"Money Honey" - Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
Now, this is just an unbelievably perfect pop song, sung by none other than the great R&B lead vocalist Clyde McPhatter. Even if he is not as well-remembered as some of his peers, McPhatter was one of the most versatile and memorable singers of his generation, with a tough tenor voice that could be just as dynamic as it is vulnerable. Before McPhatter would explore the latter direction with "A Lover's Question" and "Without Love", he captured much of the sweet but salacious side of R&B that started with this absolute classic. Obviously, the vocal melody here is of the highest order, so smooth-flowing, infectious, and well-written that it could make Leiber and Stoller jealous. However, the performance is what matters here, and Clyde's uncontrollable vocal playfulness and enthusiasm cause this song to burst with a type of pure youthful energy and excitement that blew the minds of American record buyers all over (who rightly made this song into a massive hit).
It also helps that this was an Atlantic production, featuring some of the tightest playing and vocal talents in the business, and most importantly, you have Sam Taylor's explosive sax soloing, riding that glorious melody to a pure ecstatic conclusion. Just a masterful song all around, kicking off the reign of one of the greatest vocal groups in American recording music, and for the next 10 years, the group would deliver a series of timeless R&B classics as they aged from their McPhatter "teenage" years to their King "adult" years.
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