The Essex
Fondly recalled for their 1963 chart-topper "Easier Said Than Done," R&B vocal quintet the Essex was formed in 1961 by Walter Vickers and Rodney Taylor, a pair of U.S. Marines stationed in Japan; upon returning stateside to Camp LeJeune, NC, the duo recruited fellow leathernecks Anita Humes, Billie Hill, and Rudolph Johnson and recorded a demo tape which earned them a contract with the Roulette label. Highlighted by Humes' distinctively sassy lead vocal, "Easier Said Than Done" reached the top of the American pop charts in June of 1963, although the Essex found promoting the single trying as they were forced to coordinate their live appearances around their Marine duties. Johnson's subsequent shipment to a military base in Okinawa, Japan, further complicated matters, but the group's follow-up "A Walkin' Miracle" nevertheless reached the number 12 spot; when the Essex's third single "She's Got Everything" stalled, however, their chart run was over, and after a handful of little-noticed records like "Curfew Lover," they disbanded. Humes later pursued a solo career.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
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Discography
9 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Easier Said Than Done
Pop - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 15 Jan 1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Easier Said Than Done: The Best Of The Essex
Pop - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 10 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Platinum Selection
R&B - Released by Retro Music Box on 15 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Walkin' Miracle
Pop - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 15 Sep 1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jettison / Sirocco
Jazz - Released by 787458 Records DK on 20 Apr 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of The Essex
Soul - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 8 Apr 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Living With a Borrowed Soul
Classical - Released by The Essex on 18 Oct 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Easier Said Than Done
Pop - Released by JB Production CH on 12 Sep 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo