Little Anthony & The Imperials, Goin’ Out of My Head | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 139th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Goin’ Out of My Head” by Little Anthony & The Imperials.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 139^th  edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Goin’ Out of My Head” performed by Little Anthony & The Imperials.

“And I think I’m going out of my head / Yes, I think I’m going out of my head / Over you / Over you.” “Goin’ Out of My Head” is the opening track from Goin’ Out of My Head, the 1964 album by the renowned doo-wop, vintage R&B collective, Little Anthony & The Imperials. “Goin’ Out of My Head” peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It marked the second top 10 by the collective following “Tears on My Pillow”, and the first of two top 10 hits from the LP (“Hurt So Bad” later peaked at no. 10).  Robert Weinstein and Teddy Randazzo penned the two-and-a-half minute classic.  Randazzo produced as well.

Leading the charge on “Goin’ Out of My Head” are the stellar lead vocals by Jerome Anthony (“Little Anthony”) Gourdine. His high tenor is epic and smooth.  As dynamic as he is, the silky smooth backing vocals by The Imperials help fuel his fire and up the ante.  Little Anthony’s most dynamic vocals occur during the refrain (a second chorus of sorts), the song’s most memorable section.

“Goin’ out of my head over you (Out of my head)

Out of my head over you (Out of my head)

Out of my head, day and night

Night and day and night

Wrong or right.”

As memorable as the refrain is, the verses establish the narrative – set up the goin’ out of my head! “I want you to want me / I need you so badly / I can’t think of anything but you,” Little Anthony sings, adding, “I see you each morning / But you just walk past me / You don’t even know that I exist.” Also, the bridge, post-refrain, shines lyrically and instrumentally (It’s the French horns).  With top-notch singing and terrific songwriting, the impeccably sweet orchestration and musical production can’t be neglected. Besides the horns during the bridge, the strings sound particularly radiant. “Goin’ Out of My Head” is two-and-a-half minutes of timeless musical greatness. Little Anthony & The Imperials did that!

Little Anthony & The Imperials // Goin’ Out of My Head // Capitol // 1964

Little Anthony & The Imperials, Goin’ Out of My Head: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 139 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Capitol; OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]