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.
We
The Platters Lyrics
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We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Please bring us a figgy pudding
Please bring us a figgy pudding
Please bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer
To you and your all
Good tidings and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Please bring us a figgy pudding
Please bring us a figgy pudding
Please bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer
Good tidings we bring
To you and your all
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Oh, Happy New Year
The Platters’ version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a classic holiday song that brings people together for good cheer and celebration. The song is an invitation to join in on the merrymaking, as the lyrics express wishes for a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the joy and inclusivity of the song, making it easy to sing along and dance to.
The lyrics revolve around the idea of hospitality and warmth, as the singers ask their guests for figgy pudding and good cheer. The reference to figgy pudding, a traditional British dessert made with figs, serves as a metaphor for the sweetness of the holiday season. The request for good cheer suggests the singers’ desire for their guests to leave their worries behind and fully embrace the joy of the moment.
The final lines of the song emphasize the hope and optimism of the new year, as the singers wish their guests well for the year ahead. This echoes the sentiment of the Christmas season, which is a time of hope and renewal. Overall, the song’s simple and cheerful melody, along with its festive lyrics, makes it a timeless classic that epitomizes the spirit of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We want to express our sincere desire that you have a happy and joyous Christmas season
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We want to express once again our earnest hope that your Christmas is full of happiness and goodwill
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
In addition to our hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, we also want to wish you a joyous and successful New Year
Please bring us a figgy pudding
We kindly request that you bring us a rich and delicious dessert called figgy pudding
Please bring us a figgy pudding
We would really appreciate it if you could bring us some of that delightful figgy pudding
Please bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer
In addition to the figgy pudding, we would also be pleased if you could provide us with a cup of something warm and uplifting
Good tidings we bring
We come to you with good news and well-wishes
To you and your all
These good tidings are meant not just for you, but for your entire family and loved ones
Good tidings and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Once again, we bring news of joy and celebration for Christmas and the upcoming New Year
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We want to reiterate our heartfelt desire for you to have a wonderful and memorable Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We want to emphasize once again that we truly hope your Christmas is full of joy and blessings
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
To summarize, we once again wish you a joyous and prosperous New Year in addition to a happy Christmas season
Oh, Happy New Year
As we end our well-wishes, we want to specifically express our hope that the upcoming year is filled with happiness and success for you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Art Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Chiquito022
The Platters
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Oh yes I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I play the game but to my real shame
You've left me to dream all alone
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not (you see)
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Yes I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
(Still around)
@helenwilliams5999
First song I ever took notice of. I was 11 years old. Still a favourite. I am now 75. Great.
@rulerworld1289
Wow youre old
@juliocaesar9623
@Ruler World bruh
@maliketh2951
@Ruler World smh
@alismarpevia6635
Ruler World LMAO
@clacktloc5816
Oh...wow
@farrellvanessa
This song doesn't get old. Simply perfect.
@davidderitis9068
Many great memories of being a kid in the 70's and my parents playing this song and other hits from the '50's every weekend. Of course I 'pretended' that I hated it but got myself busted one day when my dad came home and found ME listening to this!
@melissasalasblair5273
Perfection especially the title because it's a great movie too lol 🃏
@swellmate12
umm, actually it got pretty old, if it was born in 1955 then it would be 68 years old this year, which is pretty old in my personal opinion.