SIXTY YEARS OF SOUL Audience was supporting a band of soul legends 45 years ago tonight at London’s Queen Mary College. Most UK bands in the ‘60s played at least one song made famous by The Drifters. Less than a year earlier and feeling no need to be the exception, Bill Cox, Howard Werth, Keith Gemmell and myself had included “On Broadway” in Lloyd Alexander Real Estate’s stage act. In 1964, I’d recorded a cover (never released) of “Save the Last Dance for Me” with Lee Paris and The Soundsmen, trooping into Regent Sound Studios to find The Rolling Stones listening to rough demos of a session they’d just finished which, coincidentally, included The Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk”. A year before that, The Searchers had put themselves on the map with a No 1 chart cover of “Sweets for my Sweet” and The Drifters’ “Up on the Roof” had boosted Carole King’s reputation as a major songwriter. Their influence was everywhere. The group’s Wikipedia entry says, “To many fans as well as historians, The Drifters means Clyde McPhatter”. I wouldn’t agree with that. I’ve always regretted being too broke to afford tickets for the UK package tour McPhatter played with Duane Eddy and Bobby Darin in 1960 - which the more affluent Howard Werth was lucky enough to catch – but I’d have said Ben E King was The Drifters’ most iconic lead singer. Leaving aside his most enduring solo hit, “Stand by Me” - a song it seems I, alone in the world, can’t abide! - I remember being blown away when I first heard King fronting The Drifters’ on “There Goes my Baby”, a song bought for $25 from ace Brill Building songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Having said all that, the rather less celebrated Rudy Lewis provided lead vocal on “Broadway” and “Boardwalk” and, for me, his is the definitive voice of The Drifters. Unfortunately, Audience didn’t get any of those classic frontmen. We got the Johnny Moore version and competent as they were, Moore’s approach – and the general sing-along style of The Drifters ‘70s hits – had less to do with the group’s soulful origins on Atlantic Records and more to do with frilly-cuffed cabaret. Disappointing. But who can argue? The Drifters are still doing the rounds today, 61 years after they formed - and, coincidentally, with 61 band members having passed through their ranks. Interesting factoid; the lead guitarist on this track was Phil Spector. https://youtube/watch?v=YJFYpVlIyqo
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 08:14:10 +0000
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