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.
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
The Platters Lyrics
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Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I called on dear old Santa Claus
To see what I could see
He took me to his workshop
And told his plans to me, so
[Chorus]
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He's making a list and checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows when you're a wake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
You'd better write your letter now
And mail it right away
Because he's getting ready
His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
[Chorus]
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
The lyrics of The Platters' classic Christmas song, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," tell the story of a narrator who traveled along the Milky Way to pay a visit to Santa at the North Pole. He was taken to Santa's workshop, where the jolly old man told him about his plans for the upcoming holiday. The chorus warns children to behave because Santa is coming to town to check his list and find out who's been naughty and nice. The verses describe the toys and gifts that Santa will bring and how children around the world will rejoice when Santa arrives.
The song's message is clear: children who are good will receive gifts from Santa, while those who are naughty will get nothing but a lump of coal. The lyrics are upbeat and cheery, with a lively melody and fun, festive instrumentation. The song encourages listeners to get into the spirit of Christmas and spread joy and goodwill.
Overall, The Platters' "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a timeless classic that captures the magic of Christmas and the excitement that children feel as they anticipate the arrival of the jolly man in the red suit.
Line by Line Meaning
I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I recently returned from a beautiful journey through the galaxy
Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I took a break at the North Pole for a vacation
I called on dear old Santa Claus
I visited the beloved figure of Santa Claus
To see what I could see
To explore and observe what was happening at the North Pole
He took me to his workshop
He showed me around his work area
And told his plans to me, so
He shared his ideas and goals with me
You better watch out, you better not cry
You should be careful and avoid crying
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Avoid complaining because I'm going to tell you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is on his way to this place
He's making a list and checking it twice
He's creating a list and reviewing it carefully
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
He's going to figure out who has been bad or good
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He can observe you while you sleep
He knows when you're awake
He's aware when you're alert and conscious
He knows if you've been bad or good
He can determine if you've been behaving badly or appropriately
So be good for goodness sake
Therefore, make a conscious effort to behave well
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Accompanied by small horns and toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
And playing sounds and rhythms
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Including pretty dolls that walk and make sweet noises
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Additionally, elephants, boats and toy cars for the children
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
Children in the world of girls and boys will be delighted and happy
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
They are going to create a paradise of toys surrounding the Christmas tree
Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
Santa is a hard-working person who has no time for leisure
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
Santa has to fill stockings of millions of children on Christmas day
You'd better write your letter now
It is advisable to write a letter to Santa now
And mail it right away
And quickly send it to his address
Because he's getting ready
Because Santa is preparing for his deliveries
His reindeer's and his sleigh
He's getting his team of flying reindeer ready along with his sleigh
So
Therefore
You better watch out, you better not cry
Be cautious and refrain from crying
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't whine, because I'm going to tell you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is en route to this place
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: John Coots, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind