459 - The Drifters - Golden Hits - Erik Griffin

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EPISODE SUMMARY:

What defines a band? Is it the talents of each individual member, or perhaps a collective sound that bring them fame and renown? Does it matter if they form organically, or can they be the product of something more intentional? These are the kinds of questions that get tossed around when you have an impassioned student of soul music like comedian Erik Griffin sink his teeth into the distillation of R&B vocal group The Drifters’ genre-shaping catalog of work through their 1968 Golden Hits compilation. There’s a lot for Erik to digest, in fact, given that the album spans seven years and the group has counted up to 60 different crooners among their members. But Erik is more than dive in with the wry observational wit that landed him on such widely popular TV shows as Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here and Comedy Central’s Workaholics.

SHOW NOTES:

00:15 – Intro
08:15 – From the beach to the ballroom
11:00 – Just a little bit of stank on it
13:45 – Stand-up is better as a solo event
18:30 – Internet dating is for cowards
23:15 – A slimy start
27:15 – The upside of looking awkward
28:45 – Are The Drifters the original NSYNC?
33:15 – Comedy is like an Arnold Palmer…
37:15 – “Can we make it more black?”
43:30 – Handjobs in popcorn boxes
44:30 – Facts!
47:15 – Are The Beatles a boy band?
54:45 – Still working without needing to work
58:15 – Outro

ALBUM STREAM - GOLDEN HITS:

NEW ARTIST INFLUENCED BY THE DRIFTERS:

“Do Right” by The Commonheart