The Radiants
“Big Thing” (Chess) 1965
by Wax Poetics
Originally on Chess, “Big Thing” hit #14 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1965. Philadelphia’s Eric Records started reissuing music in ’69 (and continues to this day), and gathered both this and the Radiants’ bigger hit, 1964′s “Voice Your Choice,” on this reissue 45. Penned by fellow Chicagoan Gerald Sims, “Big Thing” takes on Impressions-inspired post-doo-wop soul, whose sophisticated arrangement (esp. the horns) betray its early date.
