Love this video. It's very rare to see a vid with the actual four founding members of the Coasters, and singing live, no less!. The two on the left, Bobby Nunn and Leon Hughes, weren't in the group long before they were replaced by "Dub" Jones and Cornell Gunter, who sang on most of the hits with the other two, Carl Gardner and Billy Guy. All of them have passed now except (as of 2012) Leon Hughes.
I got to see these guys in concert at the old field house on the U of Ark campus at Fayetteville, Ark. about 1961. They never ran out of their hits during the entire concert but still omitted my favorite -- Poison Ivy -- which was probably their most recent hit at the time. Fabulous.
Don’t know if you’re still active here cause it’s been a long time but the line up you saw was Carl Gardner (Tenor) Earl “Speedo” Carroll (formerly of the Cadillacs, Tenor) Billy Guy (Baritone) and Will J. “Dub” Jones (Bass)
This is the original line-up of the Coasters, with Bobby Nunn (Bass) and Leon Hughes (Second tenor)! They were replaced by Will (Dub) Jones and Cornel Gunter joining long time members Carl Gardner (Lead tenor) and Billy Guy (Baritone)! This was their first hit in 1957! I have never seen this clip before!
Been Searchin' for this song for years and years as its a real cool song with a good beat, but didn't quite know the title name or even the artist who sung it. .. Then today heard it played on West Australian radio today. Listened carefully for radio announcer to provided the name and the group who recorded it.. Step two was to locate it on RU-vid...prestow ! Thank you GNRSlashLover for posting it... :)
Searchin'" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for The Coasters. It was released as a single on Atco Records in March 1957, and topped the Rhythm and Blues Chart for twelve weeks. It reached #3 on the national pop singles chart. The Beatles covered it, only.
This is The " Birdland Song ". I was at the beach when this song played and a coupe of kids ( at the time I didn't know the name of the dance ) were dancing the Birdland to this song ! Searchin by the Coasters became known as The Birland Song in Wash. D.C. Back in Da Day !
Was just listening to that! Challenged an unknowing friend to try and track down the song. Did you know John lennon sings the lead vocals, with Sir Paul and George Harrison doing backing vocals?
@@renee9434 HA...that's great! They sound SO young on the recording. It's on "Anthology 1" and it's actually Paul on lead vocals according to BeatlesBible.com, with Pete Best on drums. www.beatlesbible.com/songs/searchin/
@@Revolution1117 I know right! I've got it on all my playlists. I love the anthologies. Oh really! I didn't know. I was just watching the desert island discs video with Sir Paul McCartney, and I thought he said John Lennon took the lead. When listening it kind of sounds more like him. But I mean -- can't argue with the Beatles Bible ;)
No hate towards Pete Best, but it's so weird thinking of The Beatles with him instead of Ringo Starr. It's interesting to think what would've happened in an alternate timeline when he never got replaced.
@@renee9434 James Earl Jones still is our Favorite. Why? Because he was in Live Action and Cartoon Lion King and Return of the Jedi and Sandlot. Is that true? Yes.
I have a 45 of this song with the B side as "Young blood" it is in perfect condition. but won't be long if I keep playing it like I do. This song is a gem!
Great bit of video. And not lip-synched!! Too bad they didn't do all the verses. I wonder who's doing the yelps and other encouragement during the song. Might very well have been Steve Allen or members of his band (Skitch Henderson). They were pretty cool cats, even though mighty white.
I love the Coasters. All the lineups. Mr. Earl (Speedo) joined them at some point in time. The original lead singer left the band at some point. He reunited with the band on one of the PBS Do Wop specials. Jerry Butler introduced him.
Carl Gardener (tenor/lead) stayed with the band until 2005 when he retired. He died 6 years later. The man singing lead here is the baritone Mr. Billy Guy. Billy was an original member and was in the group until 1972 I believe. He was only 19 when he started with the Coasters!
Great!! Back when they made real music that told a story and you could understand the words. Not like the meaningless crap of today. Thanks for the 1959 memories.
rljrl Truer words were never spoken. I just can't figure this young crowd out, today they go crazy over a song/artist & you can't understand a single word of the song.
The first time I heard this song i was at the beach in 1957 and these kids were doing a new dance that looked awful strange at the time>. Later, I found out that they were doing the "Birdland" which became very popular in Washingto, D.C. area .
when i was a young teen I didn't know what he was saying when he went "Bullll Dog Drummond" my granddad clued me in as I was wearing the 45 record out in the living room and he started singing it and popping fingers and ditty boppin haha.jive ass old guy was cool.
Steve Allen's show was the hippest on TV in the 50s and 60s. These guys knew they were in friendly company and it shows on their faces. Watch the moves of the three in the back.
The Beatles were performing as a group in 58 and onwards in various forms. In fact, George Harrison was shipped back from Germany for playing in a bar at age 14. They played American rock and roll and may even have had Searchin in their on stage act.
there's a Broadway play based on the music of Leiber and Stoller which I think was called "Smokey Joe's Cafe" -- check out the soundtrack and be amazed at all the songs they wrote that you love and know.
@richventures : You're right Boston Blackie is missing ! That was one of my favorite t.v. shows starting " Chester Morris". I know there others who played the role first , but he's the one I remember ! Chaz ps. Charlie Chan is also left out of this version !
After our Friday night football games, we would have our dances at school. during the time that the band would take their breaks. those of us that still wanted to dance would play music that we had on 45s. We didn't care what color the skin was, we lived the music. AM I AM WHITE.
Make no mistake,the original Coasters' recording is the best by far! This version pales in comparison. BUT it's still the Coasters. Lieber and Stoller wrote a lot of songs recorded by the group!
Steve Allen was hip enough to book them, but that doesn't mean he liked RnR or RnB; he didn't. For the record, that's the original 1956-57 group, from R to L: Billy Guy (who later sang lead on Little Egypt), Carl Gardner (the primary lead singer for 50+ years), Leon Hughes (the only 1950s-60s Coaster still living), and Bobby Nunn, the original bass. The bass everyone knows, Wil 'Dub' Jones, replaced Nunn soon after, and sang on Yakety Yak, Charlie Brown, etc. Hughes was also soon replaced by tenor Cornel Gunter.
Doowopdan - I'm quite sure Carl Gardner is third from left, not second. I was trying to figure out which one was Leon Hughes (I'm guessing second from left), whose 88th birthday was yesterday.
No, they "ripped off" Dallas Frazier, who wrote 'Elvira' in 1966, long after the Coasters did 'Searchin'. I'm sure the Oaks paid the due royalties to cover it. (Dallas Frazier was the guy who wrote "Alley Oop."
