Post Time: 2026-03-12
Country: United States, Australia, United Kingdom. City: Cape Coral, Carlsbad, Cedar Rapids, Lafayette, MontgomeryThis Soul Sunday spotlights The Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk,” a 1964 classic that captures the romantic nostalgia of summertime love with a soulful twist. *Artist Bio* The Drifters embody a historic pop music phenomenon: the group whose grip on fans proves so enduring that its name outlives its members. So it went with a gospel- and doowop-inflected quartet organized in the early 1950s by George Treadwell. Impresario and trumpeter Treadwell, husband of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, owned the band name; he was seeking to capitalize on tenor Clyde McPhatter, formerly lead vocalist with doowop hitmakers Billy Ward and the Dominoes. McPhatter stayed The Drifters’ lead voice only briefly as Atlantic producer Ahmet Ertegun fine-tuned back-up squads, generating the 1953 hit “Money Honey,” 1955’s “Adorable,” and 1956’s “Ruby Baby.” A growing roster of ex-Drifters performed under the name. In 1958 Treadwell fired his current Drifters, hiring the Five Crowns, whose lead vocalist was Benjamin Earl Nelson, performing as “Ben E. King,” to staff the outfit. Atlantic honchoes Ertegun and Jerry Wexler hired proven producers and songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller to guide the Drifters. Lieber and Stoller steered King and collaborators through chart-topping classics including “There Goes My Baby” and “Dance With Me,” as well as the Doc Pomus/Mort Schuman-penned “This Magic Moment” visit the next post and “Save the Last Dance for Me.” Eventually King, weary of Treadwell’s penny-pinching, left to go solo. His discover this replacement, Rudy Lewis, formerly of the Clara Ward Singers, led the band through another string of hits such as “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Up On the Roof.” Lewis’s sudden death on the eve of a session to record “Under the Boardwalk” rendered Johnny Moore the default vocalist on that hit and the subsequent “Saturday Night at the Movies.” In time, a third era of The Drifters returned the group to the charts. The ongoing game here. of musical chairs spawned dozens, even scores of groups touring under the Drifters brand.—Michael Dolan The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk Album: Under The Boardwalk Album released June 1964 on Atlantic Written By: Art Resnick, Kenny Young Performed By: Johnny Moore -- lead tenor vocal Charlie Thomas - tenor vocal Eugene Person - baritone vocal John Terry - bass vocal Ernie Hayes -- piano Everett Barksdale, Bill Suyker, Bob Bushnell, Billy Davis-- guitar Milt Hinton -- bass Gary Chester -- drums George Devens -- percussion Produced by Bert Berns Arranged by Teacho Wiltshire Recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York, NY on May 21, 1964 Subscribe to the Rhino Channel! Check Out Our Favorite Playlists: Classic Rock 80s Hits 80s Hard Rock 80s Alternative 90s Hits Stay connected with RHINO on... Facebook Instagram Twitter RHINO is the official YouTube channel of the greatest music catalog in the world. Founded in 1978, Rhino is the world's leading pop culture label specializing in classic rock, soul, and 80's and 90's alternative. The vast Rhino catalog of more than 5,000 albums, videos, and hit songs features material by Warner Music Group artists such as Van Halen, Madonna, Duran Duran, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Doors, Chicago, Black Sabbath, John Coltrane, Yes, Alice Cooper, Linda Ronstadt, The Ramones, The Monkees, Carly Simon, and Curtis Mayfield, among many others. Check back for classic music videos, live performances, hand-curated playlists, the Rhino Podcast, and more!
