The Definitive Drifters

There were several line-up changes along the way. Ben E King left to pursue a solo career following the success of Save the last dance for me, the most famous Drifters song of all. His solo hits are not included in this collection, which is why Spanish Harlem and Stand by me are missing. You can obtain these recordings on Ben's own albums, although I've also seen Drifters compilations that include Ben's solo hits.

From 1959, the Drifters were hugely successful in America, their hits including Save the last dance for me, There goes my baby, Dance with me, On Broadway, Some kind of wonderful, One way love, Up on the roof, Under the boardwalk, Saturday night at the movies, When my little girl is smiling, Sweets for my sweet and others. Only Save the last dance for me was a big hit in Britain for the Drifters, because record companies at that time often found local singers to cover the songs and they had the hits instead. This shameful practice died out by the end of the sixties.

Even with all their hits included, there is plenty of room to explore their B-sides and album tracks. All the ones included here are excellent, but my favorite is their cover of Stranger on the shore, an extremely sad song which was a huge instrumental hit for clarinetist Acker Bilk. Many vocal versions of this song exist, but the Drifters sing it as well as anybody.

After 1965, the Drifters didn't have much success in America, but they enjoyed a new wave of popularity in the seventies in Britain, where they had several top ten hits. The last ten songs of the second CD include all the essential songs from this period including Kissing in the back row of the movies, Down on the beach, There goes my first love, Hello happiness, Every night's a Saturday night with you and You're more than a number in my little red book.

So, this contains fifty-eight songs spanning three decades of great music and you won't find a more comprehensive Drifters compilation than this.

The Collection begins with some of their early R.& B. work, and whilst that is not as catchy as their later stuff, they sing it like they mean it - with passion.

Then, you get all the fantastic 60's Hits like:, 'Save The Last Dance For Me', and their original version of the British 1960's Searchers Number 1 - 'Sweets For My Sweet'.

The start of CD 2 has a track they never released as a Single - 'Only In America' - a huge song/production, about rising to the top in the USA, - it is one of their best ever melodies, and it is a work of genius. When I listened to it, I felt that it was worth the cost of the 2 CD's in its self.

Further on, we have 'Down In The Streets Of Harlem' - another Drifters song, that I had never heard before. It has slow verses, and the music, chorus, and vocals rise to a massive 'Cathedral of Harmoiny' - I almost wept, when I listened to it, as it is so stunning and moving.

Personally I did not feel that the 1970's Drifters were as good, although they had a string of British only Hits at the time. However, many were catchy, and included in this Collection. This 70's stuff, includes an Album Track - 'Harlem Child', which was made in 1975. At the time, The Drifters had just spent no less than 5 Weeks at Number 3 with 'There Goes My First Love', (in the UK), and this would have been just as huge - if not bigger. However, it was never a Single, and I was 100% impressed on hearing, 'Harlem Child', for the first time, in this Collectuion.

It has a pretty harpsichord sound throughout, plus lovely verses about a fellow who has gone to try to make it big in the 'Music World'. When, (if!), he does so, he plans to come back to Harlem, to take his lady to a better place. It is catchy, charming, and just about the best track I have ever heard, from the 1970's Drifters.

All in all, this CD Set is utterly marvellous, and it is True, All Pop Music came from this type of innovative music. One can hear its influence in The Beatles, the Stones, Phil Spector, ABBA etc.

Go on! - treat yourself - bring joy into your life.

Colin