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.
All the Things You Are
The Platters Lyrics
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That makes the lonely winter seem long.
You are the breathless hush of evening,
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I'll know that moment divine.
When all the things you are, are mine.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I'll know that moment divine.
When all the things you are, are mine.
The song "All the Things You Are" by The Platters is a romantic ballad that describes the singer's feelings for someone special in their life. The lyrics are poetic and metaphorical, using imagery of nature and heaven to express the depth of the singer's emotions. The first two lines, "You are the promised kiss of springtime, that makes the lonely winter seem long," compares the person to the arrival of spring after a long, cold winter. The idea is that the presence of this person brings warmth and happiness to the singer's life, just as spring brings new life and growth to the natural world. The imagery continues in the next line, "You are the breathless hush of evening, that trembles on the brink of a lovely song." Here, the person is likened to the peaceful calmness that descends upon the world at dusk, just before the beauty of a musical performance begins.
The singer goes on to describe the person as an "angel glow that lights a star," which further emphasizes the idea that this person is ethereal and otherworldly in their beauty and presence. The final lines of the song express the singer's hope that someday they will be able to hold and possess this person, and when that happens, "all the things you are, are mine." This seems to suggest that the singer believes this person embodies all the most wonderful qualities a person can possess, and that being with them will fulfill all their dreams and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the promised kiss of springtime,
You give me a sense of hope and new beginnings, just like the arrival of spring after a long, cold winter.
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
Without you, everything seems dull and lifeless, making time drag on forever like a never-ending winter.
You are the breathless hush of evening,
As the night sets in and everything quietens down, you are the gentle peace and tranquility that washes over me.
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You make my heart flutter and sing with happiness, just waiting for the right moment to burst into a beautiful melody.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
You have a presence that shines bright and radiant, just like a celestial body in the night sky.
The dearest things I know are what you are.
You are the most precious and beloved thing in my life. Nothing else can compare to the joy you bring me.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
I dream of the day when I can finally embrace you and feel the warmth of your love against me.
And some day I'll know that moment divine.
That moment when we are finally united will be a truly heavenly experience that I will cherish forever.
When all the things you are, are mine.
Once I have you in my life, everything else will fall into place and I will truly be complete.
Writer(s): Oscar Ii Hammerstein, Jerome Kern
Contributed by Jasmine I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.