The Great Pretender
I wouldn’t be exaggerating by saying I have heard or played this song over a hundred times since my teenage years, as it is one of my all-time favorites.
The Great Pretender by The Platters was released in November 1955. – It quickly became a major hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard charts in 1956.
This style of music, characterized by its harmonies and catchy melodies, was not called “Doo-Wop” at the time.
It was categorized as rock or R&B. The term “Doo-Wop” gained popularity around 1970 when oldies DJ Gus Gossert started using it on his WCBS radio show in New York City.
The song tells the story of a man who conceals his heartbreak by pretending to be happy, having mastered the art of smiling through his pain.
It was written by The Platters’ producer, Buck Ram, who needed a follow-up to the group’s first hit, “Only You.” Ram quickly composed the lyrics in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, where the group was performing.
“The Great Pretender” was featured in the movie “Rock Around the Clock” and on the “American Graffiti” soundtrack, alongside two other Platters’ songs, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and “Only You.”
The harmonizing female voice on the track belongs to Zola Taylor, the only female member of The Platters. Taylor was also the second wife of Frankie Lymon and was portrayed by Halle Berry in the movie “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.”
She passed away in 2007 at the age of 69. In 1987, Freddie Mercury revived “The Great Pretender” with his version of the song, which reached #4 in the UK.