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.
Only You
The Platters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only you can make the darkness bright
Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do
And fill my heart with love for only you
Only you can make all this change in me
For it's true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do
Only you can make this change in me
For it's true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do
You're my dream come true, my one and only you
(One and only you)
The Platters' iconic song "Only You" is a classic love ballad that expresses the depth of love and connection between two people. The song begins with the singer proclaiming that only the person they are addressing can make the world seem right and the darkness bright. The lyrics depict a sense of reliance on this person, as if they are the only one who can bring light and happiness into the singer's life.
The chorus of the song, "Only you can make this change in me, for it's true, you are my destiny," may sound cliché, but it speaks to the idea that the person addressed in the song is the one true love of the singer's life. The lyrics embody the sense of trust and belonging that comes with being in love with someone.
The song's final verse emphasizes that the person addressed is the one and only love of the singer's life, with the repeated phrase "my one and only you." The lyrics of the song are simple yet heartfelt, and they perfectly capture the essence of true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Only you can make all this world seem right
The singer implies that the person referred to as 'you' has the ability to bring positivity and hope into their lives, making the otherwise gloomy world a better place.
Only you can make the darkness bright
The singer believes that 'you' can turn even the darkest moments and situations brighter through their presence.
Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do
'You' are the only person who can excite and enthrall the singer in such an exceptional way, setting them apart from anyone else.
And fill my heart with love for only you
The singer professes that their love for 'you' is exclusive, and nobody else can come close to filling their heart with love like 'you' can.
Only you can make all this change in me
'You' hold transformative powers over the singer's life, bringing about positive changes and improvements.
For it's true, you are my destiny
The singer believes that 'you' are destined to be together, with no other alternatives or possibilities being viable.
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do
The singer acknowledges that the touch of 'you' holds incredible powers, and they feel blessed to be a part of it.
You're my dream come true, my one and only you
The singer believes that 'you' are the embodiment of their dream partner, fulfilling every expectation and desire, and there is nobody else like 'you' in their life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Buck Ram, Ande Rand
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JohnDonovan1968
"Excellent"
"Good! Cull The Herd!"
"Well Done"
"That's It"
"Yes! Sacrifice The Weak!"
"Perfect"
"Keep Moving"
"You're a Warrior"
"Not Bad"
@splinglegorf
Only you can make all this world seem right
Only you can make the darkness bright
Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do
And fill my heart with love for only you
Oh, only you can do make all this change in me
For it's true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do
You're my dream come true, my one and only you
Oh oh, only you can do make this change in me
For it's true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do
You're my dream come true, my one and only you
@RedCommando1084
Two types of people listen to this song:
1. This is nice, my grandparents loved this song. The Platters are truly a work of art.
2. CULL THE HERD!!!
@candicesurratt1
Fr I'm 2
@dallaswilliams6568
Or 3 you're a greaser who loves 50s lol
@whattheheck1372
maybe a 3 for arkham city?????????????
@Malarkey-ks4un
??
@Commander_Shepard2000
@@whattheheck1372no
@xijinpinggaming7256
WE MAKING IT OUT OF HOPE COUNTY WITH THIS ONE 🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@Ballssniffer600
I dont think so deputy….
@synthvvavve191
CULL THE HERD 🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥
@adriannavarrete9332
SACRIFICE THE WEAK 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥