The Impressions were one of the R&B vocal groups that heralded the transition from doowop to the more pop-oriented styles of the late ‘50s.

Notable for bringing to the fore two of the great soul voices of the era, Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield, they made their first records in 1958, when Butler and Mayfield were still in their teens. Founded as the Roosters by Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur Brooks, who moved to Chicago and added Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield to their line-up to become Jerry Butler & the Impressions, the collective immediately started scoring hits.

This 57-track set includes Impressions’ A & B sides from these years. It also contains the titles not otherwise featured on singles from the Veejay album He Will Break Your Heart and the 1958 Abner album Jerry Butler Esq. It features the Impressions’ four hits from these years, including the R&B No.2 Gypsy Woman and No.3 For Your Precious Love, and  Jerry Butler’s ten hits from this era, including the R&B No.1 He Will Break Your Heart, plus the Top 20 entries Lost, Find Another Girl, I’m A Telling You, Moon River and Make It Easy On Yourself.

It’s a great showcase both for the Impressions’ distinctive style as a vocal group and for Butler and Mayfield’s talents as singers and writers, underlining their importance as key influences in the genre. Inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame, the group were recognised in 2000 by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation with a Pioneer Award. The group’s long career spanned more than 60 years at the time of their retirement in 2018. Butler, now in his early 80s, lives in Chicago.

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