The Drifters – Under the Boardwalk
About The Song
That Thursday night at the studio, the members of the group were in tears but decided to go through with the recording session. During the session, the band recorded “Under the Boardwalk,” with singer Johnny Moore taking the lead on the track that was intended for Lewis.
The song evokes the “happy sounds of the carousel” and lovers hanging out by the beach. But there is a bittersweet tone to the song, so if you listen close enough, you may feel you can hear a little of the sadness that the men were feeling when they recorded the song.
The personnel on that recording included Ernie Hayes on piano, Everett Barksdale, Bill Suyker and Bob Bushnell on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, Gary Chester on drums and George Devens on percussion. The arranger was Teacho Wiltshire. The last-minute move was a success, as the single, released on Atlantic Records, went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and number one for 3 non consecutive weeks on Cashbox magazine’s R&B chart.
