Nick Tosches once wrote "If there was one voice with which the glories of R&B ran their course in the 1950s, it just might be Clyde McPhatter."

One of the most influential R&B singers of all time, he possessed a unique vocal gift, a lively high tenor that expressed the promise and fervor of the 50s. In his own time, McPhatter's name and high tenor voice loomed much larger then that of the group he founded, The Drifters. Clyde was also one of the first black singers to cross over from gospel to the pop and R&B charts. He made the musical cross over from sacred to secular when he was only 18.

His radiant, gospel voice exploded onto the R&B charts in the early 50s on "Do Something for Me," and "Have Mercy Baby" and other songs with his first group, The Dominoes. By rekindling gospel's enthusiastic emotionality with a style known as "sanctified" singing in an rhythm and blues setting, he presaged what would later become known as soul music.

After leaving The Dominoes in 1953, McPhatter joined The Drifters and created some of the finest R&B songs like "Such a Night," "Money Honey," and "Honey Love."

He has been idolized by black audiences as few singers were or have been, and for nearly 15 years define R&B and it's transformation into soul.

In a way, Clyde was the most difficult to believe of R&B singers, a gentle voice who seemed more suited to the strains of gospel. His name gave potential managers doubts. What R&B singer had the name Clyde? He seemed liked a backwoods mockery of an African-American name, but when McPhatter sang, all the laughing disappeared even on his live album recorded in his last years where he showed physical lust in the song "Ta Ta," Clyde made it feel urgent, real and convening.

I've always seen Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and James Brown as the fathers of soul music, but Clyde McPhatter certainly has a place as on of the pioneers of soul, not only for his gospel-powered vocals, but also the urgency and power of his songs.

While Clyde’s innovative and groundbreaking contribution as a soul and R&B vocalist has been underappreciated outside of the musical circles, his enthusiastic voice and passionate delivery has influenced such artists as Jackie Wilson, Al Green, The Righteous Brothers, and Smokey Robinson.

"He was one of the first guys that I ever listened to. When he came on the scene with The Dominoes, he was the man." Robinson said just after Clyde's death. Aaron Neville too spoke high of McPhatter when he said that "Anything that Clyde sings is a prayer."

Posted by Andrew on Saturday, 02/22/2014 @ 00:29am

Clyde McPhatter in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

01. 1987 – Clyde McPhatter
02. 1988 – The Drifters
03. 20?? – The Dominoes / Billy Ward & the Dominoes

Eric Clapton in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

01. 1992 – The Yardbirds
02. 1993 – Cream
03. 2000 – Eric Clapton
04. 20?? – Derek and the Dominos
05. 20?? – Blind Faith

Steve Winwood in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

01. 2004 – Traffic
02. 20?? – The Spencer Davis Group
03. 20?? – Blind Faith
04. 20?? – Steve Winwood

Posted by Roy on Friday, 05/6/2022 @ 20:55pm