The ShadowMusic Web Community

Is it too obvious to accept that there could have been another group using the name The Drifters, also with impending success on the horizon with Cliff at that point in time, why even consider a radio talent show?

dave robinson wrote:Is it too obvious to accept that there could have been another group using the name The Drifters, also with impending success on the horizon with Cliff at that point in time, why even consider a radio talent show?

That would certainly align with my thinking. By the time of this event, the group possibly had a recording contract in their own right.

I think that we can safely and reasonably assume that the Drifters who recorded for the Carroll Levis Talent radio show on January 31st, 1959 were highly unlikely to have been Hank, Bruce, Jet and Tony!! Here is just some of my reasoning. By that time, they had already been backing Cliff on live shows for four months. This had included at least 37 documented appearances in late 1958 and a further 15 during January, 1959.

They also backed Cliff on at least 12 live shows during February, 1959. In addition to that, of course, were two evenings at Abbey Road, laying down 'live' tracks for the "Cliff" LP. They had also been recording with Cliff at EMI for studio tracks since November, 1958. Furthermore, they had also passed a recording test at the BBC by dint of successfully backing Cliff on Saturday Club on December 27th, 1958.

By the end of January, 1959 they can hardly have seen themselves as rank amateurs looking for a break on a radio talent show. It's not known exactly when Cliff persuaded Norrie Paramor & EMI that the Drifters were worthy of an EMI recording contract in their own right, but it must have been fairly obvious by late January that it was highly likely to happen. So, whoever the 'other Drifters' were we shall likely never know. Maybe if they had gone on to any kind of future success, they might have been advised to change their name. But, whoever they were, they were not heard of again and, in any event, 'our' Drifters
evolved into The Shadows.

This duplication of names at the BBC was something that happened from time to time. I have a letter from the BBC (1962) referring to some young teenagers known as The Tornados. The memo notes that they show promise. There was an interesting PS.....'NB...Not to be confused with the group who recorded "Telstar"'!!!

In agreement with Rob about this. There are a handful examples of bands with the same name in BBC files, The Tornados as Rob mentions is another example of a well known band. When I was researching this at the BBC I was just a bit surprised that at that time, another band called The Drifters was operating given the success of both the US and UK bands.
BTW. I think the clip of them playing Feelin' Fine on Oh Boy exists. The episode broadcast 28th March 1959 turned up in a private collection - as well as Feelin' Fine, the group back Cliff on Make Me Know You're Mine and Down The Line. Approx. 8 shows were taped from that date to May for broadcast in the USA. The tapes have been surrounded by rumour as their existence and that episode is the only one to show up so far save for the commonly circulating shows.
That's the kind of thing that should be on a 60th Anniversary cd/dvd set along with BBC sessions and EMI outtakes 1959 to 68. Don't hold your breath.