The band that never ages (From This Is Wiltshire)

The band that never ages

9:07am Thursday 15th July 2010 in

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THE Drifters come to Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre tonight, and if they look strangely young for a group formed in 1953, that’s because this legendary act – whose hits include Under the Boardwalk, Save the Last Dance for Me and There Goes My First Love – is no ordinary showbiz phenomenon.

Over the 57-year history of the group, there have been more than 60 Drifters, the best known of whom include R&B pioneer Clyde McPhatter and Ben E King of Stand By Me fame.

The current line-up features Maurice Cannon, Damion Charles, Ryan King and Michael Williams, and the Swindon appearance is part of a 45-date tour of England, Scotland and Wales.

Michael, aged 32 and a Drifter for four-and-half years, said: “The tour’s going well – we’ve done about eight shows so far.

“Our demographic is changing so much. We get a lot of young people coming to our shows now. There are 18 and 20-year-olds getting down to There Goes My First Love and Kissing in the Back Row!

“The Drifters have had more than 60 members in 57 years, and I think that the reason why it’s lasted so long is because we have such a fantastic back catalogue.

“Nobody ever forgets those songs. When we step out on the stage and sing Up On The Roof or There Goes My First Love, everybody is with us.

“They’re singing along as if they wrote the songs themselves.”

The nostalgic appeal of the group is undeniable, but they’re still recording new material, including their most recent single, Do You Dream of Me, which was released for download in March.

Michael also attributes the band’s longevity to the management of the Treadwell family, who have been in charge since the beginning and aren’t averse to seeing off challenges from unofficial versions of the Drifters in the courts.

“We’re the official Drifters,” Michael said.

“We’ve had a hard time trying to get rid of the fakes but we’ve done it.”

And the future? Will there still be Drifters in 50 years? In 100?

“I really think so. It will never really die. There’s so much history and so many great songs that it will never get tired.

“Some of these songs are older than I am, but they still feel so fresh. There’s still that vibe about them.”