Hurt So Bad by Little Anthony & the Imperials

Album: The Best of Little Anthony (1965)

Charted: 10

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Little Anthony & The Imperials were signed to DCP Records, where Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein wrote their hit songs "I'm on the Outside (Looking In)" and "Goin' out of My Head," both big time heartache songs. After writing "Come A Little Bit Closer" with Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart signed with DCP Records and sang background when Randazzo performed in Las Vegas. When label head Don Costa asked for another hit for Little Anthony, Hart, Randazzo and Weinstein went to a conference room between sets and came up with "Hurt So Bad," a song about a man who feels intense pain when he sees his former love.
Bobby Hart went on to tremendous songwriting success with Tommy Boyce, coming up with many hit songs for The Monkees. Hart considers "Hurt So Bad" his crowning achievement as a songwriter, although he knows that he'll always be remembered for his hits with The Monkees. (Kent Kotal of the Forgotten Hits newsletter interviewed Bobby Hart and supplied the above 2)
In the US, this was a #12 hit for The Lettermen in 1969. In 1980, Linda Ronstadt's version went to #8.

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Comments: 6

Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 27th 1961, Teddy Randazzo was a guest on the Dick Clark ABC-TV network weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
Can't find if he performed on this 'Bandstand' appearance; but between 1958 and 1963 he had three records make Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, "Little Serenade" {#66 in 1958}, "The Way of a Clown" {#44 in 1960}, and "Big Wide World" {#51 in 1963}...
Before going solo he charted twice as a member of the Three Chuckles; "Times Two, I Love You" {#67 in 1955} and "And the Angels Sing" {#70 in 1956}...
He had greater success on the Top 100 as a composer; he penned Little Anthony & the Imperials' "Goin' Out of My Head" {#6 in 1964} & "Hurt So Bad" {#10 in 1965}, "Pretty Blue Eyes" by Steve Lawrence {#9 in 1960}, and "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" by the Royallettes {#41 in 1965} and was covered by Deniece Williams {#10 in 1982, and it reached #1 for 2 weeks on Billboard's R&B Singles chart}...
Mr. Randazzo, born Alessandro Carmelo Randazzo, passed away at the age of 68 on November 21st, 2003...
May he R.I.P.
Lester from NycGod, I love this song.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 27th 1965, Little Anthony and the Imperials performed "Hurt So Bad" on the ABC-TV weekly program 'Shindig!'...
Four days later on January 31st, 1965 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #63...
{See next post below}...
R.I.P. Jimmy O'Neill {Shindig's host; 1940 - 2013}.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 25th, 1970, Little Anthony and the Imperials performed "Hurts So Bad" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show' (it was performed in a medley with "Goin' Out of Head", "Don't Get Close", "Shimmy Shimmy Koko Bop", and "Tears On My Pillow")...
Five years earlier on January 31st, 1965 "Hurts So Bad" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on March 7th, 1965 it peaked at #10 (for 1 week) and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #3 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
On Sept. 14th, 1969 the Lettermen's covered version peaked at #12 for 1 week, then eleven years later on May 18th, 1980 Linda Ronstadt spent 3 weeks at #8 with her version...
Jackie DeShannon combined it with "You Keep Me Hangin' On", and that medley entered the Top 100 on May 24th, 1970 for a 1 week stay at position #96.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyGreat, great song. Little Anthony's version reached #10 on Billboard's Top 100. I always enjoy the mournful violin playing in the background!!!
Kristin from Bessemer, AlLittle Anthony and the Imperials had a terrific soul tune in late 1970, called "Help Me Find A Way (To Say I Love You) - it wasnt a hit, only reaching #90, but still a great tune.

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