THE PLATTERS 'The Very Best of' LP

In the 1950s, the American vocal group the Platters was the only major act to appeal to teenagers and their parents in equal measure. They had planned it that way or, at least, their manager, Buck Ram, did. When he was asked about their popularity, he didn t say "They're going to be bigger than Elvis": he said, "They're going to be bigger than Louis Armstrong!". The Platters introduced us to the soul ballad although it wasn t known as such in the 1950s. Their influence lives on in the work of others, and Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life" and the Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New" might never have been recorded if it wasn't for the Platters. Bryan Ferry revived "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and Freddie Mercury, "The Great Pretender". None have bettered the originals,and even the group the Pretenders took their name from a Platters' single.