#23: Memories Are Made Of This by the Drifters

City: St. John’s, NL
Radio Station: VOCM
Peak Month: April 1966
Peak Position in St. John’s ~ #8
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #48
YouTube: “Memories Are Made Of This”
Lyrics: “Memories Are Made Of This”

Clyde McPhatter was born in the historic African-American district of Hayti in Durham, North Carolina, on November 15, 1932. Starting at the age of five, he sang in his father’s Baptist church gospel choir along with his three brothers and three sisters. When he was 10, Clyde was the soprano-voiced soloist for the choir. When his family moved to Harlem after he graduated, Clyde formed a gospel group, the Mount Lebanon Singers. In 1950, after winning the coveted Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater contest, McPhatter returned to his job as a grocery store manager. He was discovered singing the choir in the Holiness Baptist Church of New York City by Billy Ward of Billy Ward and his Dominoes and was recruited into the group.

McPhatter was present for the Dominoes 1951 recording of “Sixty Minute Man”. The single topped the R&B charts in the USA for 14 consecutive weeks, and crossed over to the pop charts where it climbed to #17. Clyde McPhatter’s tenor vocals were a strong influence on other singers including Sammy Turner, Marv Johnson, Smokey Robinson and Ben E. King. In Bill Millar’s book, The Drifters, the author states “McPhatter took hold of the Ink Spots’ simple major chord harmonies, drenched them in call-and-response patterns, and sang as if he were back in church. In doing so, he created a revolutionary musical style from which—thankfully—popular music will never recover.”

Clyde McPhatter remained with Billy Ward and his Dominoes for their number-one hit in 1952, “Have Mercy Baby”. The single topped the Cashbox R&B chart for a dozen weeks. It was based on the gospel tune “Have Mercy Jesus”. Late in ’52, McPhatter took the lead on the Dominoes single “The Bells”, which reached #3 on the R&B chart in early 1953. Later that year, McPhatter was on the Dominoes recording of “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)”, which peaked on the R&B chart at #1.

As a member of the Dominoes, McPhatter did not earn much money. Billy Ward paid him $100 a week, minus deductions for food, taxes, motel bills, etc. In an interview in 1971, McPhatter told journalist Marcia Vance, “whenever I’d get back on the block where everybody’d heard my records—half the time I couldn’t afford a Coca-Cola.” Clyde McPhatter left the Dominoes on May 7, 1953.

In June 1953, he was approached by Atlantic Records executives and signed to the label. A group was formed called the Drifters, featuring Clyde McPhatter. On November 14, 1953, “Money Honey” cracked the Top Ten on the Cashbox and Billboard R&B charts. The following week it began an eleven-week run on the top of the R&B chart.

Subsequently, “Such A Night” climbed to #2 despite being banned by some radio stations as too “racy.” In the summer of ’54, “Honey Love” was a number-one hit for Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters for seven consecutive weeks. In the winter of 1954-55, the group covered the Bing Crosby chestnut, “White Christmas”, which reached #2 on the Billboard R&B chart. In late 1954, McPhatter was inducted into the U.S. Army and assigned to Special Services in the continental United States, which allowed him to continue recording. After his tour of duty, he left the Drifters and launched a solo career.

However, before McPhatter left was the lead vocalist on “Whatcha Gonna Do”, which reached #2 for the Drifters when the single was released in the spring of 1955.

Johnny Moore was born in Selma, Alabama, in 1934. He was with a group called The Hornets in Cleveland before he was discovered by The Drifters. After Clyde McPhatter left the group, Moore became one of the lead vocalists. Another lead vocalist was Bill Pinkney, who shared lead vocals with Clyde McPhatter on “White Christmas”. Pinkney was born in 1925 in the village of Dalzell, South Carolina. After serving in the United States Army, Pinkney began singing in gospel choirs. He was one of the original Drifters in the studio for “Money Honey”. In 1955, Johnny Moore provided lead vocals on “Adorable” which peaked at number-one on the R&B charts. While Pinkney provided the lead on “Steamboat” which climbed to #5.

In 1956, the Drifters saw “Ruby Baby” reach #10 thanks to Johnny Moore’s solid vocals with Gerhart Thrasher as a second lead vocalist. Several more singles made a respectable showing at or near #10 on the R&B charts into the winter of 1956-57. There were a number of lineup changes between 1957 and 1959. Finally, manager George Treadwell (who was the husband of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan) fired all members of the existing Drifters. He hired members of The Five Crowns to become the new Drifters. The new lead singer was Benjamin Earl Nelson, who soon took the stage name of Ben E. King. Tenor Charlie King, Baritone singer Dock Green, and bass singer Elsbeary Hobbs from the Five Crowns rounded out the Drifters lineup. A fifth member of the Five Crowns, James “Poppa” Clark, was not asked to join due to a problem with alcoholism.

With Ben E. King on lead vocals, The Drifters had a #2 pop hit in 1959 with “There Goes My Baby”. It was also The Drifters fourth number-one R&B chart topper. Ben E. King also sang lead on “Save The Last Dance For Me”, which in 1960 topped the pop and R&B charts in the USA, and reached #2 in the UK. King also provided lead vocals on “This Magic Moment”, “Dance With Me” and “I Count The Tears” which each reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top Ten on the R&B charts.

Rudy Lewis was born in 1936 in Philadelphia. While with the Drifters he recorded a few solo singles in 1959 and 1963.

Charlie Thomas was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1937. He joined the Five Crowns who regularly performed at the Apollo Theatre in the late 50s.

Ben E. King went solo in May 1960, enjoying success with “Spanish Harlem”, “Stand By Me”, “Supernatural Thing” and other hits. Former Five Crowns bass singer Elsbeary Hobbs left the Drifters in December 1960.

Now Charlie King provided lead vocals on “Sweets For My Sweet”, a Top Ten R&B hit that made the Top 20 on the pop charts. As well, Rudy Lewis was lead on “Some Kind Of Wonderful”, a Top Ten R&B hit in 1961. Former Five Crowns baritone Dock Green left the Drifters in the summer of 1962. In the fall of 1962, Rudy Lewis was the lead on the Top Five hit “Up On The Roof”, and again in 1963 for the Top Ten hit “On Broadway”.

Rudy Lewis died on May 20, 1964 possibly of a drug overdose and/or a heart attack in conjunction with asphyxiation (the latter said to be caused from binge eating). It made Rudy Lewis an unenviable member of the 27 Club, comprising of recording artists who have died at the age of 27 (including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Alan Wilson of Canned Heat, Pete Ham of Badfinger, and others).

In 1964, Johnny Moore returned to join the Drifters line-up after Rudy Lewis’ untimely death. Moore provided lead vocals for “Under The Boardwalk”.

In 1966, The Drifters released a cover of the Dean Martin chart-topper from 1955 titled “Memories Are Made Of This”. By this time the lineup for The Drifters had both tenors Johnny Moore and Charlie Thomas as lead vocalists, Gene Pearson was on baritone, Johnny Terry was on bass (who had written “Please, Please, Please” and “Prisoner Of Love” for James Brown), and Abdul Samad played guitar.

“Memories Are Made Of This” was cowritten by Terry Gilkyson, (born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania in 1917), Frank Miller (born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1918), and Richard Dehr (born in Chicago in 1913). The trio of songwriters were in the folk group Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders. Gilkyson worked on a ranch before he was drafted into the United States Army to fight in WWII. He wrote “The Cry of the Wild Goose” which became a number-one hit for Frankie Laine in 1950. Gilkyson was a member of The Weavers who had a number-one hit in 1951 titled “On Top Of Old Smokey”.

In 1951 Terry Gilkyson starred as Singalong in the western film Slaughter Trail

In 1953, “Doris Day took Gilkyson, Miller and Dehr’s “Mister Tap Toe” to #10 on the pop chart. And Jimmy Boyd & Frankie Laine had a Top Five hit that year with “Tell Me A Story”. While “Where The Wind Blows” by Frankie Laine reached #2 in the UK in 1953. In 1956 Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders were formed.

In 1956 Terry Gilkyson starred as The Music Man in the western film Star in the Dust

In 1957 Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders had a Top Five hit titled “Marianne”.

That year Gilkyson, Miller and Dehr co-wrote “Love Is A Golden Ring” which Frankie Laine recorded and reached #10.

In 1960, Gilkyson, Miller and Dehr co-wrote “Greenfields” which became a #2 hit for the Brothers Four. Gilkyson went on to write songs for Disney films for children. These include Swiss Family Robinson (1960), The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), and The Aristocats (1970). Of these Gilkyson’s “The Bare Necessities” for The Jungle Book received an Academy Award nomination in 1967. But it lost to “Talk To the Animals” from Doctor Doolittle. Terry Gilkyson died in 1999 at the age of 83.

Frank Miller continued with the Easy Riders after Terry Gilkyson left the group. Miller died in 2015 at the age of 97. Richard Dehr died in 1989 at the age of 76.

“Memories Are Made Of This” is a song that chronicles a romance that leads to wedding bells. The couple subsequently have “three little kids” to flavor their marriage and home life. Beyond what they do to make the relationship work, they enjoy “His blessings from above,” as God’s love and mercy add to the richness of their lives. The lyrics tell of the enduring relationship they share: “One man, one wife, one love through life, memories are made of this.” The song provides glimpses of the budding romance in the first two verses, which include these lines:

Don’t forget a small moonbeam.
Fold in lightly with a dream.
Your lips and mine,
two sips of wine.
Memories are made of this.

The Drifters cover of “Memories Are Made Of This” reached #8 in St. John’s (NL), #14 in Hartford (CT) and #20 in Toronto.

The Drifters last Top 40 hit in North America was “Saturday Night At the Movies”, which was a Top Ten R&B hit in 1966. In the UK, the Drifters continued to chart into the Top Ten. The following Drifters’ singles reached the Top Ten in the UK between 1972 and 1976: “Come On Over to My Place”, “At The Club”, “Like Sister and Brother”, “Kissin’ in the Back Row of the Movies”, “Down on the Beach Tonight”, “There Goes My First Love”, “Can I Take You Home Little Girl”, and “You’re More Than a Number in My Little Red Book”. All of these singles featured Johnny Moore as lead vocalist.

Clyde McPhatter went on to have a successful solo career. His hits include “Treasure of Love”, “Long Lonely Nights”, “A Lover’s Question”, and in 1962 “Lover Please”. Hopes for a major comeback with a Decca album were crushed on June 13, 1972, when he died in his sleep at the age of 39, of complications of heart, liver, and kidney disease, brought on by alcohol abuse.

Johnny Moore died of pneumonia in 1998 at the age of 64.

Charlie Thomas died in 2023 at the age of 85.

Born in 1935, Joshua Leviston took the stage name Gene Pearson when he started performing as a singer. He was with The Rivileers in the early 50s, and then The Cleftones from 1961 to 1962 before he joined The Drifters later in ’62. Pearson wrote “A Thousand Stars” in 1953 for The Rivlieers which became a Top Ten hit for Kathy Young and the Innocents in 1960. Gene Pearson died in 2000.

Johnny Terry left The Drifters in 1966 and founded several small record labels. He also worked as a producer. Terry died in 2005.

April 1, 2026
Ray McGinnis

References:
Pierre Peronne, “Johnny Moore Obituary,” The Independent, UK, January 5, 1999.
Ben Cost, “Drifters icon Charlie Thomas dead: ‘There Goes My Baby’ singer was 85,” New York Post, February 7, 2023.
Spencer Leigh, “Terry Gilkyson Obituary,” The Independent, UK, November , 1999.
“Gene Pearson,” Secondhand Songs.com.
Johan Ramakers, “Rudy Lewis 5/64,” Rock and Roll Paradise, October 3, 2016.

Newfoundland’s Only Official Survey VOCM 590-AM St. John’s (NFLD) | April 15, 1966