1. A Liverpool-based vocal… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name.
1. A Liverpool-based vocal group which 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.
With a song written and produced by Ken Gold and Mick Denne, The Real Thing finally emerged in 1976 when "You To Me Are Everything" sailed up to the Number One slot in the UK singles chart.
It led off a list of nine hits on Pye over a three year period, which included "Can't Get By Without You", and "Can You Feel The Force", both of which were top five success stories.
Their brand of commercial sweet soul music, mixed with disco influences, established their popularity with the British audience. They were the UK's best selling black group of the late 1970s, but a switch to the Calibre record label in 1980 slowed the momentum. Subsequent material fared less well, although remixes of their first two hits charted some 10 years after their original release.
The group, with three of the founder members still on board, continue to perform and record to this day
Chris Amoo is also a regular on the Dog Show circuit, the highlight coming in 1987, when his Afghan Hound, Champion Viscount Grant, was crowned Supreme Champion at Crufts.
Eddie Amoo's early career, in the chants, was supported by a backing band called 'Vince & the Volcanoes', led by Vinnie Tow/Ismail, who was managed and promoted by Mr George Roberts at Liverpool 8, Stanley House, before the chants were, temporarily, backed by the Beatles at the Original Cavern Club.
2. A soul jazz band from Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1992, the band's sound combines influences from American Blue Note jazz (represented by people such aslike Jimmy Smith, George Benson and Wes Montgomery) and elements from modern popular music. The result is a mixture of genres including swing, blues, soul, Latin, funk and rock.
You'll Never Know What You're Missing
The Real Thing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you begged me not to get close to you
And you begged me not to get too involved
With you and yet I couldn't help myself
'Cause you had yourself a bad affair
With a boy who didn't care
And he hurt you love
Now you're afraid of love
And I find myself just wishing that you only could
So I tried constantly to bring you close to me
How I tried?
But the more I get involved
Just had to become resolved
To living without you, girl
And though you really tried for me
It really wasn't hard to see
Somewhere deep within
That you belonged to him
Now you'll never know what you're missing
And I find myself just wishing that you'd let me win
I tried, I tried my hardest to get close to you
How I tried to satisfy?
But now you're gone
Hey now you're gone
Oh, now you're gone
Now you're gone
And I find myself just wishing that you only could
Now you'll never know what you're missing
And I find myself just wishing that you only could.
The Real Thing's song 'You'll Never Know What You're Missing' tells a story of a man who fell in love with a woman who was afraid of love because of a past relationship that left her heartbroken. The woman, in the beginning, begged the man not to get too involved with her, but he couldn't help himself because he had feelings for her. The reason behind her fear of love was that she had a relationship with a boy who didn't care for her and hurt her. The man tried his best to bring her closer to him, but the more he got involved, the more he had to become resolved to living without her. The woman tried too, but he could see that she still belonged to the other boy. The song ends on a sad note, with the man lamenting that the woman would never know what she's missing, and he wishes that she could just let him win.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember when we met
The singer recalls the time they first met.
And you begged me not to get close to you
The other person warned the singer not to become emotionally invested in them.
And you begged me not to get too involved
The other person cautioned the singer not to become too committed to them.
With you and yet I couldn't help myself
Despite the warning, the artist couldn't resist their feelings for the other person.
'Cause you had yourself a bad affair
The other person had a previous romantic relationship that ended badly.
With a boy who didn't care
The other person's ex was indifferent and didn't care about their feelings.
And he hurt you love
The other person's ex caused them emotional pain and heartache.
Now you're afraid of love
As a result of their past relationship, the other person is now fearful of opening up to love again.
Now you'll never know what you're missing
The other person will never experience the beauty and joy of love because of their fear and reluctance to pursue it.
And I find myself just wishing that you only could
Despite the other person's fears, the artist still wishes they could open up and experience love.
So I tried constantly to bring you close to me
The singer made a concerted effort to get closer to the other person.
How I tried?
The artist expresses frustration and disappointment at their unsuccessful attempts to get closer to the other person.
But the more I get involved
The more the singer invests emotionally, the more distant the other person becomes.
Just had to become resolved
Eventually, the singer accepted that they could not force the other person to reciprocate their feelings.
To living without you, girl
The singer came to terms with the fact that they would have to move on without the other person in their life.
And though you really tried for me
The other person made some effort to pursue a relationship with the artist.
It really wasn't hard to see
However, the artist could tell that the other person's heart wasn't fully in it.
Somewhere deep within
The singer sensed that the other person was still hung up on their ex.
That you belonged to him
The singer concludes that the other person's heart still belongs to their ex and that they cannot fully commit to a relationship with the singer.
But now you're gone
The other person has left the artist's life.
Hey now you're gone
The artist repeats the fact that the other person has left, possibly expressing sadness or regret.
Oh, now you're gone
The artist laments the fact that they are now alone without the other person in their life.
Now you'll never know what you're missing
The other person has missed out on the opportunity to experience love with the singer due to their own fears and lack of commitment.
And I find myself just wishing that you'd let me win
The artist still wishes that the other person would have given them a chance to pursue a relationship and experience love together.
I tried, I tried my hardest to get close to you
The singer made a valiant effort to get closer to the other person and develop a connection with them.
How I tried to satisfy?
The singer wonders what else they could have done to make the other person happy and committed to a relationship.
And I find myself just wishing that you only could.
Despite the fact that the other person is now gone, the singer still wishes that they could have experienced love together.
Writer(s): CHRISTOPHER AMOO, EDWARD AMOO
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Iheanyi Ononiwu
2020 and this song takes me back to the best years of my life. The Real Thing were the real thing.
Sarah Mullen
Me too 😍
Taymah H
what can i say im in love with this band they bring back memories of me when i was in high school love it.........................
Emmy ogbo
Great band
Mick B
One of those songs that just makes you stop what your doin and it just melts you, perfect song for the summer of 76 🤎🤎
Kaz Leslie
Loved this band ,so sad things went so wrong with Ray .Hope you are at peace now my friend xx
Aggie1950
Ray Lake was my crush, always loved him, always will. I hope he found his peace too 🌹
Kaz Leslie
@Aggie1950Mine too ❤
calvin price
this song is so beautiful . can someone put the whole song on?
Lee Crewe
LOVE THIS TRACK BACK THEN AND STILL DO TODAY 30 + YEARS LATER REMINDS OF A GIRL I KNEW AT THE TIME...SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS..