Kurze Gruppenstory:
Im Jänner 1953 gründete der Unternehmer und Songwriter Buck Ram in Los Angeles ein Quintett, welches kurze Zeit noch ohne Namen bei FEDERAL als "Backgroundgesang", beispielsweise bei Jay McNeely, eingesetz wurde.
Die Gründungsmitglieder des Quintettes waren:
1.) Cornell Gunter, Lead-Tenor, geboren am 14. November 1936 als Cornelius E. Gunter in Coffeyville,
.....Kansas, und verstorben am 26. Februar 1990, erst 53-jährig, in Las Vegas, Nevada, nach einem
.....Schussattentat.
2.) Alex Hodge, Bariton, geboren am 28. Mai 1935 und verstorben, erst 46-jährig, im Jänner 1982.
3.) Gaynel Hodge, Bruder von Alex, Tenor und Pianist, geboren am 4. Jänner 1937 in Los Angeles,
.....Kalifornien, und verstorben am 2. Juni 2020 in Amsterdam, Niederlande, war ganz am Anfang auch
.....der "Musikdirektor" der Platters.
4.) Joe Jefferson, zweiter Tenor, bis etwa Mitte 1954.
5.) Curtis Williams wurde wie Cornell Gunter bereits vor der ersten Single-Aufnahme ausgetauscht.
ZU
1.) Bei den ersten Aufnahmen als Platters Ende 1953 bei FEDERAL, hieß der Lead-Tenor bereits
.....Tony Williams, geboren am 15. April 1928 als Samuel E. Williams in Elizabeth, New Jersey, und verstorben
.....am 14. August 1992, erst 64-jährig, in Manhattan, New York City. Nach seinem Abgang am 6. Juni 1960,
.....er startete eine Solo-Karriere, hieß der neue Lead-Tenor Sonny Turner, geboren am 24. September 1939
…..in Fairmont, West Virginia.
2.) Paul Robi, Bariton, geboren am 20. August 1931 als Paul Irvin Roby in New Orleans, Louisiana, und
.....verstorben am 1. Februar 1989 erst 57-jährig, in Los Angeles, Kalifornien, an Krebs, war ab 1953 der
.....Ersatz für Alex Hodge .
3.) Etwa Ende 1954 tauschte Buck Ram den Pianisten und Musikdirektor gegen eine weibliche Stimme aus.
.....Zola Taylor, Altstimme, wurde am 17. März 1938 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien als Zoletta Lynn Taylor
.....geboren und verstarb am 30. April 2007, erst 69-jährig, nach mehreren Schlaganfällen an einer .....Lungenentzündung, ebenda.
4.) David Lynch, zweiter Tenor, geboren am 3. Juli in St. Louis, Missouri, und verstorben am 2. Jänner 1981,
.....erst 51-jährig, in Long Beach, Kalifornien, an einem Krebsleiden, ersetzte etwa ab Mitte 1954 Joe Jefferson.
5.) Herb Reed, Bass, geboren am 7. August 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri, als Herbert Reed und verstorben
.....am 4. Juni 2012 in einem Spital in Boston, Massachusetts, war wie Tony Williams ab der ersten Single
.....dabei.
Außerhalb dieser Abteilung R & R - Ära, also nach 1963, gab es bei den noch heute aktiven Platters, eine größere Anzahl von personellen Änderungen und Umstrukturierungen.
Die Singles der Platters bis 1963:
FEDERAL
11 53....45—12153....THE PLATTERS..Hey Now (45—F366)/Give Thanks (45—F364)
01 54....45—12164....THE PLATTERS..I Need You All The Time (45—F365)/I'll Cry When You're Gone (45—F363)
05 54....45—12181....THE PLATTERS..Beer Barrell Boogie (45—F412)/Roses Of Picardy (45—F410)
06 54....45—12188....THE PLATTERS..Tell The World (45—F411)/Love All Night (45—F409)
KING
10 54....45—4752....LINDA HAYES..Let's Babalu (45—F1140)/My Name Ain't Annie (45—F1141) *)
FEDERAL
11 54....45—12198....THE PLATTERS..Shake It Up Mambo (45—F435)/Voo-Vee-Ah-Bee (45—F433)
01 55....45—12204....THE PLATTERS..Take Me Back, Take Me Back (45—F436)/Maggie Doesn't Work Here (45—F434)
KING
02 55....45—4773....LINDA HAYES and TONY WILLIAMS (Of The Platters)..Oochi Pachi (45—K9557)/LINDA HAYES and THE PLATTERS..Please Have Mercy (45—K9558)
RPM
03 55....45x426 "THE FABULOUS" JOE HOUSTON Shtiggy Boom (2165)/Joe's Gone (2166) **)
MERCURY
05 55....70633-X45....THE PLATTERS..Only You (And You Alone) (YW11548)/Bark, Battle And Ball (YW11545)
11 55....70753X45....THE PLATTERS..The Great Pretender (YW12070)/I'm Just A Dancing Partner (YW12071)
FEDERAL
11 55....45—12244....THE PLATTERS..Only You (And You Alone) (45—F419)/You Made Me Cry (45—F417)
12 55....45—12250....THE PLATTERS..Tell The World (45—F411)/I Need You All The Time (45—F365) (12188/12164)
MERCURY
02 56....70819X45....THE PLATTERS..Winner Take All (YW12456)/(You've Got) The Magic Touch (YW12457)
FEDERAL
05 56....45—12271....THE PLATTERS..Give Thanks (45—F364)/I Need You All The Time (45—F365) (12153/12164)
MERCURY
06 56....70893X45....THE PLATTERS..Heaven On Earth (YW12628)/My Prayer (YW12624)
08 56....70948X45....THE PLATTERS..It Isn't Right (YW13649)/ You'll Never Never Know (YW13638)
11 56....71011X45....THE PLATTERS..One In A Million (YW13674)/On My Word Of Honor (YW12630)
01 57....71032X45....THE PLATTERS..He's Mine (YW13651)/I'm Sorry (YW12626)
04 57....71093X45....THE PLATTERS..My Dream (YW14847)/I Wanna (YW11546)
08 57....71184X45....THE PLATTERS..The Mystery Of You (YW14907)/Only Because (YW14905)
12 57....71246X45....THE PLATTERS..Helpless (YW16484)/Indiff'rent (YW16158)
04 58....71289X45....THE PLATTERS..Out Of My Mind (YW17022)/Twilight Time (YW16506)
06 58....71320X45....THE PLATTERS..My Old Flame (YW16453)/You're Making A Mistake (YW14856)
MERCURY - CELEBRITY SERIES
07 58....C-30065....THE PLATTERS..The Great Pretender (YW12070)/Only You (And You Alone) (YW11548) (70753/70633)
07 58....C-30066....THE PLATTERS..My Prayer (YW12624)/(You've Got) The Magic Touch (YW12457) (70893/70819)
MERCURY
08 58....71353X45....THE PLATTERS..It's Raining Outside (YW16866)/I Wish (YW16485)
11 58....71383X45....THE PLATTERS..No Matter What You Are (YW16486)/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (YW15493)
MERCURY - Stereo
01 59....SS-10001....THE PLATTERS..Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/No Matter What You Are
MERCURY
03 59....71427X45....THE PLATTERS..The Sound And The Fury (YW18179)/Enchanted (YW18086)
05 59....71467X45....THE PLATTERS..Love Of A Lifetime (YW18088)/Remember When (YW15502)
MERCURY - CELEBRITY SERIES
?? 59....C-30075....THE PLATTERS..For The First Time (Come Prima) (YW16867)/Twilight Time (YW16506) (EP 3393)
MERCURY - Stereo
07 59....SS-10007....THE PLATTERS..Love Of A Lifetime (YWPB-1445)/Remember When (YWPB-1279)
MERCURY
08 59....71502X45....THE PLATTERS..Where (Tschaikowsky's "Pathetique Symphony") (YW18087)/Wish It Were Me (YW18085)
MERCURY - Stereo
09 59....SS-10018....THE PLATTERS..Where (Tschaikowsky's "Pathetique Symphony") (YWPB-1444)/Wish It Were Me (YWPB-1442)
MERCURY
11 59....71538X45....THE PLATTERS Orchestra conducted by Eddie Beal..My Secret (YW18983)/What Does It Matter (YW18984)
MERCURY - Stereo
12 59....SS-10022X45....THE PLATTERS..What Does It Matter/My Secret
MERCURY
01 60....71563X45....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Sleepy Lagoon (YW18918)/Harbor Lights (YW18887)
MERCURY - Stereo
02 60....SS-10024X45....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Sleepy Lagoon (YWPB-2303)/Harbor Lights (YWPB-2248)
MERCURY
05 60....71624X45....THE PLATTERS Featuring TONY WILLIAMS Orchestra Conducted by Buck Ram..(I'll Be With You In) Apple Blossom Time (YW19812)/THE PLATTERS Featuring TONY WILLIAMS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Ebb Tide (YW18922)
06 60....71656X45....THE PLATTERS FeaturIng TONY WILLIAMS Orch. Cond by David Carroll..Sad River (YW18921)/Red Sails In The Sunset (YW18915)
MERCURY - Stereo
06 60....SS-10031X45....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by Buck Ram..(I'll Be With You In) Apple Blossom Time (YWPB-3139)/THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Ebb Tide (YWPB-2307)
MERCURY
09 60....71697....THE PLATTERS..Down The River Of Golden Dreams (YW18914)/To Each His Own (YW18180)
MERCURY - Stereo
09 60....SS-10038X45....THE PLATTERS..Red Sails In The Sunset/Sad River
10 60....SS-10042X45....THE PLATTERS..To Each His Own/Down The River Of Golden Dreams
MERCURY
12 60....71749....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..True Lover (YW21520)/If I Didn't Care (YW15492)
03 61....71791....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Immortal Love (YW20479)/THE PLATTERS Arranged & Conducted by David Carroll..Trees (YW19816)
07 61....71847....THE PLATTERS..You Don't Say (YW17024)/THE PLATTERS Arranged & Conducted by David Carroll..I'll Never Smile Again (YW15501)
11 61....71904....THE PLATTERS Arranged & Conducted by David Carroll..Song For The Lonely (YW21844)/You'll Never Know (YW21377)
02 62....71921....THE PLATTERS Arranged & Conducted by David Carroll..Reaching For A Star (YW21842)/It's Magic (YW21378)
05 62....7 1 9 8 6....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Every Little Movement (Has A Meaning All Its Own) (YW24179)/More Than You Know (YW24180)
11 62....7 2 0 6 0....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by Bill Ramal..Heartbreak (YW 25636)/Memories (YW 25637)
MERCURY - CELEBRITY SERIES
?? 62....C-30083....THE PLATTERS..Love Of A Lifetime (YW18088)/Remember When (YW15502) (71467)
?? 62....C-30093....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..Harbor Lights (YW18887)/Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (YW15493) (71563/71383)
12 62....C-30109....THE PLATTERS Orchestra Conducted by David Carroll..I'll Never Smile Again (YW15501)/Thanks For The Memory (YW15494) (LP 20410)
MERCURY
03 63....72107....THE PLATTERS..Once In A While (YW 26487)/I'll See You In My Dreams (YW 25643)
06 63….72129….THE PLATTERS Arranged and Conducted by Buck Ram..Strangers (YW28520)/THE PLATTERS Arranged and Conducted by David Carroll..Here Comes Heaven Again (YW26812)
10 63….72197….THE PLATTERS With Buck Ram & His Orchestra..Cuando Calienta El Sol (Love Me With All Your Heart) (YW27776)/Viva Ju Juy (YW27774)
..*) die Platters als Backgroundsänger ohne Label-Vermerk
**) um die Zeit zwischen der letzten Aufnahme-Session bei FEDERAL im September 1954 und ihrer
......ersten Aufnahme-Session bei MERCURY am 26. April 1955 zu nützen, halfen sie bei Joe Houston
......auf RPM als namenlose "Vocal Group" mit David Lynch als Lead-Sänger aus
Keep Searchin'
Gerd
Die Platters als namenlose "Vocal Group" auf der A-Seite einer Joe Houston-Single:
