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I'm currently involved in a research project dealing with BBC Radio sessions. I wondered if anyone here has ever heard reference to The Drifters appearing on The Carroll Levis Talent Show on the BBC Light Programme.
The show was broadcast on 18th February 1959 and recorded on 31st January 1959. The Drifters performed Wake Up Irene.
I have not been able to determine if this is "our" Drifters. I could not find any further details at the BBC Written Archive but given that Cliff and The Drifters had been well known for the best part of 4 months by that time, it would be surprising if another English group was operating with the same name. It does not appear to be the American Drifters who as far as i can tell were at least an ocean away on this date.
Cliff and The Drifters also performed on Oh Boy that day but theoretically the band could have squeezed in a radio recording at a London studio. The choice of song is unusual too although Feelin' Fine hadn't been released at the time of the show's recording so may not have been considered.
Anyone know anything about this, seen a reference by the band to an appearance on this show or know of another UK Drifters from this period ?

Hank and Bruce were still in Newcastle at the time. It won't be them. In any case, they didn't use the "Drifters" name until they joined up with Cliff, after the Chesternuts period, in the autumn of 1958.

That doesn't of itself mean that it couldn't have been Harry Webb, Ian Samwell et al, but it isn't mentioned in any of the standard histories as far as I'm aware.

So... a different Drifters, probably.

Thanks Jim, think you misread it though coz the radio show was recorded jan 1959 and broadcast in feb 1959 so IF it's them, then it's them (Hank,Bruce,Jet and Tony).

I agree that it is puzzling that another group with the same name was around, but looking at the dates, by January 1959, the then-Drifters, soon to be Shadows, were full-time musicians, backing Cliff on Oh Boy and Sunday concerts. We know they did Rocketry with Royston Ellis and various one-off gigs, but I would be surprised if they appeared on a talent show alongside amateur acts (which, if memory serves me right, was the CL shows normal content...)

My 2p

George

Thanks George
looking at the listings for the shows that i've seen the details for, it doesn't appear uncommon that "names" were also featured for example Kenny Ball. Presumably this formed part of a "real star" spot on the show (the bbc programme details are not specific) so i can't rule Cliff's Drifters out on that basis.
I am tending towards thinking it's not the "Cliff and The Drifters" Drifters but at the same time, i would've thought that someone would say to the band "listen lads you need to change your name because of Cliff's band".
As additional points of interest on this 1959 run of shows, there is a band called The Rolling Stones (clearly not Mick, keith, brian, bill and charlie), a musician called Brian Jones (who i think became the saxophonist for Merseybeat group The Undertakers ????) and The Art Wood Combo in an appearance that pre-dates his later fame with The Artwoods by several years.
I have looked through many early books and mags about Cliff and The Drifters and have yet to find a reference to this show. However i will have to include it if ruled out (to be clear it's not "them") or ruled in (because it's relevant).

It sounds like it probably was them. We know they can all remember exactly which guitar they played on which songs after 50+ years so I'm sure Hank or Bruce will remember this if someone asks them...

Well neither Hank nor Bruce remembered that Hank's main studio guitar was a Gretsch !
Hank, Bruce...wanna step in on this one ? You've got about six months before i have to go to print.

Oh, yes... sorry... misread that as 1958...

Surely there'd be something about it in the Lewry/Goodall book IF it were The Drifters of Cliff Richard and Shadows fame?

ash wrote:I'm currently involved in a research project dealing with BBC Radio sessions. I wondered if anyone here has ever heard reference to The Drifters appearing on The Carroll Levis Talent Show on the BBC Light Programme.
The show was broadcast on 18th February 1959 and recorded on 31st January 1959. The Drifters performed Wake Up Irene.

An interesting one! It seems unlikely to me, unless they agreed to take part in some form of guest 'mentoring' role (if that was the fashion then), it was 'our' Drifters, particularly in view of the choice of song. Wake Up, Irene is a country/western swing song popularised by Hank Thompson in 1954, and not what one imagines would have appealed to a newly established rock and roll group of the time... unless, of course, it was an early example of the boys' zany sense of humour!


Bill

It's not impossible that it was them, but there's no mention in 'The Shadows by themselves' either in its original version or the updated one.

As Ash rightly points out, there's no guarantee that that Hank & Bruce would remember...

George
George