Only You (And You Alone)
Encyclopedia
"Only You" (often shortened to "Only You") is a pop song composed by Buck Ram
. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters
, with lead vocals by Tony Williams
, in 1955.
The first recording of the song on Federal Records
, also by Williams and The Platters, turned out poorly in 1954, but after a re-recording, the song scored a major hit when it was released on July 3, 1955. The song held strong in the number-one 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
by a white band called 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".
covered this song for his album Goodnight Vienna
at the suggestion of John Lennon
, and it became a number six hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the easy listening chart in early 1975.. 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.
Conversely, the 1994 romantic comedy Only You did not feature the song.
The song is included on the soundtracks of the films American Graffiti
(The Platters
recording), The Delinquents (The Platters
recording), Mr. Destiny
and Alvin and the Chipmunks
in which it was performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks
.
The song is in the 1991 film Hot Shots!
starring Charlie Sheen. The song features in the 1994 Michael Hui
film Tie ban shao (Teppanyaki).
The song is also featured in the 1993 Mike Myers cult classic So I Married An Axe Murderer
. Partly sung in French by Nancy Travis during the wedding ceremony scene.
In the 1995 comedy Sgt. Bilko, Country music
artist Travis Tritt
sings it on the stage. Tritt's version was included on his 1995 album Greatest Hits: From the Beginning
.
This song was adapted into Cantonese
in the Hong Kong movie A Chinese Odyssey
. In the song, Longevity Monk tries to convince the character Joker, who he thinks is the Sun Wukong, to protect him on his travels and put on the Monkey King's golden crown. Instead, Joker beats Longevity Monk over the head with a rod.
Lonestar
recorded a cover version for the soundtrack to the film Where the Heart Is
.
This song also appears in the 2009 Japanese film Zero Focus.
Filipino actor/singer Sam Milby
sang a rock-version of the song which served as the theme song for the Filipino
-dubbed airing of the Korean drama series Only You and later served as the theme song to the Philippine adaptation of the series, starring Milby and airing on ABS-CBN
in the Philippines and The Filipino Channel
worldwide.
The song appears in the credits to Batman: Arkham City, sung by the Joker
.
Buck Ram
Buck Ram was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger.-Biography:...
. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
, with lead vocals by Tony Williams
Tony Williams (singer)
Tony Williams was the lead singer of the Platters from 1953 to 1960. Williams was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and died in New York of emphysema....
, in 1955.
The first recording of the song on Federal Records
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. But also hillbilly and rockabilly recordings were released,...
, also by Williams and The Platters, turned out poorly in 1954, but after a re-recording, the song scored a major hit when it was released on July 3, 1955. The song held strong in the number-one position on the U.S. R & B charts for seven weeks, and hit number five on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. It remained there for 30 weeks, beating out a rival cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by a white band called The Hilltoppers. When the Platters track, "The Great Pretender
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 on November 3, 1955. The words and music were created by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successful songwriter before moving into producing and...
" (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 (film)
Rock Around the Clock is the title of a 1956 Musical film that featured Bill Haley and His Comets along with Alan Freed, The Platters, Tony Martinez and His Band, and Freddie Bell and His Bellboys. It was produced by B-movie king Sam Katzman and directed by Fred F...
, The Platters participated with both songs "Only You" and "The Great Pretender".
Ringo Starr version
In 1974, Ringo StarrRingo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
covered this song for his album Goodnight Vienna
Goodnight Vienna
Goodnight Vienna is the fourth 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 many of the same players, including Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Robbie...
at the suggestion of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, and it became a number six hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the easy listening chart in early 1975.. Lennon plays acoustic guitar on the track, and recorded a guide vocal which was kept by producer Richard Perry
Richard Perry
Richard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
. Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
sings harmony vocals and appears with Starr in the amusing music video filmed on top of the Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
building in Los Angeles. Lennon's vocal version appears on his Anthology
John Lennon Anthology
John Lennon Anthology is a box set of home demos, alternative studio outtakes and other unreleased material recorded by John Lennon over the course of his solo career from "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969 up until the 1980 sessions for Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey.The anthology was divided by its...
box set.
Other notable covers
- A version was recorded in 1956 by the Welsh bon singer Malcolm VaughanMalcolm VaughanMalcolm Vaughan 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:...
. - The American vocal group Deep River BoysDeep River BoysThe Deep River Boys were an American gospel music group active from the mid 1930s and into the 1980s. The group performed spirituals, gospel, and R&B.-Members:...
featuring Harry DouglasHarry DouglasHarry Douglas, IV is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville....
with Arne BendiksenArne BendiksenArne Joachim Bendiksen, born 19 October 1926 in Bergen, Norway, died 26 March 2009, was a Norwegian singer, composer and producer, described as "the father of pop music" in Norway....
's orchestra recorded the song in OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
on August 8, 1956. It was released on the 78 rpm record HMV AL 6033. - A 1959 instrumental cover by French orchestrator Franck PourcelFranck PourcelFranck Pourcel was a French easy listening musician.-Biography:Born in Marseille, Pourcel's father started to teach him music at the age of six...
hit the Billboard top ten. *Brenda LeeBrenda LeeBrenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
's version made the top five in Flemish Belgium in late 1963. - Bobby HatfieldBobby HatfieldRobert Lee "Bobby" Hatfield was an American singer, best known as one half of the Righteous Brothers.-Early life:...
of the Righteous Brothers made #95 on the Billboard charts with his 1969 version. - In 1973, the singer Stein IngebrigtsenStein IngebrigtsenStein Ingebrigtsen is a Norwegian singer. He was enormously popular in Norway in the 1970s, nicknamed "Mr. Norsktoppen" for his countless hits topping Norsktoppen, an official chart for music in Norwegian....
got a big hit in Norway with a NorwegianNorwegian languageNorwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
version of that song entitled "Bare du". The lyrics were written by the record producer Arve Sigvaldsen. A Swedish version of the song, "Bara du", also recorded by Stein Ingebrigtsen, became popular in that country. Ingebrigtsen also recorded a GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
version entitled "So wie du" with lyrics written by Ralph-Maria Siegel. - The American vocal group The StylisticsThe StylisticsThe Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
recorded a cover version for their 1976 album, Once Upon a Juke Box. - Country singers Norro WilsonNorro WilsonNorris "Norro" Wilson is an American country music singer, songwriter and producer, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame....
, Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
, Travis TrittTravis TrittJames Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
and Doug Stone all released cover versions, in 1969, 1982, 1995, and 2006, respectively. Wilson, McEntire and Tritt charted with their renditions. - Japanese artist Shikao SugaShikao Sugais a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo. Though he uses katakana for his recording name, the kanji for his name are 菅 止戈男, but the romanization is the same. Suga is his family name and Shikao is his given name....
covered this song on his 2001 single Hachigatsu no Serenade. - Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
covered the song on her 2007 album I Love YouI Love You (Diana Ross album)I Love You is Diana Ross' latest album, released in the United Kingdom and some parts of Europe on October 2nd 2006. Diana was inspired to release an album of love songs after she had been looking through a family photo album and wanted to base her next project around the greatest factor in her...
. - TrainTrain (band)Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
covered the song in 2010 and released it as a non-album Internet-only single. - Most recently, this song can be heard sung by The JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
(voiced by Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
) in the videogame Batman: Arkham City during the end credits.
Appearances in films and television
The 1952 romantic adventure movie Scaramouche included the words “Only you, and you alone”. It is not known whether this was an influence.Conversely, the 1994 romantic comedy Only You did not feature the song.
The song is included on the soundtracks of the films American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
(The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
recording), The Delinquents (The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
recording), Mr. Destiny
Mr. Destiny
Mr. Destiny is a 1990 comedy film starring James Belushi. Other actors in this film included Linda Hamilton, Jon Lovitz, Michael Caine, Courteney Cox, and Rene Russo.-Plot:...
and Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (film)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a 2007 comedy film directed by Tim Hill. Based on the animated series of the same name, the film stars Jason Lee, David Cross, and Cameron Richardson with the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox and...
in which it was performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
.
The song is in the 1991 film Hot Shots!
Hot Shots!
Hot Shots! is a 1991 comedy spoof film starring Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Kevin Dunn, Jon Cryer and Ryan Stiles . It was directed by Jim Abrahams, co-director of Airplane! , and was written by Abrahams and Pat Proft...
starring Charlie Sheen. The song features in the 1994 Michael Hui
Michael Hui
Michael Hui Koon-Man is a Hong Kong comedian, scriptwriter and director. He is the eldest of the four Hui brothers who remain three of the most prominent figures in the Hong Kong entertainment circle during the 1970s and the 1980s...
film Tie ban shao (Teppanyaki).
The song is also featured in the 1993 Mike Myers cult classic So I Married An Axe Murderer
So I Married an Axe Murderer
So I Married an Axe Murderer is a 1993 American comedy-horror film starring Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. Myers plays Charlie McKenzie, a man afraid of commitment until he meets Harriet , who works at a butcher shop and may be a serial killer...
. Partly sung in French by Nancy Travis during the wedding ceremony scene.
In the 1995 comedy Sgt. Bilko, Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
sings it on the stage. Tritt's version was included on his 1995 album Greatest Hits: From the Beginning
Greatest Hits: From the Beginning
Greatest Hits: From the Beginning is the title of the first greatest hits compilation issued by American country music singer Travis Tritt. Released in 1995 on Warner Bros...
.
This song was adapted into Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
in the Hong Kong movie A Chinese Odyssey
A Chinese Odyssey
A Chinese Odyssey is a pair of 1994 films, directed by Jeffrey Lau and starring Stephen Chow, Karen Mok, Ng Man Tat, and Athena Chu. The first movie in the duology is A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box and the second is A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella...
. In the song, Longevity Monk tries to convince the character Joker, who he thinks is the Sun Wukong, to protect him on his travels and put on the Monkey King's golden crown. Instead, Joker beats Longevity Monk over the head with a rod.
Lonestar
Lonestar
Lonestar is an American country music group consisting of Richie McDonald , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater , Dean Sams , and Michael Hill . McDonald left the band in November 2007 for a solo career before returning in 2011...
recorded a cover version for the soundtrack to the film Where the Heart Is
Where the Heart Is (2000 film)
Where the Heart Is is a 2000 drama/romance film directed by Matt Williams and produced by Susan Cartsonis, David McFadzean, Patricia Whitcher and Matt Williams. Filmed in Austin, Texas, and Waco, Texas at Baylor University. The movie stars Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd...
.
This song also appears in the 2009 Japanese film Zero Focus.
Filipino actor/singer Sam Milby
Sam Milby
Samuel Lloyd "Sam" Lacia Milby , is a Filipino-American who joined Pinoy Big Brother as a housemate...
sang a rock-version of the song which served as the theme song for the Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
-dubbed airing of the Korean drama series Only You and later served as the theme song to the Philippine adaptation of the series, starring Milby and airing on ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
in the Philippines and The Filipino Channel
The Filipino Channel
The Filipino Channel is an international television station owned by the Philippine-based multimedia conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation. The network is currently available in Asia Pacific, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and the United States. It has over two million subscribers in these...
worldwide.
The song appears in the credits to Batman: Arkham City, sung by the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
.
See also
- List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1975 (U.S.)