In 1957, a doo-wop group known as The Chesters existed with members Clarence Collins, Tracy Lord, Nathaniel Rodgers, and Ronald Ross. Anthony Gourdine, a former member of The Duponts, joined as lead vocalist. Ernest Wright took over for Ross, and the group recorded shortly for Apollo Records.
Changing their name to The Imperials, they signed with End Records in 1958. Their first single was "Tears On My Pillow", which was an instant hit. (While playing this song, D.J. Alan Freed dubbed the name "Little Anthony".) The B side, "Two Kinds of People" was also a hit. The group followed up with "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop" in 1960. When their success dwindled in 1961, Little Anthony left to attempt a solo career. Some members left, and the line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain, and George Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This line-up had little success.
Little Anthony returned in 1963, replacing Seymour. With the help of record producer/songwriter Teddy Randazzo, the group found success on the new DCP label with the dramatic pop-soul records "I'm On The Outside Looking In" (1964), "Goin' Out Of My Head" (1964), "Hurt So Bad" (1965), "I Miss You So" (1965), "Take Me Back" (1965), and "Out of Sight, Out Of Mind" (1969).
Ernest Wright left in 1971 to join Tony Williams' Platters. He was replaced by the returning Kenny Seymour, who was again replaced after a short time by Bobby Wade. Strain left in 1972 to join The O'Jays, and was replaced by Harold Jenkins (who had already been functioning as the group's choreographer). Jenkins and Seymour had previously performed together in The Impacts. Little Anthony left for a second (more successful) attempt at a solo career. The trio of Collins, Wade, and Jenkins continued as "The Imperials".
Clarence Collins left in 1988 and was replaced by Sherman James. They toured as "Bobby Wade's Imperials". James left in 1992, and was replaced by Ron Stevenson. That same year, Collins, Wright, Strain, and Little Anthony reunited for a concert at Madison Square Gardens. When the decision was made for the foursome to tour together again, Wade relinquished the Imperials name, with his group becoming "Bobby Wade's Emperors". They became the house band at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Little Anthony, Collins, Wright, and Strain continued touring as "Little Anthony and the Imperials". Strain retired in 2004, and Harold Jenkins returned to take his place.
They were inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 15, 2006.
Diary
Little Anthony & the Imperials Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one that has the lock and key
And know the boy that you care for
The boy who's in your diary
When it's late at night what is the name you write?
Oh what I'd give if I could see
Am I the boy that you care for
Do you recall and make note of all
The little things I say and do?
The name you underline I'm hoping that it's mine
Darling I'm so in love with you
Please don't leave me blue Make all my dreams come true
You know how much you mean to me
Say I'm the boy that you care for
The boy who's in your diary
In the song "The Diary" by Little Anthony, the singer expresses his curiosity and desire to peek into the diary of the girl he loves, in order to find out if he is the boy she cares for. He yearns to know the name she writes in her diary late at night and wonders if she takes note of all the little things he says and does. He is hoping that she underlines his name in the diary as the one she loves, and he pleads with her not to leave him feeling blue. The lyrics convey the passion, yearning, and vulnerability of the singer as he seeks reassurance from the object of his affection.
The song captures the innocence and romance of teenage love, with its focus on the simple pleasure of sharing secrets and reading each other's diaries. The little book with the lock and key is a symbol of the girl's innermost thoughts and feelings, and the singer longs to be included in them. The lyrics also convey a sense of insecurity and fear of rejection, as the singer begs the girl to make his dreams come true and affirm that he is the boy she cares for. The song is a classic example of doo-wop music, with its smooth harmonies and catchy hooks, and it remains a beloved favorite among fans of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
How I'd like to look into that little book
The singer wants to read the diary that belongs to the person they care for.
The one that has the lock and key
The diary is likely very personal and private since it requires a lock and key to access it.
And know the boy that you care for
The singer wants to learn more about the person the diary belongs to, specifically who they care for.
The boy who's in your diary
The diary likely contains entries regarding the romantic interests and experiences of the person it belongs to.
When it's late at night what is the name you write?
The artist is curious about who the person writes about in their diary, specifically when they are alone at night.
Oh what I'd give if I could see
The singer deeply desires the opportunity to read the diary and find out who is being written about.
Am I the boy that you care for
The singer wants to know if they are the romantic interest of the person who owns the diary.
Do you recall and make note of all
The artist wonders if the person writes down and remembers everything they say and do, indicating that they want to know how important they are to the person who owns the diary.
The little things I say and do?
The artist is interested in how the everyday things they say and do might be recorded in the diary.
The name you underline I'm hoping that it's mine
The artist is hopeful that the person who owns the diary underlines their name, indicating that they are the romantic interest.
Darling I'm so in love with you
The singer is expressing their love for the person who owns the diary.
Please don't leave me blue
The artist is asking the person not to make them feel sad or uncertain about the state of their relationship.
Make all my dreams come true
The singer wants their romantic desires to be fulfilled by the person who owns the diary.
You know how much you mean to me
The singer wants to reassure the person that they care for them deeply.
Say I'm the boy that you care for
The singer wants the person who owns the diary to confirm that they are the romantic interest of the person the diary belongs to.
The boy who's in your diary
The artist is referring back to the concept that the person's diary is likely filled with thoughts and experiences related to their romantic relationships.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elsacamacho2597
Love this song I had the pleasure of meeting little Anthony I love all his music he's a legend God bless his vocals
@chefbrad73
I love the story behind this song. Neil wrote this for the imperials. The head of end records new it was a hit and put his second to record and produce it knowing he couldn't mess it up since he was going on a vacation with his wife. Well he did. And neil knowing he had a hit record with it records it himself and thus is history
@uso_1877
Timeless classic !
@ermakillings2887
Perfectly done.
@obscureshowtunes
I like THIS version.
@louisrodriguez2023
Nothing but the best
@JukeboxBalowski
As much as I love Little Anthony and the Imperials and their vocals and music... this recording always sounded to me like just an "OK demo". When the record label decided they wanted to release it as a 45, they should have re-recorded a more polished version. The Neil Sedaka version was definitely a better record! This version is still fun to here from time to time though.
@rockycomet4587
I disagree, lol.
@ChicagoAstronomer
I agree.
Sedaka's has more pep and better arranged.
@catman916
I think that Neil's version was definitely better.