Only You (And You Alone)
Only You (And You Alone) is an R&B song by the US doo-wop group The Platters from 1955. The piece became a million-seller and an evergreen .
History of origin
The Platters' first record label was Federal Records, a subsidiary of King Records . Its label boss Ralph Bass could not show a hit with the young group after two recording sessions. A third recording date followed on May 20, 1954, when tenor Gaynel Hodge was replaced by Zoletta Lynn "Zola" Taylor . One of the four recordings of this session was Only You (And You Alone) , composed by Platters manager Buck Ram . The recording was so bad that label boss Ralph Bass rejected it. The Federal version was - compared to the later hit version - much slower, the focus of the arrangement was on the piano and the lead vocals sounded narrow. After seven singles, Federal Records lost interest and released the group from their record deal.
In April 1955, the Platters got a contract with Mercury Records . On April 26, 1955, there was a recording session with a total of five tracks, including the new recording of Only You . Mercury Records Artistic Director Bob Shad didn't like this either. Buck Ram, who provided the piano accompaniment for this recording, insisted on the publication of the recording and was able to prevail. This hit version with guitar, piano, bass and drums is a little faster than the original version on Federal Records and features a free, phrased and soulful singing Tony Williams.
Publication and Success
The title was released as Only You (And You Alone) / Bark, Battle And Ball on July 3, 1955 under Mercury # 70633 (45 rpm) / # 781017 (78 rpm). Within a month, a million copies of Only You went over the counter, with a total of around two million copies sold. On 30 July 1955, the first title came in the rhythm and blues - hit parade , where he remained for seven weeks in first place. It was not until October 1, 1955, that the title reached the pop charts, with number five as the highest rating. The rival version of the white band The Hilltoppers reached number three on the British and eighth on the US charts. Only You thus developed into a crossover success.
On March 21, 1956, the music film Rock Around the Clock was released , in which the Platters, accompanied by the Ernie Freeman Combo, were represented by Only You and The Great Pretender . Only You received a BMI award and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 .
Cover versions
BMI lists a total of 53 cover versions of this. The most successful cover was an instrumental version by the French orchestra director Franck Pourcel & His Rocking Strings from April 1959, which also sold two million copies.
Other cover artists include The Johnny Otis Show (1957), Carl Perkins (LP Dance Album of Carl Perkins ; 1957), Brenda Lee (1961), Little Richard (1964) and Ringo Starr (1974). There is a German version of the Montecarlos under the title So wie Du (1958; Polydor # 23817), the German text was by Ralph Maria Siegel .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Jay Warner, American Singing Groups , 2006, p. 276.
- ^ Dave Marsh, The Heart of Rock And Soul (1989), 153.
- ↑ Eddie Barclay-Story about the Platters , Billboard Magazine, May 30, 1970.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 253. ISBN 1-904994-10-5 .
- ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 132.