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.
Rock Around The Clock
The Platters Lyrics
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Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock rock
Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
Put your glad rags on, join me, Hon
We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight
When the clock strikes two, three and four
If the band slows down we'll yell for more
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight
When the chimes ring five, six, and seven
We'll be right in seventh heaven
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
we're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight
When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too
I'll be going' strong and so will you
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
we're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight
When the clock strikes twelve, we'll cool off then
Start a rocking' 'round the clock again
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight
"Rock Around The Clock" is a classic song by The Platters that embodies the rock and roll spirit of the 1950s. The lyrics speak about the joy of dancing and rocking out to music, as well as the experience of being young and carefree. The song is structured around the idea of time, with the lyrics mentioning each hour of the night and encouraging people to keep dancing until morning.
The lyrics are a call to action for anyone who wants to have a good time, urging listeners to "put your glad rags on" and join in on the fun. The repetition of the phrase "rock, rock, rock" drives home the song's message of enjoying life and living in the moment. The lyrics also reference the band playing, with the idea that the music should never slow down and that listeners should always be asking for more.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock rock
We'll start rocking at any time from 1 o'clock to 4 o'clock.
Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock rock
We'll keep on rocking after 4 o'clock until 8 o'clock.
Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock
We'll keep rocking all the way from 9 o'clock through midnight.
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're going to rock all night long.
Put your glad rags on, join me, Hon
Dress up in your best clothes and come rock with me, dear.
We'll have some fun when the clock strikes one
We'll start having fun as soon as the clock strikes 1 o'clock.
We're gonna rock, rock, rock, 'til broad daylight
We're not going to stop rocking until the sun comes up.
Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're going to keep on rocking all through the night.
When the clock strikes two, three and four
As the clock moves past 1 o'clock, we'll keep on rocking through 2, 3, and 4 o'clock.
If the band slows down we'll yell for more
If the band slows down the music, we'll ask for more to keep the party going.
When the chimes ring five, six, and seven
As we approach sunrise, we'll still be rockin' during the hours of 5, 6, and 7 o'clock.
We'll be right in seventh heaven
We'll be in a state of blissful happiness as we keep rocking through the night.
When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too
As we continue to rock, we'll hit the hours of 8, 9, 10, and 11 o'clock.
I'll be going' strong and so will you
We'll keep up the energy and keep on rocking all through the night.
When the clock strikes twelve, we'll cool off then
As we reach midnight, we'll take a break from the non-stop rocking.
Start a rocking' 'round the clock again
After our brief break, we'll start rocking around the clock again.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIMMY DEKNIGHT, MAX FREEDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind