Clyde Mcphatter - Clyde McPhatter Greatest Hits (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

A Lot of Great Music That Ended Too Soon

Eclectic Reviewer | Tucson, AZ. | 10/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So many people who recall the Drifters think of Ben E. King as the group's first lead singer, but Clyde McPhatter had a number of hits earlier at the helm of the group, some later covered by other major artists (Elvis Presley, "Such A Night; Dion, "Ruby Baby", "Drip Drop"). Clyde's distinctive voice can also be heard singing backup for Billy Ward and the Dominos on "Sixty Minute Man" to name one, before his time with the Drifters. After he went on his own, Clyde made a number of memorable recordings that were commercial hits; they are included on this CD. One I especially liked was "Ta Ta" which is easy to sing along with though it is less remembered than others. Clyde McPhatter died tragically young, the newspapers alternately saying he was 39 or 42. His music was part of my formative years and the songs on this CD really carry me back."

Yeah, his greatest stuff!

Eclectic Reviewer | 09/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Absolutely some of his greatest recordings from the studio. But if you want to hear "Without Love There Is Nothing" and "Money Honey" at his greatest, listen to these two song on his "Live At The Apollo." I bought this CD for "Crying Won't Help You Now." All the other song on this CD I have on other CD's. Enjoy!"

Great vocalist&songs

mistermaxxx@yahoo.com | usa | 02/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is a classic disc.a great voice&great songs.Treasure of Love&Money Honey are two of his classics here."

A Notable Curb Exception

Eclectic Reviewer | 08/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In doing my reviews it is seldom that I find complete favour with a Curb release - but this one is an exception. Not only do you get two pages of informative liner notes, in this instance written by Barry Alphonse, but all 12 selections are, indeed, original charted hits, and the sound reproduction in this 1991 offering from Curb's One And Only Collectors Series is excellent.

Included are three hits while lead singer with the Drifters - Money Honey [# 1 R&B for ELEVEN weeks in late 1953/early 1954], Lucille [# 7 R&B in March 1954], and Honey Love [# 1 R&B for three weeks in July 1954]. All the other tracks are from his solo years at Atlantic, MGM, and Mercury with, among them, his very hard-to-find version of Little Bitty Pretty One which reached # 25 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in summer 1962 backed by Jerry Kennedy's orchestra and The Merry Melody Singers.

The others charted as follows: A Lover's Question [# 1 R&B/# 6 Pop Top 100 November 1958 with Howard Biggs & His Orchestra]; Lover Please [# 7 Hot 100 April 1962 with Stan Applebaum & His Orchestra]; Treasure Of Love [# 1 R&B/# 16 Top 100 - June 1956]; Without Love )There Is Nothing) [# 4 R&B/# 19 Top 100 February 1957 with Ray Ellis & His Orchestra]; Ta Ta [# 7 R&B/# 23 Hot 100 September 1960]; Deep In The Heart Of Harlem [# 90 Hot 100 January 1964 with Alan Lorber & His Orchestra - the year the R&B charts had been suspended by Billboard]; Let's Try Again [# 13 R&B/# 48 Hot 100 January 1960 with Ray Ellis & His Orchestra]; and Crying Won't Help You Now [# 22 R&B and # 117 Hot 100 "Bubble Under" in May 1965 and his last charted hit].

After forming the gospel group The Mount Lebanon Singers when he was just 14, Clyde joined Billy Ward's Dominoes when only 17 in 1950. In 1954 he helped form The Drifters, his high tenor voice leading them through several major hits before he was drafted into the armed forces in 1954. Upon his discharge in 1956 he went solo with Atlantic and, over the next nine years, put 23 songs onto the R&B/pop charts, including four with MGM and three with Mercury.

Clyde, who died at age 39 on June 13, 1972, was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1987. In an epitaph Jerry Wexler said it best: "The great, unique soul singer of all time." Get one of these while they remain available."

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