The Clovers – One Mint Julep

The Clovers hit the studio today (December 17, 1951) to record their R&B classic, One Mint Julep, a release which helped launch Atlantic Records into the stratosphere.

The group began singing during the Post WW2 years, at Washington D.C.’s Armstrong High School, covering tunes by The Ink Spots, their favorite group.

They named themselves the Four Clovers and soon after they were signed to Atlantic Records, by way of recommendation from local Washington D.C. store owner Waxie Maxie Silverman.

The group recorded tunes written by Atlantic Records’ founder, Ahmet Ertegun and hit #1 with Ertegun’s tune “Don’t You Know I Love You,” in 1951, which included one of the genre’s earliest sax solos.

While reports vary, “One Mint Julep,” which was written by Rudy Toombs, was recorded December 17, 1951 and features the rolling piano of Van Walls.

The group bounced from label to label until 1959, when they recorded their biggest and most popular song, the Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s penned “Love Potion #9.”