"Only You (And You Alone)" (often shortened to "Only You") is a pop song composed by
Buck Ram
Samuel "Buck" Ram (November 21, 1907 – January 1, 1991) was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger. He was one of BMI's top five songwriters/air play in its first 50 years, alongside Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, Jim ...
. It was originally recorded by
The Platters
The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The ac ...
with lead vocals by
Tony Williams in 1955.
[
]
The Platters versions
The Platters first recorded the song for Federal Records
Federal Records was an American record label founded in 1950 as a subsidiary of Syd Nathan's King Records and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was run by famed record producer Ralph Bass and was mainly devoted to Rhythm & Blues releases. The compa ...
on May 20, 1954, but the recording was not released. In 1955, after moving to Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
, 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.
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." According to Buck Ram
Samuel "Buck" Ram (November 21, 1907 – January 1, 1991) was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger. He was one of BMI's top five songwriters/air play in its first 50 years, alongside Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, Jim ...
, 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'' Hot 100 chart. It remained there for 30 weeks, beating out a rival ]cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
by The Hilltoppers. When the Platters track, "The Great Pretender
"The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single in November 1955. The words and music were written by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successfu ...
" (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
"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was reco ...
'', 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
Musicor Records was a New York City-based record label, active during the 1960s and 1970s. The label was founded by songwriter Aaron Schroeder and distributed by United Artists Records. In 1965, UA employee and A&R man Arthur Talmadge (a co-fo ...
in 1966, which features on the album ''I Love You 1,000 Times'' (MM 2091).
Charts
The Hilltoppers version
The Hilltoppers released their version of the song as a Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved to Hollywood, California. In ...
single in 1955. It reached number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 3 in the UK.
Franck Pourcel version
An instrumental version by Franck Pourcel
Franck Pourcel (14 August 1913 – 12 November 2000) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor of popular and classical music.
Biography Early life
Born in Marseille, France, Pourcel started learning the violin at the age of six. Later ...
was a hit single in 1959, and sold more than 5 million copies. Pourcel's version spent 16 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, reaching number 9, while reaching number 3 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, and number 18 on ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s Hot R&B Sides.
Ringo Starr version
In 1974, Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
covered this song for his album ''Goodnight Vienna
''Goodnight Vienna'' is the fourth studio album by Ringo Starr. It was recorded in the summer of 1974 in Los Angeles, and released later that year. ''Goodnight Vienna'' followed the commercially successful predecessor '' Ringo'', and Starr used ...
'' at the suggestion of John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
. This version was released as a single (b/w "Call Me") on 11 November in the US, 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. It was released in the UK on 15 November. Lennon plays acoustic guitar on the track, and recorded a guide vocal which was kept by producer Richard Perry
Richard Van Perry (born June 18, 1942) is an American record producer. He began as a performer in his adolescence while attending Poly Prep, his high school in Brooklyn. After graduating from college he rose through the late 1960s and early 197 ...
. Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ove ...
sings harmony vocals and appears with Starr in the amusing music video filmed on top of the Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
building in Los Angeles. Lennon's vocal version appears on his ''Anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...
'' box set, in 1998.
Other notable covers
*A version was recorded in 1956 by the Welsh singer Malcolm Vaughan
Malcolm Vaughan (22 March 1929 – 9 February 2010) was a Welsh traditional pop music singer and actor. Known for his distinctive tenor voice, he had a number of chart hits in the United Kingdom during the 1950s.
Biography
Born Malcolm James T ...
.
*In 1957 Gino Latilla presents the Italian version entitled ''Solo tu'' - ( Cetra Records, SP 27).
*Johnny Dorelli
Johnny Dorelli (real name Giorgio Guidi; born 20 February 1937) is an Italian actor, singer and television host.
Early life
Dorelli was born in Meda, Italy. In 1946 he moved to New York City with his family, where his father, Nino D'Aureli ...
recorded the song in 1957 - ( CGD, E 6020).
*Carl Perkins recorded the song in 1957, on his "Dance Album" record.
*The American vocal group Deep River Boys featuring Harry Douglas with Arne Bendiksen's orchestra recorded the song in Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
on August 8, 1956. It was released on the 78 rpm record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...
HMV AL 6033.
*Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...
covered the song on her 1962 album '' Sincerely, Brenda Lee''. When released as a single in Belgium, Lee's version reached number 3 in Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture ...
and number 44 in Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...
.
*In 1963, Mr. Acker Bilk recorded the song as an instrumental number, which reached number 77 (U.S.).
*Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
recorded the song in 1964 for his album '' Little Richard Is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!)''.
*Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
recorded the song in 1969 for the 1970 album ''The Big O
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' with "The Art Movement"
*Bobby Hatfield
Robert Lee Hatfield (August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003) was an American singer. He and Bill Medley were the Righteous Brothers. He sang the tenor part for the duo, and sang solo on the group's 1965 recording of "Unchained Melody".
Early life ...
of the Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...
released a version in 1969, which reached number 95 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
*English singer Jeff Collins from Enfield recorded the song in 1972. It was popular in Europe, and rose to number 40 in the UK charts, charting for eight weeks.
*In 1973, the singer Stein Ingebrigtsen had a number one hit on Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and th ...
's ''VG''-lista with a Norwegian version of the song, entitled "Bare du".[Stein Ingebrigtsen - Bare du](_blank)
''norwegiancharts.com''. Retrieved March 4, 2019. The lyrics were written by the record producer Arve Sigvaldsen. A Swedish version of the song, "Bara du", also recorded by Ingebrigtsen, became popular in that country. Ingebrigtsen also recorded a German version entitled "So wie du" with lyrics written by Ralph-Maria Siegel.
*Somewhere in 1973, John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
did a demo version for his partner and friend Ringo Starr to be recorded by him for his next solo album, the song can be heard on Lennon's 1990 '' Wonsaponatime'' album.
*The pop band Child
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
released the song as a single in 1979, reaching number 33 in the UK Charts.
*Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed " the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 singl ...
had a #13 hit on the U.S. Country music charts with her cover on her 1981 album '' Heart to Heart''.
*The Statler Brothers
The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening act and backup singers fo ...
covered the song on their 1986 album '' Four for the Show''. Their version was released as a single and peaked at #36 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart. A music video was made for the song and was shot at Opryland USA
Opryland USA (later called Opryland Themepark and colloquially "Opryland") was a amusement park, theme park in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally (generally March to October) from 1972 to 1997, and for a special Christmas-theme ...
.
*Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (born 19 April 1970) is a Puerto Rican-born Mexican singer, often referred to as ''El Sol de México'' (The Sun of Mexico), which is the nickname his mother gave him as a child—"mi sol". Luis Miguel has sung in mu ...
covered the song on his 1987 album '' Soy como quiero ser'' with the title "Solo Tú".
* John Alford recorded the song as a double-A side with "Blue Moon
A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: the third of four full moons in a season.
The phrase in modern usage has nothing to do with the actual color of the Moon, although a visually blue Moon (the Moon a ...
" in 1996, which reached number 9 in the UK charts.
*Stevie Holland
Stevie Holland (born January 11, 1965) is an American jazz and cabaret singer, lyricist, playwright and actress.
Raised in Westchester County, New York, she moved to New York City to study drama at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. ...
covered this song on her 2006 album '' More Than Words Can Say''.
*Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks or simply The Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for novelty records in 1958. The group consists of three s ...
covered this song in the 2007 film ''Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks or simply The Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for novelty records in 1958. The group consists of three s ...
'' and its soundtrack.
*Sam Milby
Samuel Lloyd Milby (; born May 23, 1984) is a Filipino-American actor, musician, guitarist, model, recording artist, and businessman. In 2005, Milby decided to seriously pursue a career in show business and modeling.
Biography
Samuel Lloyd Milb ...
covered this song for the 2009 Philippine drama series '' Only You''.
*Hep Stars
The Hep Stars are a Swedish rock band formed in Stockholm in 1963. During 1965–1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in the English language. Outside the Nordic countries the band is best ...
covered it for their 1965 live album ''Hep Stars on Stage
''Hep Stars on Stage'' (also referred to as simply ''On Stage'') is the first live album and second overall release by Swedish rock band Hep Stars. Released in November 1965 on Olga Records, the album is composed of recordings made on 7 and 8 Au ...
''.
*Harry Connick Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling male artists in the Uni ...
covered this song on his 2004 album '' Only You''.
*A version sung by Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
(in-character as The Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Bat ...
) was featured in the end credits of the 2011 video game '' Batman: Arkham City''.
Influence
*Dallara, the first Italian shouter (in Italian: ''urlatore''), and his music were influenced by the triplet pattern (in Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional It ...
: ''stile terzinato'') that had been introduced in Italy by the Platters in "Only You", and can be heard in their songs such as "Come prima".
See also
*List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)
Linked here are ''Billboard'' magazine's number-one rhythm and blues hits. The ''Billboard'' R&B chart is today known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
History
From May 22, 1948 to October 13, 1958, multiple charts were published, which explain ...
* List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1975 (U.S.)
References
; Footnotes
; Citations
External links
Vocal Hall Of Fame: The Platters
{{Authority control
1954 singles
1954 songs
1955 singles
1959 singles
1963 singles
1969 singles
1974 singles
1976 singles
1996 singles
Apple Records singles
Capitol Records singles
Doug Stone songs
Federal Records singles
Freddie Hart songs
Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Hep Stars songs
Mercury Records singles
Norro Wilson songs
Number-one singles in Norway
Reba McEntire songs
Ringo Starr songs
Song recordings produced by Richard Perry
Songs written by Buck Ram
The Platters songs
The Statler Brothers songs
The Stylistics songs
Train (band) songs
Travis Tritt songs
Warner Records singles