Interview with The Drifters Line Up

What's it like being a member of one of the biggest groups of all time?
Steve: "It really is incredible being part of The Drifters. I, well we all grew up listening to the hits such as Saturday Night At The Movies and it is a real dream to be given the opportunity to be a part of such a great legacy."

"This year is the 55th anniversary of The Drifters. What have you got planned?"
Maurice: "We have a really exciting few months coming up. In May, we go on tour with Gloria Gaynor across the UK, which will be great. After that, we release our charity single 'Sacrifice' for MildMay, which will include a concert at the Indigo 2 in London, followed by a national tour of the UK - our first UK Tour in six years and we can't wait to get back out on the road."

How did the Sacrifice single come about?
Michael: "We were invited by MildMay last year to go and have a look around their hospital in central London and we were so moved by the experience that we wanted to help out by recording a charity single, which will hopefully help them to reopen some of the wards that have been forced to close."

What did you all do before joining the group? Have you always been involved in music?
Steve: "Yes, we have all been involved in music from a very early age but in different forms! We have all worked and toured with various bands and artists have been lucky enough to tour across the world. My own background is jazz, but we all have a different musical style and all bring something different to the line up."

How did you all come to join The Drifters?
Maurice: "We were chosen by the Treadwell family themselves, mainly for our physical likeness and vocal similarity to previous members of The Drifters."

What was it like to join such a legendary group so late in their career?
Michael: "Its very exciting although sometimes quite overpowering. The Drifters have been so successful and the music goes back so far, that we have a real challenge to live up to - I guess thats what makes it so amazing. We have to be on form at all times to make sure we live up to expectations and deliver on stage every night."

Your new album is made up of covers of classic songs. Why did you decide to record an album like this?
Christophe: The songs that have been chosen are all real classic songs by artists that we all respect and admire. We have recorded these songs with our own Drifters sound, and are very excited about it."

Is there any original material in the pipeline?
Steve: Yes, we are currently working with a team of writers and will shortly be going into the studio to produce some new material for the new album for 2009 which will introduce the new reincarnation of The Drifters sound."

What do you think is the secret to the success and longevity of The Drifters?
Michael: "In brief: Good Music! Great songs"

What are your hopes for the future?
Maurice: To record new music that will continue the long line of success that the group has had un until now. There have been over 55 different members of the line up in as many years, so we are aware that our time in the group is limited, so I guess it is to make our mark on the group and enjoy this amazing opportunity that we have."

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