This spring, LOVE is served on The Platters

Love is in the air! While many ofus have celebrated romance andwelcomed the Year of the Tiger onFebruary 14, the season of lovehasn't ended, because Yuan Xiao (元宵, the Lantern Festival), our ownValentine's Day, is only 10 days away.

Music, especially those oldies lovesongs, can certainly do the job ofuttering "I love you" wonderfully. Ifyou haven't prepared a playlist, whynot dig into The Platters' collection(which comprises nearly 400 songs)and pick a few awesome ballads?You may still be able to get tickets tohear a selection of their classic hitslive at Only You-Herb Reed &The Platters Live in Hong Kong, onMarch 12, at Hong Kong Conventionand Exhibition Centre.

The Platters, founded by HerbertReed in 1953, enjoyed their peakyears from 1955 to 1961, whenTony Williams was the lead vocalistof the doo-wop group (doo-wop is astyle of vocal-based R&B musicwith smooth vocal harmonies,usually accompanied by no or littleinstruments). Buck Ram, a giftedsongwriter, played an important rolein music arrangement and managingthe group until his death in 1991.

Currently, Herbert Reed is theonly surviving principal member ofthe group, but The Platters' musichas never gone out of time. SmokeGets in Your Eyes and Only You arenot only their signature tunes, butalso heart-melting love songs. Theformer might trigger sighs or eventears, whereas the latter is perfectfor declaring one's love to one'sbeloved.

Glossary

utter 講、表達

trigger 觸發

chaff 取笑、開玩笑

deride 嘲笑

destiny 命中注定

Quiz

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes訴說「愛情是盲目的」及失戀帶來的感慨，1. So I chaffed them and I gailylaughedmeans:

a. the singer is making fun ofhis friends

b. the singer doesn't believethat love is blind.

2. At the end of the song, "smokegets in your eyes" because

a. his beloved has married him

b. his beloved has left him

3. 以Only You表達天長地久、非君不嫁/非卿不娶最好不過，歌內哪句最常出現，用來表達愛人在歌者心目中的地位？

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

They asked me how I knew

My true love was true

I of course replied

Something here inside

Cannot be denied

They said someday you'll find

All who love are blind, oh

When your heart's on fire

you must realise

Smoke gets in your eyes

So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed

To think they could doubt my love

Yet today my love has flown away

I am without my love

Now laughing friends deride

Tears I cannot hide, oh

So I smile and say

When a lovely flame dies

Smoke gets in your eyes

Only you

Only you

Can make this world seem right

Only you

Can make the darkness bright

Only you and you alone

Can thrill me like you do

And fill my heart with love

For only you

Only you

Can make this change in me

For it's true

You are my destiny

When you hold my hand

I understand the magic that you do

You're my dream come true

My one and only you, only you

(One and only you)

AV Bi-weekly answers: 1. b; 2. b; 3. Only you