You've always been generous with your time, Chris,
but that's amazing. So have you got any more
questions for Chris at all? No, I just want to
go and buy the album. I actually like the cover
of the album because looking at the picture it
actually says a lot it could say a very lot because
the way you're what's the word there's a word
I'm looking the way you're walking and the body
language says a lot in the album picture of the
album yeah that's fantastic I'll tell Graham
because my our sound tech Graham We worked on
that together and we're both very proud of the
cover. Once again, we're about to do it all ourselves.
There's no professional photographers and things
like that coming. It's something that we've done
ourselves, which once again, we're very proud
of. So thanks for picking that up. The new album
for The Real Thing, A Brand New Day, is already
available for download. And yes, by the time
this goes out actually, be available on CD as
well from next week, because we've got weeks
to go. And yeah, the double A -sided single as
well. Hang on, Never Let Go with the Children
of the Ghetto live version of that amazing version.
Chris, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.
Thank you so much. We're looking forward to the
next time already. It's been an absolute pleasure.
No problem at all. Likewise. Just keep us updated
when you release new stuff, please. Very sensitive.
We will. You take care now, Chris. Thank you,
sir. Thank you very much. Take care. Bye -bye.
Bye -bye. to the Chatterbox Redux podcast with
Nick and Sue and today we were joined by Chris
Amoo of The Real Thing. The email address is
nickelbum at myyahoo .com. Alternatively, you
can write to us at P .O. Box 26, The Old Observer
Building, Telford Road, St. Leonard's -on -Sea,
East Sussex, England, TN38, 9LZ. We thank you
very much for your company and look forward to
welcoming you again next time when our special
guest will be Susie Quattro. Catch you then.
Bye bye. This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox
giving you all you need to know about musical
entertainment. Oh, yeah! Chatterbox!