In 1950, McPhatter joined Billy Ward & the Dominoes, and was present for the recording of "Sixty Minute Man", which was a huge hit in 1951, and was one of the earliest rock and roll records. After several more hits, McPhatter quit the group in 1953 because he made little money and gained virtually no fame, in spite of his voice being the lead on most of the group's songs. McPhatter then signed to Atlantic Records after forming a group, The Drifters. "Money Honey", "Such a Night", "Honey Love", "White Christmas" and "Whatcha Gonna Do" became huge hits.
In 1954, McPhatter was drafted but was assigned in the U.S., allowing him to continue recording. He soon left The Drifters and launched a solo career. His first solo hit occurred just after being discharged - "Love Has Joined Us Together" (with Ruth Brown). He released several R&B hits in the next few years, but only made one serious dent in the pop charts with the Brook Benton penned song "A Lovers Question", which made it to #6 in 1958. White groups usually covered his best compositions and achieved more widespread mainstream success. In spite of this, McPhatter became one of the most popular black musicians among white listeners. His 1956 recording of "Treasure of Love" saw him enjoy just one week in the UK singles chart. The lack of any subsequent entry gave him the unenviable tag there of being a one hit wonder
McPhatter soon signed to MGM Records, and released several more hits. "I Told Myself a Lie" and "Think Me a Kiss" (1960) became minor pop hits, as was "Ta Ta", his first single for Mercury Records. "I Never Knew" and "Lover Please" (1962) became even bigger pop hits, but his career started suffering due to his alcoholism. Other black artists were following McPhatter's blueprint into pop audiences, including Rudy Lewis, Johnny Moore, Sam Cooke and an all new line-up of The Drifters. McPhatter's unreliability kept him from maintaining his career in the face of this competition. As the 1960s wore on, McPhatter's career kept falling in spite of a few minor hits.
In the early 1970s, McPhatter spent some time living in England, where he still had a significant audience, but this was short-lived. Back again in America, Clyde McPhatter died of a heart attack in 1972, at the age of 39.
In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Such A Night
Clyde McPhatter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It really was such a night
The moon was bright, Oh how bright it was
It really was such a night
The night was alive, with the stars above mmm
When she kissed me, I had to fall in love
It was a kiss mmm, what a kiss it was
How she could kiss, oh what a kiss it was
It really was such a kiss
Just part of her lips, could set me afire
I I I reminisce, and I feel desire
I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender
How well I remember, I'll always remember
Oh that night, oh what a night it was
It really was such a night
Came the dawn and my heart and my love
And the night was gone
But I'll never forget that kiss in the moonlight
Such a kiss oh such a night
I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender
How well I remember, I'll always remember
Oh what a night, oh what a night it was
It really was such a night
Came the dawn and my heart and her love
And the night was gone
But I know I'll never forget her kiss in the moonlight
Such a kiss oh oh such a night
Now she's gone, gone, gone
Yes she's gone, gone, gone
Came the dawn, dawn, dawn
And the night was gone
And my heart was gone
And her love was gone
And before that morn
Oh oh oh oh such a night
The song "Such A Night" by Clyde McPhatter talks about a special night under the bright moon and stars that the singer had with his lover. It was a night to remember because of the magic of the moon and her kiss, which set his heart on fire. He reminisces about her kiss and how it made him feel desire for her. He gave his heart to her that night in sweet surrender, and it was a moment that he'll never forget. However, the dawn came, and the night was gone, along with his heart and her love, but the memory of that kiss remained.
The lyrics of the song are so vivid and descriptive that they paint a picture of the night as if it were happening in real-time. The moon was so bright and the stars were shining, and everything seemed to come alive when she kissed him. The singer's voice is full of passion, and the tone is so intense that it perfectly captures the feeling of the moment. The song is a beautiful tribute to a romantic experience that left a lasting impression on the singer's heart and soul.
Line by Line Meaning
T was a night mmm, what a night it was
It was a night to remember.
It really was such a night
The night was unforgettable.
The moon was bright, Oh how bright it was
The moon was shining very brightly.
The night was alive, with the stars above mmm
The starry sky made the night feel full of life.
When she kissed me, I had to fall in love
Her kiss made me fall in love with her.
It was a kiss mmm, what a kiss it was
Her kiss was incredible.
How she could kiss, oh what a kiss it was
She was an amazing kisser.
Just part of her lips, could set me afire
Even a small part of her lips could ignite intense desire in me.
I I I reminisce, and I feel desire
I can't help but think about her and feel the same desire as before.
I gave my heart to her in sweet surrender
I fell deeply in love with her.
How well I remember, I'll always remember
I will never forget that moment of falling in love.
Came the dawn and my heart and my love
The dawn arrived and my heart and my love for her remained.
And the night was gone
The wonderful night has ended.
But I'll never forget that kiss in the moonlight
That kiss will stay with me forever.
Now she's gone, gone, gone
She has left and is no longer with me.
Came the dawn, dawn, dawn
The sun has risen.
And my heart was gone
She took my heart with her when she left.
And her love was gone
Her love for me is no longer present.
And before that morn
Before the morning took her away.
Oh oh oh oh such a night
It was such an unforgettable night.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Imani M
I love Clyde McPhatter's voice and music so much! He's really underrated 🎶 great founder of The Drifters
Mohabat khan Malak
Beautiful version, I played it over and over again. Clyde Mcphatter's voice, rythm etc is so good to hear. Many thanks.
Harry Hopworthy
Clyde McPhatter was a wonderful singer !! He deserves to be remembered as such.
Billy Onions
Harry Hopworthy
You know it !
Mitchel Smith
You are correct, Sir ! Elvis loved Clyde McPhatter, that’s why he covered this song. Him and Clyde were also good Friends.
Lynn A
Always a pleasure to listen to Clyde Mcphatter
pgroove211
This cat has influenced so many performers .just an incredibly fantastic voice.. one of the most influential and incredible singers of all time
Heidi Myers
Clyde was FABULOUS!! It's such a shame that he was controlled by people who paid him next to nothing, and didn't let him even share royalties from his music. He might have been so much more successful with the right support.... and lived longer.
Dave Phillips
One of Elvis's favorite singers..👍
Soy Eldiego
This song needs over 1,000,000 hits! Great memories in the late 60s! My folks playing these tunes in the weekend while grilling some steaks. What I would give to relive those days again...