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The Drifters - Up On The Roof + Please Stay — DeepCutsArchive
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The Drifters - Up On The Roof + Please Stay

Gerhart Thrasher
1950s1953youtube

The Drifters are an American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and led by Ben E. King, were originally an up-and-coming group named The Five Crowns. After 1965 members drifted in and out of both groups and many of these formed other groups of Drifters as well. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has inducted both "The Original Drifters" (1998) and "Ben E. King and the Drifters" (2000). In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Drifters number 81 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 1988, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted the Drifters; naming members Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney, Gerhart Thrasher, Johnny Moore, Ben E. King, Charlie Thomas, and Rudy Lewis. "Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released late that year, the disc became a major hit in early 1963, reaching number 5 on the U.S. pop singles chart and number 4 on the U.S. R&B singles chart. Lead vocals - Rudy Lewis. "Please Stay", also known as "(Don't Go) Please Stay", is one of songwriter Burt Bacharach's early pop hits. It is an early hit of The Drifters featuring the new lead singer Rudy Lewis, who replaced Ben E. King and features Dionne Warwick's sister Dee Dee Warwick and Doris Troy on background vocals. This song, along with "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "Sweets for My Sweet", were recorded in the same session.



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