Keep On Pushing

Production

"Amen" was an African-American spiritual arranged and sung by Jester Hairston for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field, starring Sidney Poitier. Curtis Mayfield had been inspired by the film and the song "Amen" in particular: "Of course, I'd decided to do a version of it. We put it together in the studio starting off with a musical 'swing low sweet chariot', and then we fell into that particular song with somewhat of a marching rhythm."

The album cover has a photograph taken by Don Bronstein of the group pushing Mayfield's Jaguar E-Type.

Reception

Keep On Pushing was the Impressions' most successful album, reaching the top ten on both the Billboard Pop and R&B album charts.

The album was one of those displayed on the cover of Bob Dylan's 1965 Bringing It All Back Home. It was an influence on Bob Marley who included "Amen" and "I Made A Mistake" as part of the regular set list of the Wailers, and recorded versions of "Amen", "I Made a Mistake", "Talking About My Baby" (as "Diamond Baby"), and "Long, Long Winter". Covers of songs from the album by other artists include, "Keep On Pushing" by Ike & Tina Turner; "I've Been Trying" by former Impression Jerry Butler, The Bar-Kays, Archie Bell & The Drells, Phil Collins, Jewel, Pat Kelly, the Heptones, the Hour Glass, the Blues Brothers, and Eric Clapton; "Talking About My Baby" by Cliff Bennett, and Chuck Bernard.

Track listing

All songs written by Curtis Mayfield, except where noted.

1. "Keep On Pushing"
2. "I've Been Trying"
3. "I Ain't Supposed To"
4. "Dedicate My Song to You" (Mayfield, Alice Beard)
5. "Long, Long Winter"
6. "Somebody Help Me"
7. "Theme from Lillies of the Field (Amen)" (Traditional African-American spiritual; arranged by Jester Hairston, Mayfield and Johnny Pate)
8. "I Thank Heaven"
9. "Talking About My Baby"
10. "Don't Let It Hide"
11. "I Love You (Yeah)"
12. "I Made a Mistake"

Personnel

Charts

USA - Album

USA - Singles

Credits