The Platters
The Platters were a successful black vocal group of the early rock n roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock n roll Tin Pan Alley tradition of the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers and the explosion of teenage music in the mid 1950s. The most successful incarnation of the group comprised lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.
The Platters formed in Los Angeles, CA, USA in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. Read Full BioThe Platters were a successful black vocal group of the early rock n roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock n roll Tin Pan Alley tradition of the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers and the explosion of teenage music in the mid 1950s. The most successful incarnation of the group comprised lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.
The Platters formed in Los Angeles, CA, USA in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. They had a contract with Federal Records but experienced little record success until they met music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram. He added lead vocalist Tony Williams (who gave the Platters their distinctive sound) and female vocalist Zola Taylor. Under Ram's guidance, the Platters recorded seven singles for Federal in an R&B/gospel style, scoring minor regional hits on the West Coast. One song recorded at Federal, "Only You (And You Alone)", originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots was deemed unreleasable by the label.
Despite lack of chart success, the Platters were a profitable touring group--so successful that The Penguins, fresh from their No. 2 single Earth Angel, asked Ram to manage them too. With the Penguins as a bargaining chip, Ram persuaded Mercury Records into a 2-for-1 deal. In order to sign the Penguins, he insisted, the label also take the Platters. Ironically, the Penguins never had a hit for the label.
Convinced by Tony Williams that "Only You" had potential, Ram had the group re-record it during their first Mercury session. Released in the summer of 1955, it became the group's first Top Ten hit on the pop charts, and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. It has since become one of the most played records in any genre and the song has been covered by innumerable artists. Ironically, the follow-up, The Great Pretender, with lyrics written by Ram in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, exceeded the chart success of their début and became the Platters' first national No.1 hit. The Great Pretender was also the act's biggest R&B hit, with an 11-week run at the top of that chart. In 1956. The Platters appeared in the first major rock n roll movie, Rock Around the Clock, and performed both "Only You" and "The Great Pretender"[2] and they sang "You'll Never Never Know" in The Girl Can't Help It, produced the same year.
The Platters' unique vocal style touched a nerve in the music-buying public, and a string of hit singles followed, including two more Top 100 No. 1 hits, one Hot 100 No. 1 hit, and more modest hits such as "I'm Sorry" (No. 11) and "He's Mine" (No. 23) in 1957, "Enchanted" (No.12) in 1959, and "The Magic Touch" (No.4) in 1956. The Platters hit on a successful formula of updating older standards, such as "My Prayer", "Twilight Time", "Harbor Lights", "To Each His Own", "If I Didn't Care" and Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock n roll record". It topped both American and British charts in a tasteful Platters-style arrangement.
The group was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. The Platters were the first rock n roll group to have a Top Ten album in America. They were also the only act to have three songs included on the American Graffiti soundtrack that sparked an oldies revival in the early to mid-1970s: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".
Many groups have toured bearing the name The Platters but only one member of the original line-up, Herb Reed, was still touring and performing with Herb Reed's Platters in 2008.
Zola Taylor died on April 30th 2007 of pneumonia whilst recovering from surgery.
The Platters formed in Los Angeles, CA, USA in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. Read Full BioThe Platters were a successful black vocal group of the early rock n roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock n roll Tin Pan Alley tradition of the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers and the explosion of teenage music in the mid 1950s. The most successful incarnation of the group comprised lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.
The Platters formed in Los Angeles, CA, USA in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. They had a contract with Federal Records but experienced little record success until they met music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram. He added lead vocalist Tony Williams (who gave the Platters their distinctive sound) and female vocalist Zola Taylor. Under Ram's guidance, the Platters recorded seven singles for Federal in an R&B/gospel style, scoring minor regional hits on the West Coast. One song recorded at Federal, "Only You (And You Alone)", originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots was deemed unreleasable by the label.
Despite lack of chart success, the Platters were a profitable touring group--so successful that The Penguins, fresh from their No. 2 single Earth Angel, asked Ram to manage them too. With the Penguins as a bargaining chip, Ram persuaded Mercury Records into a 2-for-1 deal. In order to sign the Penguins, he insisted, the label also take the Platters. Ironically, the Penguins never had a hit for the label.
Convinced by Tony Williams that "Only You" had potential, Ram had the group re-record it during their first Mercury session. Released in the summer of 1955, it became the group's first Top Ten hit on the pop charts, and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. It has since become one of the most played records in any genre and the song has been covered by innumerable artists. Ironically, the follow-up, The Great Pretender, with lyrics written by Ram in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, exceeded the chart success of their début and became the Platters' first national No.1 hit. The Great Pretender was also the act's biggest R&B hit, with an 11-week run at the top of that chart. In 1956. The Platters appeared in the first major rock n roll movie, Rock Around the Clock, and performed both "Only You" and "The Great Pretender"[2] and they sang "You'll Never Never Know" in The Girl Can't Help It, produced the same year.
The Platters' unique vocal style touched a nerve in the music-buying public, and a string of hit singles followed, including two more Top 100 No. 1 hits, one Hot 100 No. 1 hit, and more modest hits such as "I'm Sorry" (No. 11) and "He's Mine" (No. 23) in 1957, "Enchanted" (No.12) in 1959, and "The Magic Touch" (No.4) in 1956. The Platters hit on a successful formula of updating older standards, such as "My Prayer", "Twilight Time", "Harbor Lights", "To Each His Own", "If I Didn't Care" and Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock n roll record". It topped both American and British charts in a tasteful Platters-style arrangement.
The group was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. The Platters were the first rock n roll group to have a Top Ten album in America. They were also the only act to have three songs included on the American Graffiti soundtrack that sparked an oldies revival in the early to mid-1970s: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".
Many groups have toured bearing the name The Platters but only one member of the original line-up, Herb Reed, was still touring and performing with Herb Reed's Platters in 2008.
Zola Taylor died on April 30th 2007 of pneumonia whilst recovering from surgery.
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The Great Pretender
The Platters Lyrics
Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I've played the game but to my real shame
You've left me to grieve all alone
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like the clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around (still around)
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Buck Ram
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
William Stamper
@Richard Sleep I'm only 53 but have loved 49-51 mercs for as long as I could build model cars, let's say 10
But let me tell you another story from dad when he was just 15... Hence 1955.
Somehow someway dad saved his pennies and got his hands on a 4 door 50 merc. With the 289 (or was it 283 or am I getting last gen flatheads mixed up with chev stuff? I dunno).
Dad got a super clean and good running 50 merc 4 door it was that medium/light blue color. Not baby blue but more of carribean sea blue color. Again dad was only 15 but been driving in his own car since he was 10. When younger he wasn't allowed out the holler. Come 15 the rule was loosely the same but not really. He had 4 cars by then I believe. And driving was for drivers. licenses were for those old enough to get one..
Let me get to the story. It was night time and that was the only time he hot rodded those old flatheads for all they were worth. He knew the roads and a 4 wheel slide down in the bottom of those right corners and come out drifting high...all with first 80hp later 110hp in this merc. At night nobody was on the roads back then and he come into a curve and shut off his lights looking for beams his way... When nothing it was still hammer down, whip the wheel and drop to second... On the tree... He maintained what 4500 which is about what those old flatheads in stock form would turn.
Once clear it was dip down into the bottom of the curve and send the hind end around and just drift it thru. Back then the roads were about 12-14 feet wide, talking the whole road in those mountains back then. Nowdays we have at least 8.5 feet per lane! He was dealing with much less than that. I think the wheelbase on the old Ford's was 112. The merc was 116 I could be totally wrong but anyways..
This blue 4 door merc ran good and gripped the road. He was running into town one night, Friday night and took the long way. Nowdays that was the long way. Back then was the only way. Anyway he came into a rare flat bottom, think wide open valley in a place that just normally flat land didn't exist especially that low in regards the mountains. Point is there was a big straight stretch where anybody worth their salt opened it up and see how fast they could get to the other end for bragging rights. About half way thru dad had the pedal to the wood and he guessed about 95-100...
The idler arm dropped off. He lost steering. They hit one of those little concrete headwalls for a culvert going under the road. Not really a bridge but kinda. Picture an 8in wide flat concrete structure in line with the creek. From the road all he hit was that 8in wide square concrete wall. Right there in the freaking mountains.
Nobody got hurt, thank GOD, which I believe dad started to do after this. The right front wheel drove up pretty much between the legs of the passenger all the way into the cabin. The underside was destroyed. Car actually looked normal till you went to that front corner.
Long story short one of the fellers following (but couldn't keep up in the big 59 merc) drove him home and he left the car there. Next day in the am he got a ride and was on site. The sheriff was there. Once identified as the owner that sheriff chewed dad out like no tomorrow. "What's wrong with you leaving this car on the highway this way and blah blah blah. Came down to " I should take you to jail right now". No Sir I'm so very sorry. We will remove the car now.
Never once did that cop ask for dad's license because he didn't have one yet, he was only 15!!!
Alexander Acevedo
Oh-oh, yes, I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely, but no one can tell
Oh-oh, yes, I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I've played the game but to my real shame
You've left me to grieve all alone
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes, I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make-believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes, I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around (still around)
Peter Firsoff
The Platters
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I play the game but to my real shame
You've left me to dream all alone
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not (you see)
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
(Still around)
Helen Williams
First song I ever took notice of. I was 11 years old. Still a favourite. I am now 75. Great.
Yorley Trujilloo Fernandez
Ojalá cumpla muchos más, bendiciones 🙏
Jumento que anima :)
Listen the Freddie Mercury cover. It's equally good.
James Clay
76..yes I know
Terrance Hayslett
Very nice my friend
christopher dawson
@Margaret Bentz Only ten then Helen, I had this on 78 Just about my all time favorite, well along with My Prayer, MY Dream etc
Marly Frameschi
Meu Deus, como eu amo essa musica.
Maria Rodrigues Carreira
Eu tbm !? Dói na alma !💋💋💋
Silvia Lima
I can travel to the past while listening to this song! ❤
vanf
This song doesn't get old. Simply perfect.