THE DRIFTERS - CORNELL GUNTER'S COASTERS - THE PLATTERS at Yoshi's Oakland

A legendary night of soul. Thirty years ago the entertainment manager at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City had what he thought was a very good idea. It was a time of Boy Bands, Hair Bands & Hip Hop. He decided that he was going to take 3 of the most popular touring bands from early Rock & Roll (the Drifters, Coasters & Platters) and combine them into a package that could compete with the major acts that frequently played in the Tropicana’s massive showroom. Cher played that very room in those days, as did Elton John and Santana. The above, mentioned groups had already been touring, successfully, for many years. with an established fan base, but at basically midsized clubs throughout the country. “Synergy” said, Bobby Ross (the Tropicana’s fabled entertainment director). “These groups represent synergy – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Place the 3 of them together and they represent the vast expanse that is the joy of early Rock & Roll. The Drifters created the pre-Motown, heavily choreographed slickness, of Urban Pop-Soul. The Coasters (soon to become the Cornell Gunter Coasters – named after their founding member) were the premier, and perhaps the only, group combining gritty R&B with night club comedy antics. The Platters – well so much music, even then, was about love and romance (especially that of the young & unrequited variety).