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.
Christmas Time
The Platters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And share a cup of cheer
It's that time to cease our labors
For Christmas time is here
Yes, Christmas time is here
And then comes the New Year!
So drink a toast to good old merry Christmas
In "Christmas Time," The Platters invite us to come together as friends and neighbors to enjoy the arrival of Christmas. The lyrics encourage us to take a break from our routine to celebrate. It's a holiday that unites people and brings families, friends, and communities together. The Platters remind us that this time of year is characterized by happiness, joy, and love, so we should see it as an opportunity to put our labor aside and relax with our loved ones. The song makes it clear that Christmas is not only time to focus on the present, but also to look to the future as the New Year is just around the corner.
Line by Line Meaning
Gather 'round old friends and neighbors
Come together and join your friends and neighbors
And share a cup of cheer
Drink and enjoy yourselves
It's that time to cease our labors
It's time to relax and stop working
For Christmas time is here
Because it's time for Christmas
Yes, Christmas time is here
Christmas really has arrived
And then comes the New Year!
After Christmas, the New Year follows
So drink a toast to good old merry Christmas
Raise your glasses and wish everyone a merry Christmas
The best holiday of the year
Christmas is the most wonderful holiday of them all
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAURICIO IGNACIO PARRA VALENZUELA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Taco Gillespie
The voice of the late Paul Robi singing lead. Magnificent.
Vicky Wiley
My parents had this Christmas album back in the days of vinyl. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, we would pull out this as well as other classics and stack them up on the turntable. Great memories!
Robert Chase
nothing but the best of christmas classics!!!
Mike Vallen
Purely outstanding .
toyman81
This song just has me feeling sad, I so miss these wonderful days as a youth. Thank You Platters for great memories.
bluenote824 jones
Great and beautiful
Mario Jaspers
Perfect song.
bluenote824 jones
Robi,sounds great
Atomic Gaming
:0 ik