Northern soul had emerged in the north of England when the Real Thing formed in 1970, but the disco/funk/soul quartet couldn't get into the obscure R&B sounds, preferring instead the more progressive soul of the Temptations, Barry White, and funk jams. Known for the singles "You to Me Are Everything" and "Can't Get by Without You," the Liverpool natives aspired for international success, a dream that went unfulfilled. PRT Records released 100 Minutes in 1982, their last regularly scheduled LP. Waxworks Records dropped a live LP in 1998, The Real Thing Live; many compilations and best-of albums documenting their career are on the market. ~ Andrew Hamilton