"The Great Pretender" By The Platters Is Master Course In Vocal Harmony

Jun 18, 2020 by apost team

The Platters was a groundbreaking vocal group of the early 1950s whose sound initially drew inspiration from the Tin Pan Alley tradition and the rock-and-roll of the era.

Comprised entirely of African American members, which was virtually unheard of for chart-toppers at the time, they first found widespread success with their hit single "The Great Pretender." Listening to The Platters perform the song live is a master class in vocal harmony.

Founded in 1952, the group took some time to find their stride. This included several membership changes and an evolution of their musical style into something that resembled doo-wop. Doo-wop is characterized by a tenor male lead accompanied by three or four singers providing harmonic backup, and this was indeed the structure of The Platters, although they also had heavy R&B and gospel influences.

The Platters began as an all-male group, but after songwriter Buck Ram took over as manager, he introduced the first female member, thus creating the most successful iteration of the group. With this winning lineup, The Pretenders broke records year after year. However, by the mid-1950s, they still hadn’t quite made it to the center stage of the American music scene.

That all changed with the release of "The Great Pretender" in 1955. The song has a somewhat surprising origin story: the band members wrote the lyrics in the washroom of a hotel in Vegas called the Flamingo Las Vegas. As surprising as this choice of location might seem at first, it was, in fact, common for doo-wop groups to practice in such places because the acoustics there were ideal.

apost.com

True to its name, "The Great Pretender" is about a man who is “Pretending that [he’s] doing well,” while, in reality, he’s “lonely but no one can tell.” The man is “Adrift in a world of [his] own” because the person he’s talking to in the song has “left [him] to grieve all alone.” Thus, the speaker is making light of the situation by calling himself a pretender, but really he’s heartbroken.

In the recording, the group’s stunning mixture of tenor and bass vocals brings the mournful lyrics to life. Their talent for harmony is what sets them apart from other groups at the time, and it shines through on this track. Their stage presence, too, is marvelous; audiences at the time were captivated by the unique blend of voices and the way each group member contributed to the overall sound.

Following the success of "The Great Pretender," the band had no less than four number-one singles. Not only were The Platters one of the first African American groups to make it to the Billboard charts, but they also achieved worldwide renown, which they were able to sustain for many years.

Several decades later, Freddie Mercury, famous frontman of the beloved rock group Queen, repopularized "The Great Pretender." His rendition made it to number four on the UK Singles Chart.

Although their names individually might not be as well known, The Platters were hugely popular in their time. Their hit song, "The Great Pretender," helped catapult them to the top of the charts, where they remained throughout the 1950s. 

What do you think of The Platters’ story and this recording of their hit "The Great Pretender?" Let us know in the comments down below, and be sure to pass this on to any of your friends and family who love music!