February 2006 NEWSLETTER A n E n t e r t a i n m e n t I n d u s t r y O r g a n i z a t i o n

Only in America The Drifters in the Midst of the Civil Rights Era

Randy Poe

The songwriting talents of Before the year was out, King The President’s Corner Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are in- would make his famous “I Have A disputable. A tip-of-the-iceberg list Dream” speech on the steps of the Lin- Dan Butler of their credits as a team includes coln Memorial; Wallace would stand in “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” the doorway of the University of Our January meeting was a great “Love Potion # 9,” “Yakety Yak,” Alabama, unsuccessfully attempting to success on many levels. “Sex, Drugs and “Charlie Brown,” “Poison Ivy,” prevent the entrance of that school’s Rock and Roll: Great Rock Managers Tell “Kansas City,” “I’m A Woman,” first black students; and JFK would be Tales from the Road” inspired the laughs “Searchin’,” “Treat Me Nice,” “Love assassinated. and crazy stories we expected, but Me,” “Is That All There Is?,” and On April 12 th of that same year, supermanagers Peter Asher, Doc McGhee many of the Drifters’ recordings, Leiber & Stoller took the Drifters into and Andy Gould, as well as Harold Owens including “Ruby Baby,” “Drip Drop,” Atlantic’s recording studio in Man- of MusiCares, each delivered inspiration “There Goes My Baby,” and “Fools hattan to cut four sides: “Rat Race,” of a much more meaningful nature. Fall In Love.” “If You Don’t Come Back,” “I’ll Take Harold told personal tales of his past Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil You Home,” and “Only In America.” addict days and the redemption he has have also had a long string of hits Jerry Leiber explains the song- found in helping artists get clean and try as a twosome; among the many are writers’ relationship with the Drifters, to stay clean. “Blame It On The Bossa Nova,” “We and the events that led up to this Doc told stories about the darkest days Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” “He’s particular session: of working for Mötley Crüe that had the Sure The Boy I Love,” “(You’re My) “Before we started producing the audience at first in stitches, then Soul And Inspiration,” “Here You Drifters, the Coasters had been ‘our disturbed into uneasy silence. They put Come Again,” and “Just Once.” group.’ Mike and I wrote almost every- to rest the old notion, still widely held it But when all four writers came thing we produced for them. seems, that drugs make people more together, as they did on a couple of “But the Drifters were completely creative. occasions for the Drifters, the different. We sort of inherited them Peter brought home the point that results were truly astounding. from Ahmet [Ertegun] and [Jerry] there is a fine line between genius and One such collaboration was the Wexler. When Ahmet and Jerry first madness. Great late rockers like Jimi, now-classic, much-covered “On began producing the Drifters, they Janis and Jimi weren’t great because they Broadway.” Another effort by this were a straight R&B act. But after took drugs; they were creative despite quartet of legendary writers re- various personnel changes, they had the drugs, which put them in far-too-early sulted in the controversial, original evolved into a ‘sweet soul’ group. graves. recording of “Only In America.” “Writing ‘sweet soul’ songs was Drugs don’t kill everyone, as the near The year 1963 marked the not necessarily our bag. Our bag at supernatural Keith Richards has proven. centennial of the Emancipation that time was writing radio comedy Even when not fatal to the artist, as Andy Proclamation. JFK was in the White plays for the Coasters – gags set to pointed out, drug problems have caused House; George Wallace was the music. So when we were given an band breakups that are fatal to the music, newly-elected governor of Ala- assignment by Ahmet or Jerry to cheating us all out of future classics they bama; and Malcolm X and Martin produce sides for the Drifters, we might have written and played. Luther King, Jr. were the two most would – more often than not – assign The evening definitely ended on an important symbols of hope among the writing to the hot writers of the upbeat note (which I wasn’t sure we America’s black community – a day: Doc [Pomus] and Morty (continue on page 2) community that rightly believed the [Shuman]; Goffin & King; Bacharach & good intentions of the Emancipation David; and, of course, Barry Mann and Proclamation had yet to be em- Cynthia Weil.” braced by America at large. “One of the songs that Barry he had no intention of putting out.” President’s Corner (continued) and Cynthia brought us was an early Jerry and Mike turned to Jay & version of ‘Only In America,’” says The Americans – an act with which would find during some of the riffs Mike Stoller. “In its original form, it they had scored a Top 10 hit, “She along the way), when we heard tales was an obvious protest. The lyrics, Cried,” the previous year. Jay and of survivors coming back from the as I recall them, were about sitting the gang were a squeaky-clean, brink and getting their lives and their at the back of the bus.” extremely white bunch whose past grooves back. Not wanting to turn the Drifters and future hits would include “Come Tonight’s panel will take the into a soul version of the Weavers, A Little Bit Closer,” “Let’s Lock The audience on a musical journey in Leiber & Stoller imbued the Mann & Door (And Throw Away The Key),” honor of Black History Month. Co- Weil song with the more subtle kind and “Cara, Mia.” The biggest hit of moderators and CCC Board members of antiracism they had so their career would come in 1969 Cheryl Dickerson and James Leach will successfully slipped into many of the with, ironically, a cover of the lead what promises to be a spectacular Coasters recordings. (Such was the Drifters’ “This Magic Moment.” panel. George Clinton, Leon Ware, S- case with the Coasters’ hysterical Using the original master of Class and Trevor Lawrence, Jr. (along “Along Came Jones” – in which an “Only In America,” Leiber & Stoller with a possible mystery guest or two) African-American man switches from replaced the Drifters’ vocals with the will discuss how great music from the one TV channel to another, only to voices of Jay Black, Sandy Yaguda, doo-wop era continues to resonate in today’s hip-hop sounds. discover the hero of every show is Kenny Vance, and Howie Kane. I would like to extend a special always the same Caucasian cowboy.) Jay & The Americans’ single of thanks to past CCC President Randy “We thought Barry and “Only In America” was a Top 25 hit Poe of Lieber & Stoller for contributing Cynthia’s song was good,” says on the pop charts. “And then I the article for this month’s newsletter, Leiber. But it was too straight a bumped into Barry Mann,” says which I know you will enjoy. All the protest song. I thought it needed to Leiber. “He said, ‘Hey man, how best! be a bit more playful and comic….” could you do that to our song?’ I “…And a lot more ironic,” adds said, ‘Atlantic was never going to Mike. release the Drifters’ version, so we Irony was certainly in full force changed it from a powerful protest when the session took place. On the into patriotic pap.” CALIFORNIA COPYRIGHT very day the Drifters were recording More than four decades have CONFERENCE “Only In America” in New York City, passed since the day the Drifters Martin Luther King, Jr. was being ar- recorded “Only In America.” In P.O. Box 57962 rested and placed in solitary confine- places such as Birmingham, Ala- Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 ment in a Birmingham jail a bama, major changes have taken thousand miles away. place: The schools have long since Voice Mail: 818-379-3312 When Leiber & Stoller took the been integrated; all races drink from finished recording to Jerry Wexler for the same water fountain; and an Website: http://www.theccc.org his nod of approval, the reaction African-American now serves as the wasn’t exactly what they were ex- city’s mayor. Our website is the place to find pecting. But 43 years later, in much of information on upcoming meetings After hearing the Drifters’ lead the U.S., it would seem that things and other events. Make reservations, vocalist sing about becoming a haven’t changed nearly enough. In join, or renew your membership millionaire or possibly growing up to 2006, the irony of the Drifters’ online. To view past issues of the be President in the “land of opportu- recording of “Only In America” still CCC newsletter, visit our website nity,” the Atlantic exec was not am- remains abundantly apparent. and click News. used. “Wexler looked at us and said, ‘Are you guys nuts? They’ll lynch Randy Poe is the President of us!” recalls Leiber. Leiber & Stoller Music Publishing. He SAVE THESE DATES Although disappointed with has written the liner notes to over Jerry Wexler’s reaction, L&S knew 100 albums, and is a recipient of the March 21 that the track was a good one, even ASCAP/Deems Taylor award for his if the song wasn’t ready to be thrust book Music Publishing: A Song- Foreign Sub-Publishers upon the public at large – at least writer’s Guide . His most recent work, not by the Drifters. Squeeze My Lemon: A Collection of April 18 “We had a deal with United Ar- Classic Blues Lyrics , features a tists at the time which allowed us to foreword by B.B. King. Poe is a past TV or Not TV? sell them masters,” says Leiber. President of the CCC. That Is the Question. “Wexler was more than happy to let another label buy this master, which