LIKEthe famous garden rake, still going strong after 40 years with only two new heads and four new handles, The Drifters are still producing great songs, despite more than 60 changes of personnel over the six decades since the name was coined in the early 1950s.

The complex history of The Drifters has seen more than one group lay claim to the name and the songs that go with it, but the only group entitled to use the name without qualification was in Christchurch on Friday. The near-capacity audience for their one-night appearance was royally entertained to such timeless Drifters classics as Under The Boardwalk, Saturday Night At The Movies, and of course the classic Up On The Roof.

Michael Williams heads a four-man singing team that delighted Drifters fans. Missed them this time? They’ll be back. The group’s members may change, but the songs go on. And on.