# Who sang The Wonder of You first? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-sang-the-wonder-of-you-first/323548 "2005-09-26T19:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-sang-the-wonder-of-you-first/323548/1 "2005-09-26T19:54:13Z")
The Platters or Elvis? That seems a little bare, so I’ll add: A co-worker got me The Platters Forever Gold. Damn, those are some good love songs. And, surprisingly, I know all of the words to most of the songs. Go out and get it, there’s a whole lotta good out-of-tune singing to be done! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-sang-the-wonder-of-you-first/323548/2 "2005-09-26T20:01:06Z")
I didn’t even know the Platters had recorded it. [This discography](http://www.celebritydirect.org/platters/disco.htm) doesn’t list a single release, but an album titled _The Wonder of You_ was released in 1976. That’s six years after the Elvis version. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-sang-the-wonder-of-you-first/323548/3 "2005-09-26T20:03:20Z")
Guy name Ray Peterson had a hit with in in 1959; Elvis’s top 40 version was 1970. The Platters didn’t chart with it, but it has to have predated Elvis’s cover. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-sang-the-wonder-of-you-first/323548/4 "2005-09-26T20:16:47Z")
The Platters were still releasing original music in 1976? I’m quite surprised by this. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-sang-the-wonder-of-you-first/323548/5 "2005-09-26T21:17:46Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Guy name Ray Peterson had a hit with in in 1959; Elvis’s top 40 version was 1970. The Platters didn’t chart with it, but it has to have predated Elvis’s cover. I confirm this to be the case, according to [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com) However, the Platters version of “The Wonder of You” appears to be a different song–except so far as I can tell, they _are_ in fact the same song. The Peterson and Elvis version is credited to Baker Knight. The Platters version is credited to Edward Heynman and Victor Young. Anybody know what’s going on here? The earliest instance of the Baker Knight song is Ray Peterson’s 1959 single, which also appeared on his 1960 album _Tell Laura I Love Her_ (So _that’s_ who Ray Peterson is!) It then came out in ‘64, covered by The Letterman (known best for "Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.") The Platters version appeared on album in 1968, followed by contemporaneous covers in 1970 by country singer Billy Joe Spears and Elvis Presley.