The ORIGINAL Baby Boomer site.

   Home | Subscribe | Links | Contact Us

On 3 March 1959, the Drifters recorded their first Top 40 hit, "There Goes My Baby".

The Drifters were formed in 1953 and influenced a new chart genre, soul music, with gospel style vocals. They had many minor hits before the release of "There Goes My Baby" including "Money Honey" and "Ruby Baby". But by the time they hit the Top 40 charts the group was not recognisable as that which had the early minor successes.

The first line-up was put together after Clyde McPhatter left the Dominoes. He was signed to front new group, the Drifters by Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records and was backed by members of the Mount Lebanon Church in Harlem, New York. The Drifters were not only a popular for their vocals but, for their choreography. Within a year McPhatter and the Drifters had recorded "Money Honey," "Such A Night," "Honey Love," and "White Christmas." with moderate success. Then McPhatter was drafted into the Army in 1954.

After McPhatter's departure George Treadwell, the Drifter's manager, hired Johnny Moore to become the groups new lead singer. The first hit with Moore was "Ruby Baby." But there was discontent in the ranks as the backing vocalists were poorly paid and the line-up changed regularly. Gradually, the group's success waned. Eventually the whole group was sacked in 1958 and Treadwell hired Benjamin Nelson to lead it. Nelson would soon change his name to become Ben E King and lead the group to No.2 on the charts with "There Goes My Baby". Orchestral strings, gentle Latin rhythm and King's yearning romantic vocals became the groups trademark. Other hits were "This Magic Moment", "I Count the Tears", and "Save the Last Dance for Me". But King left the group to persue a solo career in October 1960.

Rudy Lewis took on on lead vocals and from 1963, the Drifters had major pop and rhythm and blues hits. These included Goffin/King's "Some Kind of Wonderful," "When My Little Girl Is Smiling," and "Up On the Roof". Then came "Sweets For My Sweet," "On Broadway" and "I'll Take You Home." Lewis died in the summer of 1964 and early Drifter Johnny Moore took over the lead. They had their biggest hits in this perod, "Under the Boardwalk" and "Saturday Night At the Movies."

With all the personnel changes over the years, the Drifters must be classed as Rock and Roll's chamelons, but in those different guises they were one of early Rock's greatest successes. They still play in a number of forms to this day both in the US and the UK.

1958 - Ricky Nelson
1961 - The Beatles