THIS IS THE 1964 US MONO REPRESSING on ATLANTIC Records [still in original cover with white background, Broadway address on cover, red/plum label]. The partially in shrink single cover is in VG+ condition, normal wear, and without any major deterioration, BUT discolouration/wear on right corners/right edge (where missing shrink), left spine is fully readable; TEXT is BAD PRINTED on label on Side B; for details see photos (with and without flashlight). The vinyl [with noticeable surface lines] is from VG to VG(+) condition (with clicks/crackles, more heavy on A1) and plays more than acceptable BUT with a lessening in sound quality especially on A1 [on my stereo, sometimes skips on one point].
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The history of rhythm & blues is filled with vocal groups whose names -- the Orioles, the Cadillacs, the Crows, the Flamingos, the Moonglows, the Coasters, the Penguins -- are held in reverence by fanatics and devotees. The Drifters are part of an even more exclusive fraternity, as a group that managed to carve out a place for themselves in the R&B firmament and also define that music, not only at its inception as a national chart phenomenon in the early '50s but also in the decade that followed. Their place in history is as complex as their role in it, by virtue of the fact that there are two distinct phases to their music and the continuity of their membership, and their extraordinary longevity -- only the Platters could claim as great a span of years as an active recording unit, though the latter group, due to major differences in the way they were organized, were far more stable in their membership and output. The Drifters can also claim a unique place in popular music history, as a major R&B group founded at the instigation of a record-label chief.
"UNDER THE BOARDWALK"
<reissue, originally published as "Our Biggest Hits" in 1963>
This album is a retitled and slightly resequenced version of The Drifters - Our Biggest Hits; title was changed and a new catalog number assigned when "Under The Boardwalk" became a hit. Content differs from earlier version in that Side 1 omits "Drip Drop" and substitutes "Under The Boardwalk" and also slightly shuffles song order. Side 2 song order is identical to The Drifters - Our Biggest Hits. First issue front cover artwork retained the first design, but was changed with a different group photo overlaid by vertical color bars in subsequent repressings
LP ATLANTIC RECORDS MONO 8099
PRINTED IN USA 1964 REPRESSING
Barcode: none
LABEL: ATLANTIC - RED/PLUM LABEL - BLACK TEXT
Catalog on cover: 8099
Catalog on labels: 8099 (12083) / 8099 (12084)
Matrix / Runout [Side A runout etched, except S (stylized block)]: A•12083-F AT S W↾
Matrix / Runout [Side A runout etched, except S (stylized block)]: A-12084-A AT S WP
On labels: Catalog + Artist + Title + Tracklist
On back cover: Tracklist + Credits + Notes
Atlantic Recording Corporation, 1841 Broadway, New York 23, New York
© 1964 Atlantic Recording Corporation Printed in U.S.A.
tracklisting
Side A: UNDER THE BOARDWALK - ONE WAY LOVE - ON BROADWAY
DIDN'T IT - I FEEL GOOD ALL OVER - VAYA CON DIOS
Side B: UP ON THE ROOF - RAT RACE - IN THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE
IF YOU DON'T COME BACK - LET THE MUSIC PLAY - I'LL TAKE YOU HOME
grading
RECORD from VG to VG(+) but (please, read above description)
SLEEVE VG+ but (please, see pictures and read above description)
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...(AllMusic)