Clyde McPhatter was was one of the most widely imitated singers of the 1950s and early 1960s and was a key figure in the shaping of doowop and R&B. His high-pitched tenor voice was steeped in the gospel music he sang in much of his early life.

He was the lead tenor of the Mount Lebanon Singers, a gospel group he formed as a teenager. He was later the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes and was largely responsible for the initial success of the group. After his tenure with the Dominoes, McPhatter formed his own group, the Drifters, and later worked as a solo performer. His recordings transcended the boundaries of doowop, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, soul and pop to make him a highly influential figure as other singers followed his lead.

This 59-track 2-CD collection includes selected A&B sides from his releases with The Drifters, plus selected solo A&B sides from his releases during these years on the Atlantic, MGM and Mercury labels. It features all his 19 hits with the Drifters and as a solo artist during this era, including the R&B No.1s Money Honey, Honey Love, Treasure Of Love, Long Lonely  Nights and A Lover’s Question, and the Top 5 hits Such A Night, White Christmas, Seven Days, Without Love, Come What May and Lover Please, plus his Top 10 hit with Ruth Brown Love Has Joined Us Together.

In an all-too-brief career – he died in 1972 at the age of 39 – he made many great records and had a huge impact on the worlds of pop and R&B… He was the first artist to be inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, first as a solo artist and later as a member of the Drifters. We hope this collection provides a worthy showcase for his distinctive talents.

TRACKS