The Drifters
Carole King
Carole King, along with her song writing partner Gerry Goffin, has penned a seemingly endless string of hits for other artists. She is also a successful singer in her own right and claims a total of four Grammy awards and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
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In the 60s, Goffin and King started working for Aldon Music and had their first successful hit with Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? This song would go on to be recorded by Dusty Springfield, Roberta Flack and Bryan Ferry.
Others soon followed with Take Good Care of My Baby, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Locomotion, Go Away Little Girl, One Fine Day, Don’t Bring Me Down and (You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman just to name a few. The artists that have benefited from this era of King’s prose and song range from household 60s acts like The Monkees, Aretha Franklin and The Drifters to more modern acts like Tom Petty, Billy Joel, Celine Dion, Grand Funk Railroad and Shania Twain.
Throughout this time, King dabbled with her own singing career, lending her vocals and releasing her own material. Chart toppers eluded her until 1971’s iconic album Tapestry topped the US album charts for 15 weeks and remained in the charts for 6 years.
The album featured folky revisions of her earlier hits she had written for others as well as tracks like It’s Too Late and You’ve Got a Friend. Tapestry held the position as top-selling solo album ever until Michael Jackson’s Thriller knocked it off the podium.
The 80s saw King take a back seat to the music industry and her activities were primarily charitable live performances.
King continues to collaborate and more recently touring with James Taylor who had a number 1 hit with King’s You’ve Got a Friend.
Juanita Appleby
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BEN E. KING
Ben E. King started his singing career as a member of American doo-wap group the Five Crowns which eventually became The Drifters. With King as its lead singer, they had hits with There Goes My Baby, Save the Last Dance for Me, and This Magic Moment.
King went solo and in 1961 he had his first hit with Spanish Harlem. Shortly after, he recorded and released the song that is synonymous with his career, Stand By Me.
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Throughout the 60s, King had a string of Top 40 Hits including Amor, Don’t Play That Song, and I (Who Have Nothing). The fact that he wrote or co-wrote many of his songs has often been overlooked in the music history books. He also has been covered by such household names as John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, U2 and even bizarrely Siouxsie and the Banshees.
In 1986, Stand By Me was re-released to support a movie by the same name and almost instantly hit number one. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the strength of his Drifters work but as yet has not been awarded the accolade as a solo artist.
In the 21st century, King is sporadically active in the recording studio and touring circuit as well as his charitable work for the Stand By Me foundation.
For The Record:
Born Benjamin Earl Soloman, September 28, 1938, in Henderson, N.C.
Formed first singing group, the Four B's, while in junior high school; began singing professionally with quintet the Crowns, 1956-59; member of the Drifters, 1959-61; solo performer, 1961—; produced several Top Ten singles, 1960s; collaborated with the Average White Band on Benny and Us, 1977; 1961 hit single "Stand by Me" featured on soundtrack of film Stand by Me, Columbia, 1986.
Addresses: Home—Teaneck, N.J. Record Company—Atlantic Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019.
Discography:
Spanish Harlem, Atlantic, 1961.
Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers, Atlantic, 1962.
Don't Play That Song, Atlantic, 1962.
Greatest Hits, Atlantic, 1964.
Seven Letters, Atlantic, 1965.
Beginning of It All, Mandala, 1971.
Supernatural Thing, Atlantic, 1975.
Ben E. King Story, Atlantic, 1975.
I Had a Love, Atlantic, 1976.
(With the Average White Band) Benny and Us, Atlantic, 1977.
Let Me Live in Your Life, Atlantic, 1978.
Music Trance, Atlantic, 1980.
Street Tough, Atlantic, 1980.
Rough Edges, Maxwell.
Sources: Juanita Appleby, eNotes.
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Cliff Richard
Cliff Richards is one of the longest-running and most famous British artists around today, and still filling major venues with an audience consisting of both his 'older fans' and their children and even grandchildren.
Cliff was born Harry Roger Webb on the 14th October 1940. His father bought Webb a guitar when he was 16, and it took only two years for success to come his way. Before a gig in 1958, Webb and his backing band changed their name to “Cliff Richard and the Drifters”, which would later become – after some legal wrangling with US band The Drifters – “Cliff Richard and the Shadows”. The Shadows, in fact, had a whole independent career of their own. They would frequently perform as the support act for Cliff Richard, and then go on to be his backing band later in the show.
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Richard’s success was almost instant. His debut single release was “Move It” – originally intended to be the B-Side on a cover of Bobby Helm’s “Schoolboy Crush” – which reached number 2 in the UK charts and received glowing references from critics. Richard’s first few records were rock ‘n’ roll, but, in part influenced by his decision to embrace his Christian faith over his previous rocker credentials, much of his later work became fluffy, inoffensive pop. No matter what the genre, Cliff Richard’s releases have usually performed well in Britain, but the same is not true in the US, where he was, and is, largely unknown, despite having three US top ten singles in the latter half of the 1970s and several low-level chart hits throughout his career.
Cliff has had a great deal of success in the UK, with hits including: 'The Young Ones', 'Its All in the Game', 'Summer Holiday', 'Congratulations', and 'Mistletoe and Wine'. and has sold over 260 million records, placing him in the top 10 best selling artists of all time. He has reached the top 20 in the UK charts with over 130 different releases over the course of five decades, winning three Brit awards in the process.
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THE SEARCHERS
Founded in 1957 by John McNally (guitar/vocals), The Searchers were originally one of thousands of skiffle groups formed in the wake of Lonnie Donegan's success with "Rock Island Line." The Searchers' immediate competitors included bands such as The Wreckers and The Confederates, both led by Michael Pender (guitar, vocals), and The Martinis, led by Tony Jackson (guitar/vocals). By 1959, McNally and Pender were working together as a duet; later in the year, Jackson joined as the lead vocalist. After drummer Norman McGarry left The Searchers he was replaced by Chris Crummy, who quickly renamed himself Chris Curtis. Other changes were in the works as Jackson built and learned to play a customized bass guitar. Learning his new job on the four-stringed instrument proved too difficult to permit him to continue singing lead, and McNally and Pender brought in a fifth member, Johnny Sandon (born Billy Beck). Johnny Sandon & The Searchers lasted from 1960 through February of 1962, and were extremely popular on the dance hall and club circuit in Liverpool. Sandon cut out for a career on his own, with another band called The Remo Four in early 1962.
Meanwhile, The Searchers, now a quartet with Jackson once again lead singer, became one of the top acts on the Liverpool band scene, playing textured renditions of American R&B, rock & roll, country, soul, and rockabilly. The group was signed to Pye Records in mid-1963 and their first single, a cover of The Drifters' "Sweets for My Sweet," was released in August of 1963, hitting number one on the British charts. While The Beatles quickly outdistanced all comers, The Searchers did, indeed, go to the top of the charts with two of their next three singles, "Needles and Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away." Another record, "Sugar and Spice," written by their producer Tony Hatch under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale, stalled at the number two spot. Over the next nine months, the band staked out a sound that was one of the most distinctive in a rock scene crawling with hundreds of bands. Their music was built around the sound of a crisply played 12-string guitar, coupled with strong lead vocals and carefully, sometimes exquisitely arranged harmonies, so that they could credibly cover American R&B standards like "Love Potion No. 9" or Phil Spector-based girl group pop like "Be My Baby." Their 1964 singles included a venture into folk-rock before the genre had been "invented" in the press, in the form of a cover of Malvina Reynolds' "What Have They Done To the Rain." Interestingly, their 12-string guitar sound would become a key ingredient in the success of The Byrds, who even took the riff from "Needles And Pins" and transformed it into the main riff of "Feel A Whole Lot Better."
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In July of 1964, with the group riding the upper reaches of the British charts, and with their third album in nine months in release, it was announced that Tony Jackson was leaving The Searchers to form his own band, and would be replaced by Frank Allen, who had been playing bass with Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers. The turning point for the band came in 1965, as the British and international fascination with the Liverpool sound faded away. The Searchers began casting their net wider for material to cover, in addition to coming up with one original hit, the Curtis/Pender-authored "He's Got No Love." By the beginning of 1966, the group's string of chart hits seemed to have run out, and Chris Curtis exited in early 1966, claiming to have become exhausted from the group's constant touring. The Searchers, with Johnny Blunt on drums, continued working and had their last hit, "Have You Ever Loved Somebody," which barely cracked the Top 50 in October of 1966. The group continued working, however, playing clubs and cabarets in England and Europe. Blunt exited at the end of the 1960s, but was replaced by Billy Adamson, and this line-up of The Searchers continued intact until the mid-1980s, working for 35 weeks a year throughout Europe with an occasional U.S. visit. Although they played as part of Richard Nader's "Rock 'n Roll Revival" shows, they never became an "oldies" act, always adding new material, including originals and covers of work by songwriters such as Neil Young to their sets, and in 1972, the band cut an album for British RCA.
At the end of the 1970s, their recording fortunes were revived once again as Seymour Stein, the head of Sire Records, signed The Searchers for two albums. Those records, The Searchers and Love's Melodies, were the best work the group ever did, highlighted by achingly beautiful yet vibrant and forceful playing and singing, and an unerring array of memorable hooks and melodies. Those two albums were followed by a series of tracks recorded for their original label, Pye Records, in the early 1980s. The group held their audience well into the 1980s, playing before crowds of as large as 15,000 along one U.S. tour. In 1985, after playing together for 26 years, Pender and McNally split up, with McNally continuing to lead The Searchers (with Adamson and Allen, with Spencer James added on second guitar and vocals), while Pender formed Mike Pender's Searchers, consisting of Chris Black (guitar, vocals), Barry Cowell (bass, vocals), and Steve Carlyle (drums, vocals). Both groups have toured extensively and The Searchers under McNally have recorded on occasion.
Sources: artistdirect.com; Bruce Walker
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THE DRIFTERS
Rhythm and Blues greats The Drifters were formed in 1953 in New York, USA by Clyde McPhatter (of Billy Ward & The Dominoes) after he was approached by Atlantic Records. McPhatter recruited several members of his former group, the Mount Lebanon Singers, but this only lasted a single session. Although the band originally consisted of his former band members, this only lasted for one session, and the group soon changed to; Gerhart Thrasher and Andrew Thrasher on baritone and second tenor, Bill Pinkney on high tenor, Willie Ferbee as bass, and Walter Adams on guitar. This is the group on the second session, who produced the smash-hit ‘Money Honey’.
After this release, Ferbee was involved in an accident and Adams sadly passed, to be replaced by Jimmy Oliver. Ferbee was not replaced, although voice parts were switched about. The group released several hits, including; ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Bip Bam’, before McPhatter left in 1954 to persue a solo career. He was later replaced by Johnny Moore. This line-up had a major hit with ‘Adorable’ in 1955, and many more hits followed.
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Low salaries soon lead to a burnout between band members, seeing Pinkney and C Thrasher leaving, who were replaced by Tommy Evans and Charlie Hughes. This was the last quality line-up, who had a Top Ten hit with ‘Fools Fall in Love’ in 1957.
By early 1958, the line-up had, again changed, and was now; Bobby Hendricks (lead tenor), Gerhart Thrasher (first tenor), Jimmy Millender (baritone), Tommy Evans (bass), and Jimmy Oliver (guitar). This line-up had one moderate hit, the original version of "Drip Drop". With declining popularity, the last of the original Drifters were reduced to working the club scene and doing double duty with gigs under different band names. Oh dear.
Members include Willie Ferbee (left group, 1958), vocals; Bobby Hendricks (born on February 22, 1938, in Columbus, OH; group member, 1957-58), lead vocals; Ben E. King (born on September 23, 1938, in Henderson, NC; group member, 1959-60), lead vocals; Rudy Lewis (born on August 23, 1936, in Philadelphia, PA; died on May 20, 1964, in New York, NY; joined group, 1961), lead vocals; Clyde McPhatter (born on November 15, 1932, in Durham, NC; died on June 13, 1972, in Teaneck, NJ; left group, 1954), lead vocals; Johnny Moore (born in 1934 in Selma, AL; died on December 30, 1998, in Los Angeles, CA; group member, 1955-57, 1963), lead vocals; Andrew Thrasher (left group, 1956), vocals; Gerhart Thrasher (left group, 1958), vocals.
Group formed, 1953; "Money Honey" became number one R&B single, 1953; released "Such a Night" and "Honey Love," 1954; released Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters, 1956; single "There Goes My Baby" reached number two on the pop charts, 1959; recorded "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Up on the Roof," "Please Stay," and "On Broadway," 1960-64; recorded "Under the Boardwalk" with lead singer Johnny Moore, 1964; disbanded, late 1960s; various members have continued to regroup as the Original Drifters and under other names.
Awards: Induction, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1988.
Addresses:Record company—Rhino Records, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, website: http://www.rhino.com.
Albums:
Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters, Atlantic, 1956.
The Drifters' Greatest Hits, Atlantic, 1960.
Save the Last Dance for Me, Atlantic, 1962.
Under the Boardwalk, Atlantic, 1964.
The Very Best of the Drifters, Rhino, 1993.
Rockin' & Driftin': the Drifters' Box, Rhino, 1996.
Sources: Carly Page, Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
