The Drifters Albums (11)
'Christmas Legends'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 10
Label Direct Source
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What The Critics Say
This holiday set has appeared in several configurations and sequences, and from several different labels over the years, and the one thing you need to know about these tracks (in whatever form they come) is that this is most definitely not the original Drifters (although, as the saying goes, one or more of the original members may appear here) and there isn't anything special or compelling about these versions. Oh, it's pleasant enough, and good for background music at a Christmas party, perhaps, but that's about it. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Drifters Christmas'
Release Date 8/4/1998
Tracks 10
Label Happy Holidays
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What The Critics Say
This holiday set has appeared in several configurations and sequences, and from several different labels over the years, and the one thing you need to know about these tracks (in whatever form they come) is that this is most definitely not the original Drifters (although, as the saying goes, one or more of the original members may appear here) and there isn't anything special or compelling about these versions. Oh, it's pleasant enough, and good for background music at a Christmas party, perhaps, but that's about it. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
'Christmas Album'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 10
Label EMI-Capitol Special Markets
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What The Critics Say
No, A Christmas Album is not an original Drifters album, nor is it an album by the original Drifters. It, for all intents and purposes, is a 1996 solo album by Rick Sheppard, who joined the band in 1966, after the group's hit-making years were expired. Sheppard kept the group going in various incarnations into the '70s. During the '80s and '90s, he led one of many different variations of the Drifters. There's not even a real group on A Christmas Album -- it's Sheppard, with three other singers who are credited with "backup vocals." It's not really a bad record -- the ten tracks are all credible re-creations of the classic Drifters sound -- but it's not particularly interesting, either. Above all, it feels like a ripoff. Even if Sheppard went in with the best of intentions, the only place he has accurate credits is on the inner sleeve, which means consumers may be tricked into believing that this is a Drifters album like any of the classic '50s and '60s albums. If you want a re-creation of that sound, try A Christmas Album. Otherwise, you've been warned. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Live at Harvard University'
Release Date 1/1/1986
Tracks 14
Label Castle
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What The Critics Say
This live album is a vital document for serious fans of the Drifters, containing a complete (or near-complete) concert from December 1972 by a lineup that could claim reasonable authenticity. Charlie Thomas, Elsbeary Hobbs, and Doc Green had all been members of the group in its 1960s incarnation along with guitarist Abdul Samaad (previously known as Billy Davis). The one new member, Bobby Ruffin, was a good first tenor -- one pauses, however, when Charlie Thomas announces "Honey Love" as a song that "we recorded with the late, great Clyde McPhatter." The Drifters cut the song with McPhatter, true enough, but Thomas and the others were so far from the lineup of the group at that time that he should have gagged on the sentence. The performance is spirited, however, and there is some superb harmonizing here. Time was when Charlie Thomas lost out on his chance to be the lead singer of the Drifters because of mike-fright in the studio, but on stage he had far fewer problems, as demonstrated here. The raps by Thomas extend some songs, such as "Save the Last Dance for Me," to extreme lengths, and depart from the songs altogether at times, though the singalong on the latter ends up being fun to hear. Basically, the group was trying to form a compromise between its core repertory and late-'60s/early-'70s soul, with Samaad's nimble guitar playing -- alternating rhythm and lead in front of a small backing band -- providing a solid base on which to build. The versions of "This Magic Moment," "True Love True Love," "Lonely Winds," "White Christmas," and "The Bells of St. Mary's" receive elegant performances that are faithful to the originals, while "Money Honey" more than does justice to the 1953 classic, with a brief blues break by Samaad that genuinely adds some new facets to the piece. "Under the Boardwalk" and "On Broadway" both get delightful, soaring performances, and "There Goes My Baby" isn't far behind, except that it does seem a little ragged (despite their best vocal efforts) as a finale -- though one can't imagine what other song (except perhaps "Money Honey") could possibly have been their finale. The tape itself is a pretty fair professional job that evidently was privately owned and licensed to New Rose; the sound is better than good, but the "notes" are rather pathetic in both depth and accuracy. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
'Juke Box Giants'
Release Date 1/1/1982
Tracks 16
Label Audio Fidelity
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'Every Night's Saturday Night'
Release Date 1/1/1976
Tracks 21
Label Arista
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What The Critics Say
The Drifters ended their storied recording career with a whimper via Every Nite's a Saturday Night, their lone release for the Arista imprint. Reunited yet again with songwriters/producers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, the album is so smooth it's virtually devoid of energy and passion--the Drifters' attempts to assimilate into an urban radio landscape dominated by disco and funk are awkward and even a bit unsettling, the musical equivalent of a full-blown midlife crisis. From here, the group's move into the state fair and casino circuit represents a step up--at least they're back to singing the songs that made them great. (The 7T's label's 2007 CD reissue appends nine bonus cuts, none any worse or any better than what appeared on the original release.) ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
'There Goes My First Love'
Release Date 1/1/1975
Tracks 14
Label Bell
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What The Critics Say
While the Drifters' first Bell label release The Drifters Now proved a commercially successful update of their signature sound, There Goes My First Love simply reeks of desperation--with songwriting and production partner Roger Cook gone AWOL, Roger Greenaway assumes full control of the session, but arrives with few of the tools necessary to patch up the group's creaky sound for a new generation of listeners. Greenaway's wan production and paint-by-numbers originals do little to showcase the Drifters' signature harmonies in a positive light, and for that matter, the harmonies themselves are ragged and uninspired. A disappointing album by any metric, even moreso because the Drifters name is attached. (The 7T's label's 2007 CD reissue appends the bonus cuts "It Looks Like I'm the Clown Again" and "Closely Guarded Secret.") ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
'The Good Life with the Drifters'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 12
Label Atlantic
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'I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 12
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
Although initially touted as the triumphant return of the Drifters, 1965's I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing ended up as a bittersweet farewell to the combo's final incarnation during the 1960s. The personnel included Johnny Moore (lead vocals), Charles Thomas (tenor and lead vocals), Eugene Pearson (baritone vocals), John Terry (bass vocals), and Billy Davis aka Abdul Samad (guitar). Following the tragic death of Rudy Lewis in June of 1964 -- the day before they were to record the classic "Under the Boardwalk" -- Moore and Thomas divided up the lead vocal responsibilities. The material was certainly top-shelf, with contributions from legendary Brill Building denizens Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich ("I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing"); Carole King and Gerry Goffin ("At the Club"); Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman ("Spanish Lace"); Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann ("Come on Over to My Place"); a young Kenny Gamble, who teams up with Jimmy Bishop ("Chains of Love"); and Arthur Resnick and Kenny Young ("I've Got Sand in My Shoes"). Incidentally, it was the latter pairing who penned the international hit "Under the Boardwalk." Legendary producer/songwriter Bert Berns also gets in on the act, contributing one of the project's highlights, the heartfelt ballad "I Don't Want to Go on Without You." Perhaps owing to the phenomenal acclaim of "Under the Boardwalk," Berns sticks to the somewhat prescribed light pop arrangements that are -- more often than not -- augmented with a equally ersatz string section. The results, while at once musically undemanding, were perfect fare for Moore's Sam Cooke-inspired leads and are most evident on "Answer the Phone" and the slightly watered-down reply to Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away," titled "Come on Over to My Place." Otherwise, there are a few standouts that depart from the formula, including the solid backbeat of "Follow Me" and the Memphis-style horn section that supports "Far from the Maddening Crowd." In 2007 Collectors' Choice Music licensed I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing and finally brought the platter back into print. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Under the Boardwalk appeared very quickly after the Our Biggest Hits compilation, which was then deleted. The two LPs originally had the same cover jackets and one difference to the music inside -- the "Under the Boardwalk" single replaced "Drip Drop" on the Under the Boardwalk LP. With the music on this album, the Drifters began a new era in their history under tragic circumstances, given the sudden and still mysterious death early in 1964 of Rudy Lewis, who had been the group's lead singer since 1960. Lewis was succeeded by Johnny Moore, who had rejoined as lead tenor in 1963 and had previously been Clyde McPhatter's successor in the old Drifters in 1955. This album mixes songs cut when Lewis was still with the group, but on which Moore sang lead, along with some of Lewis' last successes such as "Up on the Roof" and "On Broadway." It's a superb example of pop-oriented soul, with two excellent singers given equally fine material to work with. Much of the music was made under the direction of producer Bert Berns, who was to guide the Drifters to their very last period of major recording success. This album, the last of the Drifters' LPs to resonate with huge hits, is also considered a classic for the very cool cover image on its second version, a multicolored overlay depicting the five-man Drifters lineup led by Johnny Moore, complete with guitarist Billy Davis, who was a key (if understated) component in the group's sound. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
