July 19, 1958: Drifters manager George Treadwell fires the entire group and installs the existing group—Ben E. King and the Five Crowns--in their place, renaming them the Drifters…
This lineup featured a tenor lead by the name of
Ben E. King
Ben E King and The Drifters would prove to be the most popular critically and commercially, line-up for the group, releasing hits like…
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Ruth Brown was supporting her
latest album “Miss Rhythm”
Dante and the Evergreens did a cool cover of The
Cadillacs “Speedo”
And
they were tearing up the East Coast Charts with their version of Alley Oop…
The
Olympics stole the show with “Big Boy Pete”
And
they had ‘em dancin’ in the aisles with “Shimmy Like Kate”
Ben
E. King, hot off his stint with the Drifters, was promoting what would be his
incredible smash when it would be released later in the year…“Spanish Harlem”…
Jimmy Jones for sure was pushing his UK hit
tune “Good Timing” which would be his only hit until 1977 when he
started really producing…
ANOTHER INCREDIBLE SHOW
AT THE
APOLLO!
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COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF
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INTENDED
In 1953, Clyde McPhatter formed a group which he named “The Drifters”
And ‘drift’ they did, as lead singers followed in McPhatter’s vocalist’s spot throughout the group’s thirteen year recording career—From 1953 through 1966, with each incarnation of the group maintaining as consistently high standards as the one it proceeded, they churned out hit after hit… Lead vocalists for the Drifters who made it to the Hall of Fame include;
Clyde McPhatter
Ben E King
Rudy Lewis
Johnny Moore Bottom Right
and Charlie Tompson top center
Bill Pinkney and Andrew Thrasher
By the time of the 1955 Apollo show, Clyde McPhatter was already gone to the army—First tenor Gerhart Thrasher had shifted to lead and his brother Andrew Thrasher was baritone, and Bill Pinkney shifted from baritone to bass. Never-the-less, the group was still flying high with the hits originally recorded with McPhatter
—Tunes like MONEY HONEY…
As well as Whatcha Gonna Do, the last tune recorded with McPhatter…
This line-up, without McPhatter, would have a double sided R&B hit (Adorable b/w Steamboat) in September of 1955 and were promoting the two tunes with the summer shows…
Possibly (but I can’t verify this), they were also working out what would be their February 1956 smash hit Ruby Baby...
(something like what they did in this1956 Alan Freed Show)…
But, the show at Harlem’s Apollo Theater on July 2, 1955 was certainly a rocker, even without Clyde McPhatter, and the best was yet to come (including that Ben E. King led line-up starting in 1959)…
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