The Definitive Drifters [2006]

• Artist: The Drifters
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 27, 2003
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

This double-CD set isn't quite what its title says it is, unless one happens to be from England, where the Drifters' chart hits extended ten years beyond their history in the United States; but it is the most wide-ranging and comprehensive look at their hits and important songs spanning the group's entire history. Every song is a keeper and all lend themselves to strong listening. Definitive Drifters is never less than enjoyable, and often amazingly so. Beginning with Clyde McPhatter's 1953 hit "Money Honey," virtually all of the highlights of the group's career over the next 23 years are here in state-of-the-art sound, right up to "You're More Than a Number in My Little Black Book" (a UK chart entry in 1976). The first disc carries us through the spotty post-McPhatter years (scarcely a half-dozen tracks) and into the Ben E. King/Rudy Lewis line-up; while disc two goes into the Rudy Lewis/Johnny Moore era, with which they closed out their American successes in 1966; the only tracks not present from that period that arguably should have been included are "She Never Talked to Me That Way," "Nobody But Me," and "In the Park"; but they're present on other compilations for the dedicated fan. In their place, this set goes past where any U.S. Drifters' compilation has yet ventured; to "Up in the Streets of Harlem," and to recordings such as "Memories Are Made of This" -- and to tracks beyond their Atlantic contract.

The group's decade on British RCA, when they worked with the songwriting team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, is represented on the second half of the second disc, beginning with the elegant soul sound of "Like Sister and Brother," and "Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies." These 11 songs embody much more of a smooth, '70's soul sound, but aren't too far removed from "Under the Boardwalk" or "I've Got Sand in My Shoes". The second disc is not necessarily where one would ideally want to start listening to the group, though they do no violence to the memory of their earlier incarnations; there's even an acknowledgement of past sounds in some elements of the production on these songs, and "Harlem Child" from 1976 is even a pleasing throwback to their early-'60's sound. In all, the set is every bit as essential as any of the best Rhino, Atlantic or Sequel compilations; and anyone who owns any of those will have to have it, though by the same token, it is no substitute for those other compilations. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Money Honey	Jesse Stone	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:56)
Let the Boogie Woogie Roll	Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:49)
The Way I Feel	J. Parker	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:44)
Lucille	Clyde McPhatter	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(3:02)
Such a Night	Lincoln Chase	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:28)
Honey Love	Clyde McPhatter, Jerry Wexler	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:23)
Bip Bam	Chuck Calhoun	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:45)
White Christmas	Irving Berlin	The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter	(2:39)
Adorable	Buck Ram	The Drifters	(2:41)
Ruby Baby	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	The Drifters	(2:23)
Fools Fall in Love	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	The Drifters	(2:30)
Drip Drop	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	The Drifters	(2:30)
There Goes My Baby	George Treadwell, Lover Patterson, Benjamin Nelson	The Drifters	(2:09)
Dance With Me	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, George Treadwell, Lewis Lebish, Irving Nahan	The Drifters	(2:23)
This Magic Moment	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:27)
(If You Cry) True Love, True Love	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:17)
Baltimore	Walter Coleman, Lewis Lebish, Lover Patterson	The Drifters	(2:12)
Lonely Winds	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:46)
Save the Last Dance for Me	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:33)
I Count the Tears	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:07)
Some Kind of Wonderful	Carole King, Gerry Goffin	The Drifters	(2:18)
Please Stay	Burt Bacharach, Bob Hilliard	The Drifters	(2:16)
Sweets for My Sweet	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:35)
Room Full of Tears	Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus	The Drifters	(2:52)
When My Little Girl Is Smiling	Carole King, Gerry Goffin	The Drifters	(2:33)
Mexican Divorce	Burt Bacharach, Bob Hilliard	The Drifters	(2:33)
Stranger on the Shore	Acker Bilk, Robert Mellin	The Drifters	(2:40)
Up on the Roof	Carole King, Gerry Goffin	The Drifters	(2:36)
On Broadway	Jerry Leiber, Barry Mann, Mike Stoller, Cynthia Weil	The Drifters	(3:01)
Let the Music Play	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	The Drifters	(2:33)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Only in America	Jerry Leiber, Barry Mann, Mike Stoller, Cynthia Weil	The Drifters	(2:07)
I Feel Good All Over	Otis Blackwell, Winfield Scott	The Drifters	(2:09)
Rat Race	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	The Drifters	(2:11)
If You Don't Come Back	Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	The Drifters	(2:36)
I'll Take You Home	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil	The Drifters	(2:41)
In the Land of Make Believe	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	The Drifters	(2:34)
Didn't It	Rudy Clark	The Drifters	(1:49)
One Way Love	Jerry Ragovoy, Bert Russell	The Drifters	(2:25)
Under the Boardwalk	Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick	The Drifters	(2:42)
I Don't Want to Go on Without You	Bert Berns, Jerry Wexler	The Drifters	(2:57)
I've Got Sand in My Shoes	Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick	The Drifters	(2:48)
He's Just a Playboy	Bert Russell	The Drifters	(2:56)
Saturday Night at the Movies	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil	The Drifters	(2:29)
At the Club	Carole King, Gerry Goffin	The Drifters	(2:53)
Come on Over to My Place	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil	The Drifters	(2:28)
I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing	Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry	The Drifters	(2:39)
Up in the Streets of Harlem	Bert Berns	The Drifters	(3:00)
Memories Are Made of This	Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, Frank Miller	The Drifters	(2:29)
Like Sister and Brother	Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway	The Drifters	(3:24)
Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies	Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay	The Drifters	(3:30)
Down on the Beach Tonight	Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay	The Drifters	(3:02)
Love Games	Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay	The Drifters	(3:07)
There Goes My First Love	Roger Greenaway, Barry Mason	The Drifters	(3:03)
Can I Take You Home Little Girl?	Roger Greenaway, Barry Mason	The Drifters	(3:29)
Harlem Child	Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay	The Drifters	(3:11)
Hello Happiness	Roger Greenaway	The Drifters	(2:44)
Every Night's a Saturday Night With You	Roger Greenaway	The Drifters	(3:19)
You're More Than a Number (In My Little Red Book)	Roger Greenaway, Tony Macaulay	The Drifters	(3:15)

Credits

The Drifters (Main Performer), Dan Hersch (Remastering), Bill Inglot (Producer), Bill Inglot (Remastering), Peter Doggett (Liner Note Translation), Rick Conrad (Coordination), Stuart Batsford (Compilation)