Keep on Pushing
Encyclopedia
Keep on Pushing is an album and song by the American soul music
group The Impressions
. It was the biggest album of their career, reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard
Pop Album chart. It produced no less than 5 Pop & R&B Top 40 hit singles, two of which,("Amen" & "Keep on Pushing"), hit the Billboard
Pop Top 10, and a third of which, "Talking about My Baby", came close, peaking at #12.
This album was The Impressions' biggest album ever, reaching the Top 10 on both the Billboard
Pop and R&B album charts. Its songs have inspired numerous cover versions by other artists, such as the following:
USA - Singles
Orchestra arranged by Johnny Pate
.
The album cover is visible between Bob Dylan
and Sally Grossman
on the Bob Dylan album Bringing It All Back Home
.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
group The Impressions
The Impressions (American band)
The Impressions are an American music group from Chicago, originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes doo-wop, gospel, soul, and R&B....
. It was the biggest album of their career, reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop Album chart. It produced no less than 5 Pop & R&B Top 40 hit singles, two of which,("Amen" & "Keep on Pushing"), hit the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop Top 10, and a third of which, "Talking about My Baby", came close, peaking at #12.
Track listing
All songs written by Curtis Mayfield except as noted.- "Keep on Pushing"
- "I've Been Trying"
- "I Ain't Supposed To"
- "Dedicate My Song to You"
- "Long Long Winter"
- "Somebody Help Me"
- "Amen" (Mayfield, Johnny PateJohnny PateJohnny Pate is a jazz bassist who late became a music arranger/producer, and a leading figure in Chicago soul as well as pop/R&B music....
) - "I Thank Heaven"
- "Talking About My Baby"
- "Don't Let it Hide"
- "I Love You (Yeah)"
- "I Made a Mistake"
This album was The Impressions' biggest album ever, reaching the Top 10 on both the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop and R&B album charts. Its songs have inspired numerous cover versions by other artists, such as the following:
- Keep On Pushing: Ike & Tina TurnerIke & Tina TurnerIke & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...
, The Black SeedsThe Black SeedsThe Black Seeds are a musical group from Wellington, New Zealand. Their music is a fusion of dub, funk, afrobeat and soul.The Black Seeds have two double-platinum selling albums at home, and successful European album releases through the German-based Sonar Kollektiv label...
and numerous others.
- I've Been Trying : Jerry ButlerJerry Butler (singer)Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
, The Bar-Kays, Archie Bell & The DrellsArchie Bell & the DrellsArchie Bell & the Drells was a R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records...
, Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, JewelJewel (singer)Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
, Pat KellyPat KellyPat Kelly may refer to:*Pat Kelly , Australian rules footballer*Pat Kelly , reggae singer*Pat Kelly , American right fielder in Major League Baseball...
, The HeptonesThe HeptonesThe Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady with their three-part harmonies.-History:Leroy Sibbles, Earl...
, The Hour GlassThe Hour GlassThe Hour Glass were a 1960s rhythm and blues band based in Los Angeles, California between 1967 and 1968. Among their members were two future members of the Allman Brothers Band and three future studio musicians at the world-renowned Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama .-History:Formed from the...
, The Blues BrothersThe Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
, Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
.
- I Made A Mistake Bob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
- Amen : Numerous Artists
- Talking About My Baby : Cliff Bennett, Chuck BernardChuck BernardJoseph Charles "Chuck" Bernard was a professional American football center who played for the Detroit Lions in 1934 and was a two-time All-American at the University of Michigan. He was born in Chicago, Illinois....
, The Doc Thomas Group, Bob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
(as Diamond Baby) .
- Long Long Winter: Bob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The WailersBob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
Charts
USA - Album| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Black Albums | 4 |
| 1964 | Pop Albums | 8 |
USA - Singles
| Year | Song | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Keep On Pushing | Pop Singles | 10 |
| 1964 | Talking About My Baby | Pop Singles | 12 |
| 1965 | Amen | Pop Singles | 7 |
| 1965 | Amen | Black Singles | 17 |
| 1965 | I've Been Trying | Black Singles | 35 |
| 1965 | Long, Long Winter | Black Singles | 35 |
Miscellaneous
- "Keep On Pushing" was used as the theme to Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's renowned 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address2004 Democratic National Convention keynote addressThe keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention was given by then Illinois State Senator, United States Senate candidate , and future President Barack Obama on the night of Tuesday, July 27, 2004...
, when he endorsed John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
.
- The album is also particularly noted for its cover: a photo of The Impressions, Curtis, Sam, and Fred, "pushing" the rear end of a Jaguar XKEJaguar E-typeThe Jaguar E-Type or XK-E is a British automobile, manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. Its combination of good looks, high performance, and competitive pricing established the marque as an icon of 1960s motoring...
.
Credits – The Impressions
- Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
- lead vocals, principal songwriter, producer - Fred CashFred CashFred Cash is an African-American soul singer. He is best known for being a member of the successful group The Impressions, a group in which he replaced Jerry Butler in 1960. Cash was an original member of the Roosters , the group that later evolved into The Impressions. After leaving the group for...
- lead and background vocals - Sam GoodenSam GoodenSam Gooden is an African-American soul singer. He is best known for being an original member of the successful group The Impressions from its beginnings as The Roosters in the 1950s. Sam and the group are still recording and performing...
- lead and background vocals
Orchestra arranged by Johnny Pate
Johnny Pate
Johnny Pate is a jazz bassist who late became a music arranger/producer, and a leading figure in Chicago soul as well as pop/R&B music....
.
The album cover is visible between Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Sally Grossman
Sally Grossman
Sally Grossman was the wife of Bob Dylan's former manager, Albert Grossman. According to some Dylan biographers, she introduced Dylan to his first wife Sara ....
on the Bob Dylan album Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's fifth studio album, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. The album is divided into an electric and an acoustic side. On side one of the original LP, Dylan is backed by an electric rock and roll band - a move that further alienated...
.