JERRY BUTLER & THE IMPRESSIONS - “FOR YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE“ (1958)

Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield met while singing in the same Chicago church choir. After singing in a number of local gospel groups, the two of them joined a doo-wop group called “The Roosters“ in 1957, whose members included Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and his brother Arthur Brooks. By 1958, The Roosters had a new manager in Eddie Thomas, a record deal with Vee-Jay Records, and a new name: “Jerry Butler & the Impressions“. The group’s first hit single was 1958’s “For Your Precious Love“, which hit #11 on the US pop charts and #3 on the R&B charts. However, soon after the release of the R&B Top 30 hit “Come Back My Love“, Butler left the group to go on to a successful solo career. After briefly touring with the now-solo Butler as his guitarist, Curtis Mayfield became the group’s new lead singer and songwriter, and Fred Cash, a returning original Roosters member, was appointed as the new fifth member.