Customer Reviews

Deep Sea Ball: The Best of Clyde Mcphatter

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McPhatter's transition from church music to secular pop infused a gospel energy into his R&B. Beginning with the Dominoes, and later as lead singer of the Drifters, and (as chronicled here) working solo for Atlantic, McPhatter invested himself in a song's lyrics, attaching his sparkling tenor to everything from romantic ballads to rock 'n' roll. The versatility displayed throughout his career is hugely impressive, and the wide range he covered in his years at Atlantic is well represented here.

This 1991 collection, featuring 19 tracks from '55-'59, is an excellent introduction to McPhatter's Atlantic sides. Included is brilliant pop-gospel ("I Can't Stand Up Alone"), indelible torch ballads ("Treasure of Love"), romantic pop ("Just To Hold My Hand"), rock 'n' roll ("Deep Sea Ball") and the chart immortal "A Lover's Question." In between are numerous other hits and lesser-known (but no less noteworthy) singles. Nick Tosches essay and the accompanying photos are fine bonuses, leaving the lack of chronological track ordering as this collection's only major failing.

For those who want a higher track count, Collectible's 26-track two-fer reissue combines the original Atlantic LP's "Love Ballads" and "Clyde," but misses a half-dozen sides here, including essentials like "Treasure of Love" "Without Love (There is Nothing)" and "Deep Sea Ball." The 32 label's double-disc "The Forgotten Angel" takes a broader approach, including earlier work from McPhatter's stint with the Drifters along with Atlantic classics and a handful of live recordings. The double disc drops seven of the tracks included here, including "I'm Lonely Tonight" and "Thirty Days."

In the end it seems to be left to Germany's Bear Family label to provide an all-inclusive anthology of McPhatter's work. In the meantime, this is a terrific sampling.

Clyde would have been a superstar if he had been around in the 80's. It was Clyde McPhatters voice that made the strange new stuff called rock'n roll start to happen as early as 1951 when he sang with Billy Ward & The Dominos. Clyde's songs on this collection are most of his best from the Atlantic archives. "Seven Days", "Without Love", "Since You've Been Gone" and "A Lovers Question" show this singers ability and range. If you love R&B from the 50's...This is one of the best to build your collection. Clyde was and will forever be a GREAT R&B SINGER.

Starting, just like Sam Cooke, with gospel related work, which was very good, Clyde was one of the persons who transformed and built soulmusic as we know it

I purchased Deep Sea Ball for two tracks that I enjoy very much: I'm Lonely Tonight and You Went Back on Your Word Little Girl. I have all the other songs on other CD's. He is my all time favorite singer. I never tire of listening to his magnificant voice. He is the best. I completely understand why Elvis Presley stated if he had a voice like Clyde McPhtter, he would want for nothing in this world. It pains me that he is no longer around to entertain us LIVE.

that's right add these lovely jams to your juke box of oldies but goodies n' party on!!this is when r n' b was r n' b honey!!in dover pa.

The CD arrived in perfect shape, and the listening quality is very good. The song selection is nice and includes the hard to find "I Can't Stand Up Alone," a fine gospel pop number that was originally released as the flip side of "Lover's Question."

A wonderful set of Mr. Mcphatter's recordings including many of his big hits. Sound quality is excellent and the price is very good.

Containing numerous photographs of Clyde, including one with LaVern Baker and Ruth Brown, another with Herb Abramson, Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records, poster/album cover/45 rpm reproductions, a complete discography of the contents, and seven pages of background notes written by the noted author/poet Nick Tosches, the insert alone is worth the price of the album.

As for the album, this is where it lost 1 star from me because, being labeled "The Best Of Clyde McPhatter" they could have omitted I'm Lonely Tonight, Deep Sea Ball (and come up with another sub-title), Thirty Days, and No Love Like Her Love - none of which were among his 12 solo Billboard Pop and 11 R&B hits for the Atlantic label (he would add 9 more Pop and 5 more R&B hits on MGM and Mercury).

There are other non-hits here too, although in these cases they were at least the B-sides of Atlantic charters: I Can't Stand Up Alone (b/o A Lover's Question - # 1 R&B/# 6 Pop Hot 100 in late 1959 - Note: in the discography they show that Thirty Days was issued on Atlantic 1199, but it was I Can't Stand Up Alone); My Island Of Dreams (b/o Lovey Dovey - # 12 R&B/# 49 Hot 100 in May 1959); No Matter What (b/o Just To Hold My Hand - # 6 R&B/# 26 Top 100 in late spring 1957; and I'm Not Worthy Of You (b/w Seven Days - # 2 R&B/# 44 Top 100 in early 1956).

What they might have included, instead of those four non-hits above, which were all failed Atlantic singles, were: Love Has Joined Us Together, the late 1955 duet with Ruth Brown that reached # 8 R&B; When You're Sincere - the B-side of the # 1 R&B/# 16 Top 100 Treasure Of Love in mid-1956; Heartaches - the flip of the # 1 R&B/# 49 Top 100 Long Lonely Nights in late summer 1957; and Let Me Know - which backed the # 3 R&B/# 43 Top 100 Come What May in summer 1958.

For stuff recorded in the late 40's- 50's this is great. And the urge to tap your feet may turn into an urge to just get up and dance 'cause this stuff is soulful! Try it you'll not be disapointed. Clyde comes through with his usual themes of faith and love. And yet sucessfully inserts a sad song or two keeping a good balance. As in his and their best works, Atlantic has put a message in the lyrics and sold it as popular. And I am greatful for it's preservation.