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.
Once in a While
The Platters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One little thought to me
Though someone else may be
Nearer your heart?
Once in a while will you dream
Of the moments I shared with you
Moments before we two
In love's smoldering ember
One spark may remain
If love still can remember
That spark may burn again
I know that I'll be contented
With yesterday's memory
Knowing you think of me
Once in a while
In love's smoldering ember
One spark may remain
If love still can remember
The spark may burn again
I know that I'll be contented
With yesterday's memory
Knowing you think of me
Once in a while
The Platters' song Once in a While is a beautiful ballad about a love that has faded, but not completely disappeared. The song's lyrics speak to the hope that even though the singer and their former lover have drifted apart, they still sometimes think about each other. The opening line "Once in a while will you try to give one little thought to me" is a poignant message to the former lover, asking them to remember the relationship they once had, even though they are no longer together.
The song's chorus, "In love's smoldering ember, one spark may remain, if love still can remember, that spark may burn again," is a hopeful statement that love can be reignited, even after it has cooled down. The singer acknowledges that they may never be with their former lover again, but that the memories of their time together are enough to bring them contentment. The lyrics are melancholic, yet tinged with hope and nostalgia.
Overall, Once in a While is a powerful reminder of the lingering effects of love, and how even after the end of a relationship, the memories and emotions it brings can continue to shape us.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in a while will you try to give
Can you spare a moment to think of me
One little thought to me
Just a simple remembrance
Though someone else may be
Even though someone else holds your heart
Nearer your heart?
More closely than I could ever be
Once in a while will you dream
Could you ever long for our love
Of the moments I shared with you
The intimate times we once had together
Moments before we two
The days before our separation
Drifted apart?
The time when distance grew between us
In love's smoldering ember
The remnants of a love gone by
One spark may remain
A small glimmer of hope still exists
If love still can remember
If only our memories can keep the passion alive
That spark may burn again
We might rekindle that which was lost
I know that I'll be contented
Even if I am not with you now
With yesterday's memory
The memories we created together are enough
Knowing you think of me
To know that you still remember me fondly
Once in a while
Even if it's just once in a while
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUD GREEN, MICHAEL EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind