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.
Unchained Melody
The Platters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hunger for your touch
A long, long time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me
Lonely river flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely river sigh, wait for me, wait for me
I'll be comin' home, wait for me
Oh my love, my darlin'
I hunger for your touch
A long, long time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me
The Platters' "Unchained Melody" is a love song that expresses the longing and desire felt by someone who is separated from their loved one. The lyrics open with the singer addressing their beloved, expressing their yearning for their touch after a "long, long time" apart. As time passes, the singer becomes increasingly anxious about whether their love is still reciprocated, asking "Are you still mine?"
The second verse introduces the metaphor of a "lonely river," which represents the singer's feelings of sadness and isolation. The river flows towards the sea, which represents the lover that the singer is separated from. The river sighs, waiting for the singer to return home. The chorus repeats the singer's plea for their love to be reunited, asking God to "godspeed" their love to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love, my darlin'
Addressing a romantic partner with affection and admiration.
I hunger for your touch
Expressing a strong desire for physical contact and intimacy.
A long, long time
Implying that the separation has been prolonged and felt like an eternity.
Time goes by so slowly
Conveying the feeling of time passing slowly while eagerly awaiting a reunion.
And time can do so much
Highlighting the impact time can have on a relationship, both positive and negative.
Are you still mine?
Posing a question about the current status of the relationship, and if the partner still feels the same.
I need your love
Expressing a deep longing and dependency on the love of a partner.
Godspeed your love to me
Wishing for the return of the partner's love with hope and urgency.
Lonely river flow to the sea, to the sea
Using a metaphor of a river flowing to the sea to symbolize the singer's loneliness and journey towards reunion.
To the open arms of the sea
Describing the destination of the river as a welcoming and comforting place.
Lonely river sigh, wait for me, wait for me
Expressing the river's longing and patience for the singer's return, despite the difficulties of the journey.
I'll be comin' home, wait for me
Promising to return home and be reunited with the partner, despite the challenges.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNCHAINED MELODY PUB LLC
Written by: Alex North, Hyman Zaret
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roger Cohen
One of the most romantic popular songs of all time. The great Tony Williams. Rest in Peace.
Cal
That is not the voice of Tony Williams singing this record.
Doraliza Duran de Morales
Que felicidad, se siente al ser correspondida, preciosa canción 💕!!!!
lizellie1
No matter how many times I heare this version of this song, my heart jumps and i shiver all inside. This is just beautiful. There is no song in the entire world like this one. it's unmatchable. Thanks Platters for singing this. I love it.
isaac silva
Só quem viveu os fins dos anos 50 e a década de 60 sabem o que foi dançar com a sua garota amada esta música. Saudades não tem idade.
taratova
The Platters are awesome. The best version of the song Summertime is done by the Platters. They just are totally the best.
excop820
Everything the Platters did was outstanding, all solid voices. But no one ever mentions the great rendition of this song by Al Hibbler, right back to the early 50's.
Edi Santana Barbosa
Fantastic! A melhor interpretação de Unchained Melody que eu ouvi em minha vida.
RCBROCE TV
Very nice song.....golden voice.
wqatyruhj asdfgh
The more I listen to it the more I fall in love with this. The passion and love has in this man's voice is beyond this earth. Nothing like that you can find nowadays. I wish I lived that era, so much love for u guys