"Take Me Back" was a song composed by songwriter

Teddy Randazzo Alessandro Carmelo "Teddy" Randazzo (May 13, 1935 – November 21, 2003) was an American pop songwriter, singer, arranger and producer, who composed hit songs such as "Goin' Out of My Head", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", "Pretty Blue Eyes", ...

, and was a 1965 hit song by

Little Anthony and the Imperials Little Anthony and the Imperials is an American rhythm and blues/soul vocal group from New York City founded by Clarence Collins in the 1950s and named in part for its lead singer, Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine, who was noted for his h ...

Background

"Take Me Back" is a ballad about a plea for forgiveness. The song was one of 5 hit singles taken from their 1964 hit album, ''Goin' Out of My Head'', who also wrote several previous Imperials hit singles, including

Goin' Out Of My Head "Goin' Out of My Head" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, initially recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials in 1964. Randazzo, a childhood friend of the group, wrote the song especially for them, having also supplied th ...

and

Hurt So Bad "Hurt So Bad" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein, and Bobby Hart. It is a classic 1965 Top 10 hit ballad originally recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials. Linda Ronstadt also had a Top 10 hit with her cover version in 19 ...

, and was produced by Randazzo and

Don Costa Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including ''Sinatra and Strings'' and ''My Way''. C ...

for Randazzo's DCP Records label in 1964, released as a single in 1965, and later re-released in 1966 on

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

' Veep Records subsidiary. ''Take Me Back'' was a Billboard Top 20 hit for The Imperials, reaching # 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a Top 20 R&B hit as well, peaking at # 15.

Personnel

The Imperials

*"Little Anthony" Gourdine - Lead Vocals *

Sammy Strain Samuel Strain Jr. (born December 9, 1939) is an American R&B vocalist, known for his time as a member of Little Anthony and the Imperials (1958–1972; 1992–2005) and The O'Jays (1975–1992). He holds the unusual distinction of being twice in ...

- First Tenor *Ernest Wright - Second Tenor *Clarence Collins - Baritone/Bass

Producers

Teddy Randazzo & Don Costa

Chart performance

It was a ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top 20 Pop Hit, peaking at #16, and was a Top 20 R&B Hit as well, peaking at # 15.

References

*"The Best Of Little Anthony & The Imperials" 1996 CD liner notes. {{Little Anthony and the Imperials Little Anthony and the Imperials songs 1965 songs Songs written by Teddy Randazzo Glen Campbell songs