The Impressions - People Get Ready (1965)

The Impressions are an American R&B vocal group originally formed in 1958. 

The Impresssions' first album of 1965 was a solid collection of uptown, brassy Chicago soul tunes, all from the pen of Curtis Mayfield. It featured two songs that were hits that year, the first being "Woman's Got Soul", which charted at #9 R&B and #29 Pop. The second song, which gave the album it's name, proved to be something special. "People Get Ready" was a gospel-influenced composition that demonstrated the growing sophistication of Mayfield's writing, and it went on to become something of a much-loved soul standard. It still endures today as The Impressions' best-known song, though not quite their highest charting - it got to #3 R&B and #14 Pop. 

Elsewhere on the album was the single "You Must Believe Me", which had already charted as a Top 20 single the year before. The album itself topped the R&B chart.

Keep On Pushing (1964) <|> One By One (1965)
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The Impressions - Keep On Pushing (1964)

The Impressions are an American R&B vocal group originally formed in 1958.

In 1964 The Impressions released the "Keep On Pushing" single, which hit #10 on the pop chart. This song was one of the first to reflect an increasing social and political awareness in Curtis Mayfield's writing, and came to be seen as something of a black pride anthem. The album of the same name, released the same year, was their most successful to date, itself charting in the Top 10 and featuring several other hits. Indeed 1964 was a good year for The Impressions, with four singles getting into the Top 20 on the pop chart.

On the Keep On Pushing album, "Talking About My Baby" had actually been a hit the year before (#12 pop). "Amen" was their second biggest to date - a traditional black spiritual set to a marching rhythm, it charted at #7 pop. "I've Been Trying" would chart at #35 R&B the next year. The two other pop hits of the year not included on the album were "I'm So Proud" (included on their previous album) and "You Must Believe Me" (on the next album). Many of these high-charting pop songs didn't actually have a position on the R&B chart - that is because the R&B chart was discontinued at the end of 1963, but returned in 1965.

The Never Ending Impressions (1964) <|> People Get Ready (1965)
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The Impressions - The Never Ending Impressions (1964)

The Impressions are an American R&B vocal group originally formed in 1958.

The Impressions' second album was their first to be fully produced by Johnny Pate, and so featured the same distinctive horn-driven, uptown soul sound throughout. It had a few unusual covers which saw them veer towards a traditional swing / pop style (including Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" and Kurt Weill's "September Song"), but for the most part was made up of excellent Curtis Mayfield originals. The lovely "I'm So Proud" was the album's hit, charting at #14 on the pop chart, but there was also a wealth of brilliant album tracks just as good. If it had just been made up of these originals, The Never Ending Impressions could have been the perfect album, showcasing the group's vocals, Pate's production and Mayfield's songwriting spectacularly. The covers did throw it off a bit, but nevertheless it still remains an excellent Chicago soul album, packed full with some real gems.

The Impressions (1963) <|> Keep On Pushing (1964)
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The Impressions - The Impressions (1963)

The Impressions are an American R&B vocal group originally formed in 1958.

In 1957 in Chicago, gospel singers Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield joined up with doo-wop group The Roosters (Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur Brooks). By the next year they were calling themselves Jerry Butler & The Impressions, and were signed to Vee-Jay Records. They scored a big hit with the ballad "For Your Precious Love", which made it to #3 on the R&B chart and #11 on the pop chart. Butler then left for a successful solo career, and was replaced by Fred Cash (who had previously been a member of The Roosters).

Curtis Mayfield was now in charge as lead singer, songwriter and guitarist. At the same time he also wrote songs for Butler's solo career, including the #1 R&B hit "He Will Break Your Heart". In 1961 The Impressions got themselves a new deal with ABC-Paramount in New York, and scored another big hit with the flamenco-flavoured "Gypsy Woman" (#2 R&B, #20 pop). However subsequent singles failed to chart highly, and the Brooks brothers then left, reducing them to the trio of Mayfield, Gooden and Cash.

They returned to Chicago, and working with producer Johnny Pate they had their biggest chart success with the punchy 1963 single "It's All Right"(#1 R&B and #4 pop). Their first album was released the same year, featuring "Gypsy Woman", "It's All Right" and the other lesser-known singles. It was a splendid debut, showcasing their distinctive sound, characterized by light, airy vocal harmonies and Mayfield's sparse, clean guitar work.
Their next single, "Thinking About My Baby", also charted at #12, but didn't find its way onto an album until later in 1964.

|> The Never Ending Impressions (1964)
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