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.
Shine On Harvest Moon
The Platters Lyrics
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For the moon refused to shine.
Couple sitting underneath a willow tree,
For love they did pine,
Little maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness
So she said, "I guess I'll go."
Boy began to sigh, looked up at the sky,
Told the moon his little tale of woe:
"Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon,
So shine on, shine on harvest moon, for me and my gal!"
I can't see why a boy should sigh,
When by his side is the girl he loves so true,
All he has to say is:
"won't you be my bride,
For I love you,
Why should I be telling you this secret,
When I know that you can guess?"
Harvest moon will smile,
Shine on all the while,
If the little girl should answer, "Yes."
"Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon
So shine on, shine on harvest moon - for me and my gal!"
The Platters' song "Shine On Harvest Moon" features a charming story of a couple contemplating their love for one another under a dark sky with the harvest moon not shining. The lyrics of the song highlight the yearning and desire of the couple to be together despite certain obstacles. The opening lines describe the darkness of the night due to the absence of moonlight, with the moon choosing not to shine. The couple, sitting underneath a willow tree, is madly in love but hesitant to express their feelings.
The girl is afraid of the dark and decides to leave, which makes the boy sigh and look up at the sky. He starts talking to the moon about his troubles and sings the chorus asking the moon to shine on, and for him and his girl to find love on this magical night. The song's climax comes when the boy expresses his love for the girl and implores her to be his bride. The final chorus sings about the couple's need for love, even during the harsh winter months.
This timeless classic showcases the beloved American experience of young love under the stars with the added touch of the harvest moon. It swiftly became a staple of pop culture in the early 1950s and was covered by several popular musicians like Louis Armstrong and Judy Garland.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was mighty dark so you could hardly see,
The darkness was so intense that visibility was extremely limited.
For the moon refused to shine.
The moon was not providing any light.
Couple sitting underneath a willow tree,
There were two people sitting under a willow tree.
For love they did pine,
They both longed for each other's love.
Little maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness
The girl was scared of the dark.
So she said, "I guess I'll go."
She decides to leave because she was scared.
Boy began to sigh, looked up at the sky,
The boy let out a deep breath and gazed up into the sky.
Told the moon his little tale of woe:
The boy expressed his sadness to the moon.
"Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
Boy pleading the moon to shine bright and full in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
The boy hasn't received love since January, February, June or July.
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon,
Winter is not the ideal time to spend intimate moments outside.
So shine on, shine on harvest moon, for me and my gal!
Boy request the moon to provide enough light for him and his love.
I can't see why a boy should sigh,
It is not clear why the boy is sad.
When by his side is the girl he loves so true,
The girl he loves is right next to him and loves him back.
All he has to say is: "won't you be my bride,
The boy just needs to propose marriage to the girl.
For I love you,
The boy loves the girl deeply.
Why should I be telling you this secret,
The boy wonders why he is sharing such an intimate piece of information.
When I know that you can guess?
He is sure that the girl has already guessed how he feels about her.
Harvest moon will smile,
The full moon will look like it is smiling.
Shine on all the while,
The moon will continue to provide light.
If the little girl should answer, "Yes."
If the girl accepts the boy's proposal, the moon will continue to shine for them.
"Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
Boy pleading the moon to shine bright and full in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
The boy hasn't received love since January, February, June or July.
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon.
Winter is not the ideal time to spend intimate moments outside.
So shine on, shine on harvest moon - for me and my gal!
Boy request the moon to provide enough light for him and his love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael E. Renzi, Nora Bayes-Norworth, Jack Norworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind