Only You (And You Alone) Explained

Only You (And You Alone)
Cover:The Platters - Only You single.jpg
Caption:Mercury hit version
Type:single
Artist:The Platters
Album:The Platters (Original recording) & The Fabulous Platters (Re-recording)
B-Side:Bark, Battle and Ball
Released:June 1955
Recorded:April 26, 1955
Genre:Doo-wop
Length:2:36
Label:Mercury
Prev Title:Maggie Doesn't Work Here Anymore
Prev Year:1954
Next Title:The Great Pretender
Next Year:1955
Only You
Type:single
Artist:Franck Pourcel
B-Side:Rainy Night in Paris
Released:March 1959
Genre:Easy listening
Length:2:28
Label:Capitol
Next Title:Tango Militaire
Next Year:1959

"Only You (And You Alone)" (often shortened to "Only You") is a pop song composed by Buck Ram.[1] It was originally recorded by The Platters with lead vocals by Tony Williams in 1955.

The Platters versions

The Platters first recorded the song for Federal Records on May 20, 1954, but the recording was not released. In 1955, after moving to Mercury Records, the band re-recorded the song (on April 26) and it scored a major hit when it was released in May. In November that year, Federal Records released the original recording as a single (B-side - "You Made Me Cry") which sold poorly.[2] Platters bass singer Herb Reed later recalled how the group hit upon its successful version: "We tried it so many times, and it was terrible. One time we were rehearsing in the car... and the car jerked. Tony went 'O-oHHHH-nly you.' We laughed at first, but when he sang that song—that was the sign we had hit on something."[3] According to Buck Ram, Tony Williams' voice "broke" in rehearsal, but they decided to keep this effect in the recording. This was the only Platters recording on which songwriter and manager Ram played the piano.

The song held strong in the number 1 position on the U.S. R & B charts for seven weeks, and hit number five on the Billboard Top 100 chart.[4] It remained on the charts for 30 weeks, beating out a rival cover version by The Hilltoppers. When the Platters track, "The Great Pretender" (which eventually surpassed the success of "Only You"), was released in the UK as Europe's first introduction to The Platters, "Only You" was included on the flipside. In the 1956 film Rock Around the Clock, The Platters participated with both songs, "Only You" and "The Great Pretender".

The Platters re-recorded a slightly longer version of the song for Musicor Records in 1966, which features on the album I Love You 1,000 Times (MM 2091).

In 1999, the 1955 recording of "Only You (And You Alone)" by The Platters on Mercury Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[5]

Charts

scope=col Chart (1955 - 1957)scope=col Peak
position
US Best Sellers in Stores (Billboard)[6] 5
US Rhythm & Blues Best Sellers in Stores (Billboard)[7] 1

The Hilltoppers version

The Hilltoppers released their version of the song as a Dot Records single in 1955. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 in the UK.[8]

Franck Pourcel version

An instrumental version by Franck Pourcel was a hit single in 1959, and sold more than 5 million copies.[9] Pourcel's version spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 9,[10] while reaching number 3 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade,[11] and number 18 on Billboards Hot R&B Sides.[12] [13]

Ringo Starr version

Only You
Cover:Only You Ringo Starr single cover.jpg
Caption:Standard picture sleeve
Type:single
Artist:Ringo Starr
Album:Goodnight Vienna
B-Side:Call Me
Released:
  • 11 November 1974 (US)
  • 15 November 1974 (UK)
Label:Apple
Producer:Richard Perry
Prev Title:Oh My My
Prev Year:1974
Next Title:No No Song
Next Year:1974

In 1974, Ringo Starr covered this song for his album Goodnight Vienna at the suggestion of John Lennon. This version was released as a single (b/w "Call Me") on 11 November in the US,[14] and it became a number six hit on the US Billboard best seller chart and reached number one on the Easy Listening chart in early 1975.[15] It was released in the UK on 15 November.[16] Lennon plays acoustic guitar on the track, and recorded a guide vocal which was kept by producer Richard Perry. Harry Nilsson sings harmony vocals and appears with Starr in the amusing music video filmed on top of the Capitol Records Building in Los Angeles. Lennon's vocal version appears on his Anthology box set, in 1998.

Other cover versions

Influence and usage in popular culture

See also

References

Footnotes

Citations

Notes and References

  1. For copyright reasons, Ram, who was registered with ASCAP, also added one of his pen names, Ande Rand.
  2. Web site: The Platters . Marv . Goldberg . 2008 . July 11, 2015.
  3. News: Herb Reed (Obituary) . . June 6, 2012. July 11, 2015.
  4. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 463.
  5. https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#o
  6. Best Sellers in Stores]. Billboard . 34 . November 5, 1955 .
  7. Best Sellers in Stores]. Billboard . 124 . November 12, 1955 .
  8. Web site: Hilltoppers . The Official Charts Company .
  9. https://books.google.com/books?id=REUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38 Strictly Instrumental
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306110412/https://www.billboard.com/music/franck-pourcels-french-fiddles/chart-history/hot-100/song/574987 Hot 100 - Franck Pourcel's French Fiddles Only You Chart History
  11. "CHUM Hit Parade", CHUM. Week of May 25, 1959. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306052941/https://www.billboard.com/music/franck-pourcels-french-fiddles/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs/song/574987 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - Franck Pourcel's French Fiddles Only You Chart History
  13. "Hot R&B Sides", Billboard. June 15, 1959. p. 39. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  14. Book: Harry, Bill . The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia . 2004 . Virgin Books . London . 9780753508435 . 183.
  15. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Joel Whitburn . 2002 . Record Research . 230.
  16. Book: Harry, Bill . The Ringo Starr Encyclopedia . 2004 . Virgin Books . London . 9780753508435 . 182.
  17. https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/d6a0a/Brenda-Lee-Only-You Brenda Lee - Only You
  18. https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/d6a0a/Brenda-Lee-Only-You Brenda Lee - Only You
  19. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
  20. https://www.billboard.com/artist/bobby-hatfield/chart-history/hsi/ Hot 100 - Bobby Hatfield Only You (and You Alone) Chart History
  21. Web site: Peat. Charlie. Former singer inspired to write more music after 40-year-old song proves a hit on YouTube. Hendon and Finchley Times. 13 August 2014 . August 14, 2014.
  22. https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Stein+Ingebrigtsen&titel=Bare+du&cat=s Stein Ingebrigtsen - Bare du
  23. Web site: Massimo. Fini. Ma il vero rivoluzionario fu Tony Dallara. Italian. 2021. March 29, 2021.
  24. The Platters - Only You [From American Graffiti] lyrics | Lyrics.com. (n.d.). https://www.lyrics.com/track/28983665/The+Platters/Only+You+%5BFrom+American+Graffiti%5D
  25. Joker singing only you in the Arkham City credits https://youtube.com/watch?v=5b23MR0p5kA
  26. Only You - Far Cry 5 Guide - IGN. (2018, April 2). IGN. https://www.ign.com/wikis/far-cry-5/Only_You
  27. Fallout TV show "Only You" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POEheQDA0e8
  28. Richard, N. (2024, August 1). Here's Every Single Song You Heard in 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Collider. https://collider.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-soundtrack-songs/