SCSportsTalk: The Drifters

[Ellis]

Just wikipedia'd The Drifters and found something that I thought was ironic and worth sharing. The Drifters-- the band-- were not a band in the sense that we know it today. Turns out that The Drifters were just a cycle of singers and musicians that were constantly being replaced. There are different Drifters 'eras' and each era includes different classic hits along with a different mix of people.

The irony of the story: I guess they really were Drifters after all!

he Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963[citation needed], though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as backing group for Clyde McPhatter (of Billy Ward & the Dominoes) in 1953.

Rolling Stone magazine states that the Drifters were the least stable of the vocal groups due to being low-paid hired musicians under the direct control of their management,[1] headed by George Treadwell, who owned the Drifters name. The Treadwell Drifters website states that there have been 60 vocalists in the history of the Treadwell Drifters line, [2] including several splinter groups by former Drifters members (not under Treadwell's management) These splinter groups are usually identified with a possessive credit such as "Bill Pinckney's Original Drifters", "Charlie Thomas' Drifters", etc. Only one splinter Drifters group features a classic Drifters member, Charlie Thomas' Drifters. Nevertheless, there are two versions of the Drifters that are notable. The first classic Drifters formed by Clyde McPhatter was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as "The Drifters" or "The Original Drifters".[3] The second Drifters formed by Treadwell featuring Ben E. King was separately inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as Ben E. King and the Drifters.[4] In their induction, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame eclectically selected four members from the classic Drifters, two from the second Drifters, and one from the post-King Treadwell Drifters.[5]

According to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, "Through turmoil and changes the (original) Drifters managed to set musical trends and give the public 13 chart hits, most of which are legendary recordings today."[3] Matching that feat more or less, the non-original Drifters managed to give the public 13 Hot 100 top 30 chart hits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Drifters

[catman]

There have been several groups that have gone through multiple members over the years. Go see Chicago or the Beach Boys now and you'll be surprised who are in them.

[Tarkus]

Originally Posted by Ellis

Just wikipedia'd The Drifters and found something that I thought was ironic and worth sharing. The Drifters-- the band-- were not a band in the sense that we know it today. Turns out that The Drifters were just a cycle of singers and musicians that were constantly being replaced. There are different Drifters 'eras' and each era includes different classic hits along with a different mix of people.

The irony of the story: I guess they really were Drifters after all!

Never knew that, Ellis.

So much for old dogs not learning new tricks.

Thanks...