Still Drifting After 70 Years
In 1953, Clyde McPhatter formed The Drifters at the request of Atlantic Records, who had noticed that he had left his previous group, Billy Ward and His Dominoes, where he was swiftly replaced by Jackie Wilson.
Keen to snap up McPhatter’s talent, the label asked him to assemble a new vocal group. Clyde brought in Gerhart and Andrew Thrasher, Bill Pickney, and Jimmy Oliver.
Since that original line-up, over 60 members have passed through The Drifters, and incredibly, the band is still going today—albeit in two versions, without a single original member. These days, it’s their children who are suing each other over rights to the name—but more on that later!
The Drifters’ classic run began with their very first release, Money Honey, which reached #1 with Clyde on lead vocals. Three years later, Money Honey appeared on Elvis Presley’s debut album, setting a precedent for future covers of their material.
Following their debut, The Drifters had a few more hits, although none would have the lasting legacy of Money Honey. It would take several new lead singers before more timeless classics emerged.
In 1960, with Ben E. King now fronting the group, they released This Magic Moment, a song that would later be covered by Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and even Lou Reed.
That same year, still with Ben on lead, they scored one of their biggest hits with Save the Last Dance for Me, which went to #1 and was later covered by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and, decades later, Michael Bublé.
In 1961, Sweets for My Sweet became their next big tune. It was famously reworked just two years later by The Searchers, and again in 1994 by C.J. Lewis in a reggae club version.
Interestingly, just as Ben E. King was leaving the group to go solo, he wrote Stand by Me—and offered it to The Drifters. They turned it down.
On Broadway: From Phil Spector to George Benson
With Ben gone, The Drifters’ next standout tune came in 1963 with On Broadway.
The song was originally written by husband-and-wife songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil for The Cookies, although it was The Crystals, known for their hit Da Do Ron Ron, who released it first.
Barry and Cynthia were far from one-hit wonders. They also penned classics such as Here You Come Again for Dolly Parton, Make Your Own Kind of Music for Mama Cass, and Walking in the Rain for The Ronettes.
But it was The Drifters who had the first major hit with On Broadway, releasing their version in 1963. And on that recording, a young Phil Spector played the guitar solo.
Spector had already found success with The Crystals and would soon become one of the most famous producers in popular music, but his guitar work on On Broadway is an interesting little piece of history in its own right. Then came George Benson.
His 1978 live version from Weekend in L.A., along with his subsequent live performances, became legendary—and has left guitar players in awe ever since.
It’s one of those guitar parts where you hear it and think, Right, I suppose I’d better practise!
The Drifters’ Last Big Hit
In 1964, The Drifters released Under The Boardwalk, which became their last major hit, reaching #4 on the U.S. charts.
A few years earlier, Ben E. King had left the group, and they continued with lead singer Rudy Lewis. Tragically, just the night before the recording session for Under The Boardwalk, Rudy passed away from a heroin overdose.
Most bands would probably have called it quits or at least postponed the session, but The Drifters carried on. Johnny Moore, another member of the group, stepped up to take on the vocals and delivered what would become one of their most iconic performances.
Since its release, Under The Boardwalk has been recorded by countless artists, including The Rolling Stones, Sam & Dave, Bette Midler, and—even more unexpectedly—Bruce Willis!
It also became a standard for cover bands and solo performers around the world, helping keep this early ’60s classic alive for generations.
For a working guitarist, that’s the real measure of a tune. It doesn’t have to be the latest hit on the radio. If audiences still know it, still request it, and still want to sing along, it belongs in the repertoire.
How The Drifters Kept Going Long After the Hits Stopped
Under The Boardwalk may have been The Drifters’ last major hit, but it certainly wasn’t the end of the group.
They continued touring in various line-ups. One version, The Original Drifters, was led by founding member Bill Pinkney. Another, Charlie Thomas’ Drifters, featured the lead singer from Sweets For My Sweet.
Strangely, the most visible version today operates mainly in the U.K., managed by Tina Treadwell, daughter of the group’s original manager, George Treadwell. After George’s death, his widow bought the rights to the band. When she passed, Tina inherited them.
She’s reportedly developing a Broadway show about the group’s history—perhaps inspired by the success of Jersey Boys.
Meanwhile, the descendants of the original members continue to feud over the band’s legacy. Bill Pinkney died in 2007, but the legal and musical battles carry on.
And perhaps that’s the most remarkable thing about The Drifters. The original members are long gone, the line-up has changed countless times, and yet the tunes remain.
Money Honey, This Magic Moment, Save the Last Dance for Me, On Broadway and Under The Boardwalk have all outlived the various versions of the lineups that recorded them.
For guitarists, that makes The Drifters a great example of why building a repertoire is about more than chasing new music. Learn the tunes people remember, learn the parts that make them work, and you can still be playing them decades after the original line-up has moved on.
The Drifters Tunes | Related Pages
On Broadway | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play On Broadway by George Benson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 | Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 |
They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway…
Under The Boardwalk | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Under The Boardwalk by The Drifters using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks!
| G | G | D | D |
Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof…
The Drifters on the web
