Worldwide Vocal Group to Release First Official Recording in 50 Years

BOSTON, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In what some may call an act of poetic justice, Rock and Roll, Vocal Group and Grammy Halls of Fame recording artists The Platters will release their first official LP in more than 50 years this Valentine's Day during Black History Month.

The Back to Basics with The Platters LIVE! album is only possible after the last in a series of contemporary federal court cases that began in 2010, resulting in a court order that Herb Reed, founder and naming member of The Platters, had superior rights above all others to the group's name. The litigation that stretched across four decades ended last week with another federal judge solidifying that Reed's ownership, performance rights and other intellectual property of The Platters trademark resided in Herb Reed Enterprises, LLC, the company owned by Reed's Trust. This halted what was once a list of hundreds of great pretenders from deceiving the public by claiming to be or have an affiliation with the legendary Platters group.

The new 10-song LP recorded on the You Dig It label consists of timeless, chart-topping hits that propelled the original Platters to become the first African American vocal group to crash through the racial divide that existed in the '60s and reach international stardom. It will be available Saturday on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon, Beats, Rdio, Deezer, Tidal and YouTube Music Key.

The album includes Grammy Hall of Fame songs "Only You (and You Alone)" and "The Great Pretender" as recorded by the current members of The Platters—Wayne Miller, Valerie Victoria, Frank Pizarro and Cheo Bourne. This ensemble forms The Platters today and is the only group in the world legally authorized to continue the rich tradition of original members, Reed, Paul Robi, David Lynch, Tony Williams and Zola Taylor.

On Back to Basics with The Platters LIVE!, The Platters skillfully blend the instruments of voice with a basic trio of wood instruments comprised of a grand piano, upright bass and basic drum kit to present a sonic journey back to the basic roots of the historic vocal group.

As a bonus track, The Platters feature a rendition of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," a song with significant meaning to the group today as lead singer Frank Pizarro, a true American hero and member of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), was a first responder at the World Trade Center in New York City and helped evacuate people as Tower 2 collapsed on September 11, 2001. Pizarro served two tours of duty in the United States Navy in Iraq.

Back to Basics with The Platters LIVE! was recorded before a live studio audience and was mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Paul Kolderie (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Radiohead, The Go Go's, Dresden Dolls) and mastered by Grammy-nominated Jeff Lipton (Dropkick Murphy's, Arcade Fire, Click 5) of Peerless Sound in Boston.

To celebrate the release of the Back to Basics with The Platters LIVE! the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is set to release a brand new viral video designed to reveal the "Kitty Kiss" campaign with The Platters timeless hit "Only You (and You Alone)" from the LP providing the soundtrack to this fun and thought provoking campaign designed to encourage pet adoption.

Later this month, The Platters will be performing tunes from their new LP, accompanied by Music Director Michael Larson, as they help bring music back into the mansion for the first time in many years, at an intimate private party for the glitterati of Las Vegas being held at the recently restored Liberace Mansion hosted by radio and TV personality Robin Leach, formerly of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, to benefit Opera Las Vegas.

About The Platters

In 1955, the multi-platinum Platters crashed through the racial divide that existed between black and white artists during America's infamous civil rights era. Their debut hit single, "Only You (and You Alone)," that eventually launched them onto the world stage was actually an error. A popular DJ named Alan Freed accidently played their Mercury Records debut single on air during a "prime" time that was traditionally reserved for "white artists." The ballad, based on the then groundbreaking Tin Pan Alley sound, became an instant hit with the public and would eventually reach number five on the Pop charts. Soon after, The Platters released "The Great Pretender," propelling them to the number one spot on the charts, providing the launch pad for their meteoric rise.

CONTACT: Fred Balboni or Gina DeRossi
[email protected]/[email protected] 
978-535-0704 (o)/978-518-7463 (c) or 518-332-4988 (c)

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SOURCE The Platters