The Drifters discography

Last updated

This discography focuses solely on that of American vocal group the Drifters as managed by the Treadwell family.

Contents

Albums

YearAlbumLabelChart positions Certifications
US
[1]
US R&B
[1]
UK
[2]
1956Clyde McPhatter & the DriftersAtlantic
1958Rockin' & Driftin'
1960Greatest Hits(compilation)
1962Save the Last Dance for Me
1963Up on the Roof – The Best of the Drifters(compilation)11012
1964Under the Boardwalk [A] 40
1965The Good Life with the Drifters103
1966I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing
1968The Drifters Golden Hits(compilation)1223326
1971Their Greatest Recordings: The Early Years(compilation)
1973The Drifters NowBell
197524 Original HitsAtlantic2
  • BPI: Platinum [4]
Love GamesBell51
  • BPI: Silver [5]
There Goes My First Love
1976Every Nite's a Saturday Night
1986The Very Best Of(compilation)Telstar24
2003The Definitive Drifters(compilation)Atlantic8
2006The Very Best of the Drifters(compilation)Warner Music46
2017An Introduction to: The Drifters(compilation)Atlantic, Rhino
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Notes

  1. "Under the Boardwalk" is a retitled and slightly amended version of The Drifters' Our Biggest Hits album released in 1964. Title was changed and a new catalog number assigned when "Under the Boardwalk" became a hit.

Singles

YearTitles (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated
Lead singerLabelChart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
[8] [1]
US R&B
[8] [1]
US A/C
[8]
UK
[2] [8]
1953"Money Honey"
b/w "The Way I Feel" (Non-album track)
Clyde McPhatter Atlantic1Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
1954"Lucille"7Non-album track
"Such a Night"2Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
"Honey Love"
b/w "Warm Your Heart"
1
"Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"
b/w "Bip Bam" (Non-album track)
A: Clyde McPhatter & Bill Pinkney
B: Clyde McPhatter
"White Christmas"
b/w "The Bells of St. Mary's"
A: Bill Pinkney & Clyde McPhatter
B: Clyde McPhatter
805
1955"What'cha Gonna Do"
b/w "Gone" (Non-album track)
Clyde McPhatter2
"Everyone's Laughing"
b/w "Hot Ziggety"
Non-album tracks
"Adorable" Johnny Moore 1Rockin' & Driftin'
"Steamboat"Bill Pinkney5
1956"Ruby Baby"
b/w "Your Promise to Be Mine"
A: Johnny Moore
B: Gerhart Thrasher
10
"I Gotta Get Myself a Woman"
b/w "Soldier of Fortune"
A: Johnny Moore & Bill Pinkney
B: Johnny Moore
11
1957"Fools Fall in Love"
b/w "It Was a Tear"
Johnny Moore6910
"Drifting Away from You"Gerhart Thrasher
"Hypnotized"Johnny Moore79
"I Know"
b/w "Yodee Yakee"
1958"Drip Drop" Bobby Hendricks 58
"Moonlight Bay"Group Ensemble72
1959"There Goes My Baby"
b/w "Oh My Love"
Ben E. King 21The Drifters' Greatest Hits
"(If You Cry) True Love, True Love"Johnny Lee Williams335
"Dance with Me"Ben E. King15217 (As A-side)
1960"This Magic Moment"164
"Baltimore" Charlie Thomas & Elsbeary Hobbs
"Lonely Winds"
b/w "Hey Senorita"
Ben E. King549
"Save the Last Dance for Me"
b/w "Nobody but Me"
112
  • BPI: Silver [9]
Save the Last Dance for Me
"I Count the Tears"17628
"Suddenly There's a Valley"Tommy Evans & Bobby HendricksThe Drifters' Greatest Hits
1961"Some Kind of Wonderful"
b/w "Honey Bee" (Non-album track)
A: Rudy Lewis
B: David Baughn
326Save the Last Dance for Me
"Please Stay"
b/w "No Sweet Lovin'"
A: Rudy Lewis
B: Bill Pinkney
1413
"Sweets for My Sweet"
b/w "Loneliness or Happiness" (from Up on the Roof – The Best of the Drifters)
A: Charlie Thomas
B: Rudy Lewis
1610
"Room Full of Tears"
b/w "Somebody New Dancin' with You"
72
1962"When My Little Girl Is Smiling"
b/w "Mexican Divorce"
2831
"Stranger on the Shore"
b/w "What to Do"
Rudy Lewis7319Up on the Roof – The Best of the Drifters
"Sometimes I Wonder"
b/w "Jackpot" (from Save the Last Dance for Me)
A: Ben E. King
B: Rudy Lewis
All Time Greatest Hits and More – 1959–1965
"Up on the Roof"
b/w "Another Night with the Boys" (from Up on the Roof – The Best of the Drifters)
Rudy Lewis54Our Biggest Hits
1963"On Broadway"
b/w "Let the Music Play"
97
"If You Don't Come Back"Johnny Moore
"Rat Race"Rudy Lewis71
"I'll Take You Home"
b/w "I Feel Good All Over"
A: Johnny Moore
B: Charlie Thomas
252437
1964"Vaya con Dios"
b/w "In the Land of Make Believe"
A: Rudy Lewis
B: Rudy Lewis & Johnny Moore
4310
"One-Way Love"
b/w "Didn't It"
Johnny Moore5612
"Under the Boardwalk"
b/w "I Don't Want to Go On Without You" (from I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing)
A: Johnny Moore
B: Charlie Thomas
445Under the Boardwalk
"I've Got Sand in My Shoes"
b/w "He's Just a Playboy"
Johnny Moore3321I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing
"Saturday Night at the Movies"
b/w "Spanish Lace" (from I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing)
1883 (in 1972)The Good Life with the Drifters
"The Christmas Song"
b/w "I Remember Christmas"
Non-album tracks
1965"At the Club"
b/w "Answer the Phone"
43103 (in 1972)I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing
"Come On Over to My Place"
b/w "Chains of Love"
A: Johnny Moore
B: Charlie Thomas
609 (in 1972)
"Follow Me"
b/w "The Outside World"
91
"I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing"
b/w "Far from the Maddening Crowd"
Johnny Moore51
"Nylon Stockings"
b/w "We Gotta Sing"
Non-album tracks
1966"Memories Are Made of This"
b/w "My Islands in the Sun"
482957
"Up in the Streets of Harlem"
b/w "You Can't Love Them All"
A: Johnny Moore
B: Charlie Thomas
52
"Baby What I Mean"
b/w "Aretha"
Johnny Moore623749
1967"Ain't It the Truth"
b/w "Up Jumped the Devil"
A: Johnny Moore
B: Bill Fredericks
36
1968"Still Burning in My Heart"
b/w "I Need You Now"
111
1969"Steal Away"
b/w "Your Best Friend"
A: Bill Fredericks
B: Johnny Moore
1970"You Got to Pay Your Dues"
b/w "Black Silk"
A: Johnny Moore
B: Bill Fredericks
1971"A Rose by Any Other Name"
b/w "Be My Lady"
Johnny Moore
1972"Everynight"
b/w "Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)"
BellThe Drifters Now
1973"You've Got Your Troubles"
b/w "I'm Feeling Sad (and Oh So Lonely)"
"Like Sister and Brother"
b/w "The Songs We Used to Sing"
A: Bill Fredericks
B: Johnny Moore
7Love Games
1974"Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies"
b/w "I'm Feeling Sad (and Oh So Lonely)" (from The Drifters Now)
Johnny Moore832
"Down on the Beach Tonight"
b/w "Say Goodbye to Angelina" (from The Drifters Now)
7
1975"Love Games"
b/w "The Cut Is Deep"
33
"There Goes My First Love"
b/w "Don't Cry on a Weekend"
3There Goes My First Love
"Can I Take You Home Little Girl"
b/w "Please Help Me Down"
10
1976"Hello Happiness"
b/w "I Can't Get Away from You" (from Love Games)
12
"Every Nite's a Saturday Night with You"
b/w "I'll Get to Know Your Name Along the Way"
29Every Nite's a Saturday Night
"You're More Than a Number in My Little Red Book"
b/w "Do You Have to Go Now"
A: Johnny Moore & Clyde Brown
B: Johnny Moore
Arista5
1979"Save the Last Dance for Me"
b/w "When My Little Girl Is Smiling"
A: Ben E. King
B: Charlie Thomas
Lightning69Save the Last Dance for Me
2013"The Whole World"Michael WilliamsNeon
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Billboard Year-End performances

YearSongYear-End
position
1959 "There Goes My Baby"29
1960 "Save the Last Dance for Me"26
1961 "Please Stay"100
1963 "Up on the Roof"64
1964 "Under the Boardwalk"20

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Drifters – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 169. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  3. "Drifters: Up on the Roof – The Very Best Of". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  4. "Drifters – 24 Original Hits". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  5. "Drifters – Love Games". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  6. "Drifters – The Best of the Drifters". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  7. "Drifters – The Definitive Drifters". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "The Drifters Songs Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  9. "British certifications – Drifters – Save the Last Dance for Me". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  10. "Drifters – Under the Boardwalk". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  11. "British certifications – Saturday Night at the Movies". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  12. "Drifters – Kissing in the Back Row". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  13. "Drifters – There Goes My First Love". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  14. "Drifters – You're More Than a Number in My Little Red Book". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved March 13, 2022.