Before the Miracles recorded for Berry Gordy's Motown in Detroit, they released a few records on George Goldner's End label in NYC. Note the writers on the sides: Berry Gordy, William "Smokey" Robinson, and the mysterious T. Tonatto, who I have not been able to figure out a full name for. This particular record was originally released in 1960, but the multi-colored labels indicate that it's a second pressing from 1961, made to cash in on the success of the Miracles' song Shop Around. Originals bear the catalog number E-1029, while later pressings bear the catalog number E-1084. The uptempo A side is very good, but I prefer the B side.

I originally compiled this because I wanted to identify every song on which Zola Taylor sang lead or co-lead. While listening through the Mercury-era Platters catalog, I realized there was no comprehensive guide identifying the lead vocalist on each recording. This list is based on repeated listening and comparison of the voices of Tony Williams, Zola Taylor, Herb Reed, Paul Robi, David Lynch, and Sonny Turner. Where I was uncertain, I marked the attribution as probable rather than definite.

# THE PLATTERS VOCAL GUIDE (Mercury Era)

## ZOLA TAYLOR

### Lead

* As Time Goes By

* A-Tisket, A-Tasket

* Bark, Battle and Ball

* By the River Sainte Marie

* Honeysuckle Rose

* I Don't Know Why

* Indiff'rent

* Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries

* Make Love to Me

* Mean to Me

* My Heart Belongs to Daddy

* My Old Flame

* Oh My Dear

* Oh, How I Miss You Tonight

* Someone to Watch Over Me

* Somebody Loves Me

* Try a Little Tenderness

* Until the Real Thing Comes Along

### Co-Lead

* Don't Tickle

* Goodnight, It's Time to Go

* He's Mine

* Immortal Love

* Love Is a Duet

* Maggie Doesn't Work Here Anymore

* Moonlight and Roses

* Shine on Harvest Moon

* She's Mine

### Featured

* Lie-Low

* Volare (opening solo)

* Why Should I (opening harmony)

---Playlist for Zola's songs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQuI_-cyZyUE&si=fRQwRdjua0WggNwb

## TONY WILLIAMS

* Are You Sincere

* Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

* But Not Like You

* Don't Forget

* Ebb Tide

* Embraceable You

* For the First Time

* Full Moon and Empty Arms

* Harbor Lights

* Have Mercy

* Heart of Stone

* Heaven on Earth

* Helpless

* I Give You My Word

* I'd Climb the Highest Mountain

* I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time

* I'll Get By

* I'll Never Smile Again

* If I Didn't Care

* In the Middle of Nowhere

* In the Still of the Night

* It's Raining Outside

* Moonlight Memories

* My Blue Heaven

* My Prayer

* My Reverie

* My Serenade

* No Power on Earth

* O Promise Me

* On a Slow Boat to China (probable)

* On My Word of Honor

* Once in a While

* Only Because

* People Will Say We're in Love

* Poor Butterfly

* Red Sails in the Sunset

* Reflections in the Water

* Remember When

* Sad River

* Sentimental Journey

* September in the Rain

* September Song

* Sleepy Lagoon

* Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

* Stormy Weather

* Summertime

* Sweet Sixteen

* The Great Pretender

* The Mystery of You

* Twilight Time

* Whispering Wind

* You Can Depend on Me

* You'll Never Know (original version)

---Playlist for Tony's songs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP8dPRzxxcx0&si=JgjJCdNQUfUkRU5m

## PAUL ROBI

* A Little White Gardenia

* At Your Beck and Call

* But Not for Me

* Don't Blame Me

* Down the River of Golden Dreams

* I Can't Get Started

* It's Love, Love, Love

* Jeannine

* Love in Bloom

* Love You, Funny Thing

* Moon Over Miami

* Moonlight Memories (alternate version)

* Moonlight on the Colorado

* Rainbow on the River

* Take Me in Your Arms

* Temptation

* That Old Feeling

* The Glory of Love

* Three Coins in a Fountain

* Time and Tide

* True Lover

* Tumbling Tumbleweeds

* Whispering Grass

* You Are Too Beautiful

* You've Changed

---Playlist for Paul's songs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUhqC9_G5Qpw&si=b532TRVtAXhljIIO

## HERB REED

* Darktown Strutters' Ball

* Day-O

* I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter

* In a Little Spanish Town

* Java Jive

* Lazy River

* Love Is Just Around the Corner

* Roses of Picardy

* Sixteen Tons

* Sleepytime Gal

* Sometimes I'm Happy

* The Hut Sut Song

* When You Wore a Tulip

---Playlist for Herb's songs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAf8PEgfNPCc&si=Lujcx1BarOoV7xBK

## DAVID LYNCH

* Don't Be Cruel

* Goodnight, It's Time to Go (co-lead)

* Lie-Low

* Memories

* Shine on Harvest Moon (co-lead)

* That Old Black Magic

* Thanks for the Memory

* Way Yonder in New Orleans

* Mississippi Mud

---Playlist for David's Songs: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLauM4vE5G05s&si=Y6IDOhQy64Te18tA

## SONNY TURNER

* All the Things You Are

* Crying in the Chapel

* False Hearted Lover

* How Will I Know?

* It's Magic

* Keep Me in Love

* Little Things Mean a Lot

* Love Me Tender

* P.S. I Love You

* Reaching for a Star

* Song for the Lonely

* Tammy

* The Anniversary Song

* The Twist

* You'll Never Know (1962 version)

* The Three Bells

* Sincerely (mostly harmonization but sonny has a few solo parts)

---

## Uncertain

* Prisoner of Love (Paul Robi or David Lynch)

* Row Boat Ashore (can't really be labeled as anyone's lead it's a full harmonization)

* Rock Around the Clock (hard to tell with the pronunciation and accent, Paul is capable of hitting tenor notes so I believe it's Paul singing lead but I'm not sure it could be David too)

---

### Notes

* I personally don't care for sonny's songs I merely started this entire journey to find every song Zola Taylor sang lead

* This guide covers the classic Mercury-era Platters through the **10th Anniversary Album (1964)**.

* Lead vocal assignments are based primarily on careful listening and comparison of each member's voice.

* Songs marked **probable** or **uncertain** may benefit from additional confirmation by other collectors

Note the AU H2O 64 Inc. production company on the B side label. That was related to Anthony Hilder, who was a major supporter of Barry Goldwater (Au H2O being a common expression of Barry's last name). Please Be My Love Tonight is really a great song, especially toward the end with the speaking part.

Had this on repeat since morning.

A 15-track 1950s-style doo-wop concept album I curated/produced with AI

✨ Stars Fell on You and Me

Fifteen doo-wop love songs, all built around one feeling: the hush of a summer night, a porch light glowing gold, and someone worth every star in the sky.

There's the boy who couldn't find the words, the one who counted stars till morning, the quiet moonlit sway on the porch — all wrapped in warm upright bass, brushed drums, and those soft sha-la-la harmonies.

Play it with the lamps down low. 🌙💛

🎧 Full album — https://youtu.be/lR91xWyO_cY

#doowop #1950s #oldies #oldpop #vintagevibes #lovesongs #easylistening #JustToSayILoveYou

You're An Angel has to be one of the smoothest ballads in all of vocal group harmony. This is a second pressing with the red labels. The original 1st pressings have blue labels and are quite expensive. Originally recorded and released in 1956.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Brown_(The_Coasters_song)

For those who ever heard of it, it's an old Doo-wop song made in 1959 by the group mentioned.

Although the songwriters claimed the song is unrelated to the Peanuts character, I often wondered if some, including Schultz questioned that?

Always enjoyed both sides of this record. Found this one in an antique shop for $4. I think it's NM- condition, barely any surface noise.

Bought this a little while back. While both of these songs were available on an LP and an EP, the 45 is extremely rare. This is the first original copy of this to show up in probably 50 years. Rare records are still out there, you just have to know where to look!

Got this one in a record lot recently. I'm So In Love is definitely THE side here. Utterly killer ballad with a female lead. Group and label were from Philadelphia, Penna.

I'm not sure what makes Youtube algorithms work these days, a while back I created a new channel just for my music playlists. One of the more popular ones was Doo-Wop (Oldies). I've got 111 songs in this list. It's kind a pain to rebuild these lists. Any hoo, if any of you got lists of your favorite Doo-Wop songs then I would like to know any that I might be missing. Good ones are hard to find after you have been collecting as long as I have. That 1957-1962 was a special time. You can find my playlists by searching #OBML. If it is popular I will build back more of my old playlists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEfLMod-Wqk&list=PLCVjfC_bx-0c

This is the image I ran on eBay when I sold it out of my collection about 15 years ago. (Lots of bidders, as I recall, as only 300 of these 45s were issued.)

There's a good update on the front man, Ernie Simiele, here on YouTube, with his photo and the audio, of course, posted by Bob Pegg.

I cannot stand the Marcels take of Blue Moon. I think it sounds ridiculous.

I know it's a classic but I think the cover from Grease is so much better.

I want to surprise a girl I'm meeting with my friends' help. I want to get them to sing the "doo do do do sh boom" and all the other background assist voices, while I sing the main song for her. But I have no material to teach them., just the regular one where the main singing overshadows the rest like any normal song. the instrumentals I could find doesn't have the assist singing either.

would you happen to have a source that leads to the assist voices that my friends can clearly hear listen on repeat?

Is I met him on a Monday by the Shirelles the same song as Da doo Ron Ron by the Crystals? I've read that "Da Doo Ron Ron" was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector and “I Met Him on a Sunday” was written by Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee, Addie Harris & Doris Coley. But the opening line to the crystals Da doo ron ron is also ‘I met him on a Monday’ and in both songs they sing 'Do Ron' in the chorus.