“The Great Pretender” | |
---|---|
Single by The Platters | |
B-side | “I’m Just a Dancing Partner” |
Released | November 3, 1955 |
Format | 45 rpm, 78 rpm |
Recorded | 1955 |
Genre | Rhythm and blues, doo-wop |
Length | 2:36 |
Label | Mercury |
Songwriter(s) | Buck Ram |
Producer(s) | Buck Ram |
“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 written by Buck Ram, the Platters’ manager and producer who was a successful songwriter before moving into producing and management. “The Great Pretender” reached the number one position on both the R&B and pop charts in 1956. It also reached the UK charts peaking at number 5.
Platters’ version
Buck Ram reports that he wrote the song in about 20 minutes in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in order to have a song to follow up the success of “Only You (And You Alone)“. Stan Freberg parodied this version.
In 2004, the song was voted 360th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone. Plas Johnson played tenor saxophone.
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