The Platters, 4-man, 1-woman followed of black vocal harmony groups like the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers, ushering in a new age of contemporary pop and R&B. The group grew up in the thriving music scene of Los Angeles in the early 1950s, first signing with Federal records, and then joining fellow Federal artists the Penguins (who had a national hit with "Earth Angel"), signed by Chicago-based Mercury Records. Their first recording, "Only You," didn't get a lot of attention until a Seattle DJ played it, eventually turning it into a national hit. "The Great Pretender" was a #1 smash, "The Magic Touch" was a top five it, but their next recording, of British songwriter Jimmy Kennedy's "My Prayer" became the group's biggest hit. Rock 'n' Roll-styled "Out of My Mind" and one other song were scheduled for the Platters to perform on Dick Clark's Saturday night TV show, who heard "Twilight Time" over the phone and said, "That's the hit!" It was the first record of the rock 'n' roll era to feature strings. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "Harbor Lights," "With This Ring"-18 all-accompanied winners by one of the most exciting and popular vocal groups of all time! Beautiful liner notes with history and pictures of the group. |
