Only You (And You Alone)

Only You (And You Alone ) is the title of a product originating from the U.S. doo-wop group The Platters evergreens, who achieved 1.956 billion Seller status in years.

Genesis

The first record label was the Platters Federal Records, a subsidiary label of King Records. Meanwhile label boss Ralph Bass could not make the show hit with the young group after two recording sessions. There was a third admission date on May 20, 1954 at the tenor Gaynel Hodge by Zoletta Lynn " Zola " Taylor was replaced. One of the four recordings of this session was Only You (And You Alone ), composed by Buck Ram Platters manager with together. Ande Rand The recording was so bad that label boss Ralph Bass they rejected the Federal version was -. compared to the later hit version - much slower, the focus of the arrangements was on the piano and lead vocals sounded concentrated After seven singles lost Federal. Records the interest and dismissed the group from their record deal.

In April 1955 the Platters were a contract with Mercury Records. On April 26, 1955, led to a recording session with a total of five titles, among which was also the re-recording of Only You. Also, the artistic director of Mercury Records, Bob Shad, thereto was not pleased. Buck Ram, who provided the piano accompaniment in this recording, insisted on the publication of the recording and was able to prevail. This hit version with guitar, piano, bass and drums is slightly faster than the original version in Federal Records and presents a free, phrased and soulful singing Tony Williams.

Publication and success

70633 (45 rpm) / # 781 017 (78 rpm) As Only You (And You Alone ) / Bark, Battle And Ball was the title on July 3, 1955 under Mercury # published. Within a month, went a million copies of Only You on the counter, a total of about two million copies were sold. On July 30, 1955, the title came first in the rhythm and blues charts, where it remained in first place for seven weeks. It was only on October 1, 1955 reached the title of the pop charts, with number five as the highest quotation. The rival version of the white band called The Hilltoppers reached number three on the British charts. Only You thus became a massive crossover success.

On March 21, 1956, the musical film Rock Around the Clock was released in theaters in which the Platters, accompanied by the Ernie Freeman Combo, with Only You and The Great Pretender were represented.

Cover versions

Overall, BMI lists 53 cover versions thereof. The most successful cover was an instrumental version of the French orchestra leader Franck Pourcel & His Rocking strings from April 1959, which also sold two million copies.

Among the other cover artists to find the Hilltoppers ( November 1955 ), which reached number eight in the U.S. pop charts, The Johnny Otis Show ( October 1957 ), Carl Perkins (LP Dance Album of Carl Perkins; December 1957 ) Brenda Lee (recorded on October 25, 1961), Little Richard (June 1964) or Ringo Starr ( November 1974). From the Monte Carlos, there is a German version under the title Just like you ( December 1958; Polydor # 23817 ), the German text came from Ralph Maria Siegel.

Only You won a BMI Award and included in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

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