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| Album cover: Back to Basics with The Platters LIVE! (PRNewsFoto/The Platters) |
Rock and Roll, Vocal Group and Grammy Halls of Fame recording artists The Platters released their first official LP in more than 50 years on Valentine's Day 2015, and will perform tunes from the LP later this month live in Las Vegas.
The Back to Basics with The Platters LIVE! album is only possible after the last in a series of federal court cases that began in 2010, resulting in a court order from Nevada-based United States District Court Judge 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 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.
The 10-song LP recorded on the You Dig It label is 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 tradition of original members, Reed, Paul Robi, David Lynch, Tony Williams and Zola Taylor.