The Platters
The Platters were an American doo-wop group that was successful with some ballad-like millions Sellers in the 50s. Her achievements were Only You, My Prayer, The Great Pretender, Twilight Time and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.
Discovery
The group in the original lineup with Tony Williams ( first tenor ), Gaynel Hodge (tenor ), David Lynch (tenor ), Alex Hodge ( baritone) and Herb Reed ( bass) was established in August 1953 by Ralph Bass, the head of the King 's daughter Labels Federal Records discovered. On September 15, 1953, a first recording session took place in this lineup, emerged from the four songs.
The first single from this the gospel ballad like Give Thanks / Hey Now was selected, which was published as a Federal # 12153 in October 1953. The plate remained, as well as a follow-up single, without charts resonance. Another session was scheduled for 16 March 1954. As therefrom in April was published in 1954 as the third single Roses of Picardy / Beer Barrel Polka ( Federal # 12181 ), Buck Ram had taken over the management of the group. The record showed that the Platters had as yet found no identifiable sound. Ram responded and replaced by Gaynel Hodge Zoletta Lynn " Zola " Taylor, standing in the third recording session on May 20, 1954 before the microphone. One of the four recordings was Only You (And You Alone ), composed by Buck Ram Manager. The recording was so bad that label boss Ralph Bass rejected it. too, by further sound enhancements and personnel changes could not chart positions of the seven singles from Federal / King be achieved.
Mercury Records
Federal therefore lost interest in the Platters and dismissed the group from their contract. In April 1955 she received a record deal with Mercury Records, who had booked a studio for 26 April 1955. Among the five recordings there was the re-recording of Only You, which also did not like the A & R head of Mercury Records Bob Shad. However, manager Buck Ram insisted on the recording of the song, in which he can be heard on the piano. Reluctantly leaving Mercury, the ballad with the B-side Bark, Battle and Ball ( Mercury # 70633 ) published in May 1955.
The success surprised everyone involved. In the Rhythm & Blues charts, it reached the first rank, where it remained for seven weeks. Simultaneously with this succeeded an immense crossover success when they penetrated into the pop charts at number five, good evidence that the ballad had become the million seller. The published on November 3, 1955 follow-up single The Great Pretender / I'm Just a Dancing Partner has sold 1.8 million times; Only a million copies in France went over the counter and made the song for the first French million seller. On February 18, 1956, the board reached the first place in the U.S. pop singles chart for two weeks. Now, the Platters had found their sound and could strengthen him with more hits yet. They established themselves as one of the most famous black vocal groups of their time.
On March 21, 1956, the Platters were accompanied in the musical film Rock Around the Clock with Only You and The Great Pretender by Ernie Freeman Combo presented. There followed a string of hits, of which My Prayer, Twilight Time and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes each No. 1 on the pop charts reached. All of these cover versions were given the status of a million Sellers. A total of 46 singles emerged from Mercury to November 1964 following My Prayer. In addition, Mercury gave birth to 18 LPs with hardly varied sound out a style, " the banality brought to a point where she touched with true inspiration."
Statistics
Until 1965 the Platters were awarded nine gold records. They recorded over 400 songs that have been sold around the world 100 million times. The Platters were recorded in 1990 in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1998 into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The Platters are still active: In March 2008, she appeared in Stuttgart in the Schleyer-Halle at Porsche Oldie Night on.