The Drifters: Greatest Hits

The Drifters, Greatest Hits, is available to download in high quality mp3 format from the MBOP megastore!

The Drifters are one of the longest-lived groups in rock ‘n’ roll and R&B. Clyde McPhatter, of ‘The Dominoes & Billy Ward’, formed the original Drifters in 1953. Despite achieving hits such as “Have Mercy Baby” McPhatter quit the two groups in 1953 because of financial reasons. He then signed to Atlantic Records and formed The Drifters.

The original drifters consisted of Clyde McPhatter, Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Bill Pinkney, Willie Ferbee and Walter Adams.

Since their original formation The Drifters have seen over 50 band members added to the group. Their most notable releases and hits are “Under the Boardwalk” and “This Magic Moment”. Their singing style for its time was incredibly dynamic, and even today their vocal aesthetic has a timeless quality to it, which keeps it fresh even to this day.

McPhatter’s original project was to create a band that would blend gospel and secular songs. In his first attempt in forming the band, McPhatter the lead singer, recruited 4 out of 5 members of his old church group the “Mount Lebanon Singers”. After one session in the recording studio McPhatter knew that this group would not work out.

The second group was briefly successful, in 1953 they celebrated their first major hit “Money Honey”. Despite this the group still had a turbulent time, McPhatter demanded a large share of the group’s profits and so members of the band found themselves increasingly unprofitable, this resulted in members leaving to members dying, the Drifters were literally drifting apart. Eventually McPhatter sold his share of the group to jazz trumpeter George Treadwell.

The drifters as a group and band have seen a turbulent career, however they are still performing today. If you want to listen their timeless classics again in high quality Mp3 format, then download the album today!