The Essex, Feat. Anita Humes - The Best Of The Essex

Founding members Walter Vickers (guitar) and Rodney Taylor (drums) were U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After being transferred to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, they enlisted fellow Marines Billy Hill and Rudolph Johnson as group members. Next they added a female lead singer, Anita Humes, another Marine. In 1963, a demo earned them a recording contract with Roulette Records. They recorded "Easier Said Than Done" in twenty minutes [citation needed]. The song was written by Larry Huff and William Linton, who said that the beat was inspired by the sound of multiple teletype machines, noisy mechanical beasts pounding out copy in the base's communications room. Released as their first single, the song reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track sold over one million records and received a gold disc award from the R.I.A.A. "Easier Said Than Done" reached #41 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1963. Rudolph Johnson left the group, and the Essex became a quartet. Three months after "Easier Said Than Done" reached #1 in July 1963, the group had a #12 hit with the follow-up song, "A Walkin' Miracle" in September 1963. On the label of this single, the group name appeared as 'The Essex Featuring Anita Humes". The next single, "She's Got Everything," was a #56 hit. Marine duties made it hard for the group to take advantage of their hits; for example, before long, Johnson was posted to Okinawa. Humes released several solo singles on the Roulette label, but had no chart success.  

Track List:
1. Easier Said Than Done
2. Whenever I Need My Baby
3. Where Is He
4. Every Night
5. I Love Her
6. Come on to My Party
7. A Walkin' Miracle
 8. She's Got Everything
 9. More Than It Would Help
 10. Marriage License
11. In My Dreams
12. You Talk Too Much
 13. There's No Fool Like a Young Fool
14. Where There's a Will There's a Way
15. Make Him Feel Like a Man
16. Don't Fight It Baby
17. When Somethin's Hard to Get
 18. Just for the Boy
 19. I'm Making It Over
 20. Everybody's Got You (For Their Own) [#]
21. Be My Baby [#]
22. Be Sure [#]
23. When the Music Stops [#]
24. Real True Lover [#]
 [#] = Previously unissued tracks.

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