103-553: William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) is an American singer best known as one-half of the Righteous Brothers . He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as " You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' ". Medley produced a number of the duo's songs, including " Unchained Melody " and " (You're My) Soul and Inspiration ". Medley is also a solo artist. His million-selling No. 1 duet with Jennifer Warnes , " (I've Had) The Time of My Life " (1987), won
206-558: A private investigator in an effort to track down the killer. On January 27, 2017, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced that investigators used a new DNA testing method to solve the decades-old murder. The sheriff's department said that the case "was solved through the use of familial DNA, which identified the killer", who was named as Kenneth Troyer, a sex offender and fugitive killed by police in 1982. Medley married Paula Vasu in 1986. The couple had
309-478: A "Greatest Hits" compilation which has been modified twice: in 1983 with 10 tracks and in 1990 with two more tracks. The duo split up in February 1968, a breakup that would last for more than six years, when Medley left to pursue a solo career. Medley recorded a few solo recordings on several labels, while Hatfield teamed up with singer Jimmy Walker (from The Knickerbockers ) using the Righteous Brothers name on
412-585: A 2013 interview, Jimmy Walker said he had wanted to continue, but Hatfield decided to take a break and broke up the act. In 1969, Hatfield appeared in a TV movie , The Ballad of Andy Crocker , and also recorded " Only You ". He released a solo album, Messin' In Muscle Shoals in 1971. According to Medley, he was performing three shows a night in Las Vegas, but finding it too much of a strain on his voice singing solo, and under advice he sought out Hatfield to reform The Righteous Brothers; Hatfield at this point
515-681: A 21st Anniversary Celebration concert in 1983 at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, which was later released on video and was also aired on television. In the late 1970s, Medley once again began to record as a solo artist and had some success in the 1980s. In 1984, he scored country hits with "Till Your Memory's Gone" and " I Still Do ", the latter also an adult-contemporary crossover hit. In late 1987, his duet with Jennifer Warnes , " (I've Had) The Time of My Life ", which appeared on
618-554: A Great Night for Football" from Tony Scott 's film The Last Boy Scout ; and the theme song for the Growing Pains spinoff Just the Ten of Us . He also collaborated with Giorgio Moroder and scored a moderate UK hit in 1988 with a version of " He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother ". Medley lensed a video for the song which was also used over the closing credits for the film Rambo III . In 1985, Medley and Hatfield opened The Hop,
721-413: A Righteous Brothers-type version of the song as a duo. The recording was produced by Mike Stock and Matt Aitken . It was later revealed by Stock that the vocals were "assisted" and parts of the song were sung by other session singers. It was released as a double A-sided single with " White Cliffs of Dover ", a popular song during World War II , included in recognition of the 50th anniversary of VE day ,
824-573: A better piano player." "Unchained Melody" reappeared on the US Billboard charts in 1990 after the Righteous Brothers' recording was used in the box office blockbuster film Ghost . Two versions charted in the US that year – the original and a new recording. According to Medley, he was interested in having the original recording released due to the renewed interest in the song, but was told that there were licensing issues. Although Hatfield's voice
927-712: A black U.S. Marine in the audience would shout, "That was righteous, brothers!", and would greet them with "Hey righteous brothers, how you doin'?" on meeting them. The Righteous Brothers released three albums under the Moonglow label, one of these and a further compilation album were released after they had joined Phil Spector. They released 12 singles with Moonglow, but only two were moderate hits – " Little Latin Lupe Lu " and "My Babe" from their first album Right Now! . In August and September 1964, they opened for The Beatles in their first U.S. tour. However, they left before
1030-500: A creator of novelty records with television characters such as the puppets Zig and Zag and action characters Power Rangers , then came to the attention of the media for his ability to create hit records. English singer-songwriter Gareth Gates first performed "Unchained Melody" as a contestant in the quarter-final of the first series of the UK singing competition television show Pop Idol , which included Simon Cowell as one of
1133-412: A daughter, McKenna. McKenna is also a singer; she has performed with Medley as his duetting partner on "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". Paula died of Parkinson's disease on June 8, 2020. In May 2020, Medley underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his throat. Medley was nominated for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist in the 1972 Grammy Awards for his recording of "Freedom and Fear",
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#17327832971541236-584: A few days later and discussed the matter, which ended in a coin toss, which Medley won, resulting in Heard accepting Medley's proposal. Heard has since communicated that he knows he can never replace Hatfield, nor will he attempt to do so and that he intends to sing like Hatfield rather than sound like him. A new CD was released the same year, featuring several of the Righteous Brothers' hit singles sung by Medley and Heard. In early 2024, after six decades of touring, Bill Medley announced his forthcoming retirement from
1339-566: A group called The Paramours in 1960, with Sal Fasulo and Nick Tuturro, later joined by Mike Rider and Barry Rillera. The band had its first paying gig at Little Italy restaurant in Anaheim, California . The Paramours were signed to Mercury Records ' subsidiary label Smash Records , releasing such songs as "That's the Way We Love" and "Miss Social Climber" in 1961. Medley first met his singing partner Bobby Hatfield through Barry Rillera who
1442-692: A hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Several more minor hits on Haven followed. After 1975, however, the Righteous Brothers would not appear in music charts except for re-releases of older songs and compilation albums, some of which were re-recordings of earlier works. Between 1976 and 1981, Hatfield and Medley stopped performing as a duo after the death of Medley's first wife, as he wanted time off to look after his son. They reunited for an anniversary special on American Bandstand in 1981 to perform an updated version of "Rock and Roll Heaven". They resumed touring intermittently, and they recorded
1545-426: A huge hit in 1990 after being featured in the film Ghost ) and " Ebb Tide " – and the massive US 1966 number one " (You're My) Soul and Inspiration ", plus the 1974 comeback hit " Rock and Roll Heaven ". Both Hatfield and Medley also had for a time their own solo careers. In 2016, Medley re-formed The Righteous Brothers with Bucky Heard and they continue to perform as a duo. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into
1648-405: A lawsuit from Spector, which MGM settled with a $ 600,000 payment to Spector. Their next release in 1966, " (You're My) Soul and Inspiration " was a Phil Spector sound-alike song. The song was first written by Mann and Weil after the success of "Lovin' Feelin'" but not completed, and they finished the song following a request by Medley after the Righteous Brothers moved to Verve. Medley then produced
1751-469: A number of albums by the Righteous Brothers released with Philles Records sold well. In 1965, they had a couple of guest appearances in the films A Swingin' Summer and Beach Ball . They also became the first rock and roll act to play the Strip in Las Vegas (at The Sands ). The duo's relationship with Spector however ended in some acrimony; in 1966 they signed with Verve / MGM Records , leading to
1854-535: A number of awards. Medley was born September 19, 1940, in Santa Ana, California to Arnold and Irma Medley. He attended Santa Ana High School , graduating in 1958. Raised a Presbyterian , he sang in the church choir, and his parents had a swing band. He became interested in R&;B music through listening to black-oriented radio stations. An early influence he has cited is Little Richard , who he first heard when he
1957-505: A record designed to reduce anyone separated from the one they loved to a "pile of mush". Sales figures based on certification alone. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. On June 21, 1977, Elvis Presley performed the song at a show in Rapid City, South Dakota . The performance, described by Rolling Stone as "the last great moment of his career",
2060-653: A rock & roll-themed nightclub, in Orange County, California. Medley appeared in the two-part episode "Finally!" of the hit television show, Cheers . In 1998 Medley, along with Jennifer Warnes, sang "Show Me the Light" over the closing credits of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie . He also recorded a vocal track for the song Lullabye on Jimmy Chamberlin 's (of Smashing Pumpkins fame) solo album, Life Begins Again . Through
2163-579: A show at the Cow Palace in Daly City, where one of Spector's acts, The Ronettes , was also appearing, and he conducted the band for the show. Spector was impressed enough to arrange a deal with Moonglow in early October 1964 allowing him to record and release songs by the Righteous Brothers in the US, Canada and UK under his own label, Philles Records . Prior to this, all the songs Spector produced for Philles Records featured African-American singers;
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#17327832971542266-413: A significant figure in the music industry. In November 1994, in an episode of the UK television drama series Soldier Soldier , characters Dave Tucker and Paddy Garvey, portrayed by actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn respectively, performed "Unchained Melody" as an impromptu duo, The Unrighteous Brothers, after the entertainment failed to appear for a friend's wedding. Their performance triggered
2369-575: A single "There She Goes (She's Walking Away)" in December 1962. However, the Paramours did not have much success and soon broke up, leaving Hatfield and Medley to perform as a duo in 1963. According to Medley, they then adopted the name The Righteous Brothers for the duo because black Marines from the El Toro Marine base started calling them "righteous brothers". At the end of a performance,
2472-425: A solo artist for some time after Hatfield's death, occasionally singing with a screen projection of old film footage of Hatfield. In January 2016, Medley announced he intended to revive the Righteous Brothers for the first time since 2003. The late Hatfield was replaced with singer Bucky Heard at Las Vegas's Harrah's Showroom for more than 40 shows from March 23, 2016, to November 8. The repertoire included some of
2575-494: A solo by Bobby Hatfield , became the jukebox standard after its release. Hatfield changed the melody in the final verse and many subsequent covers of the song are based on his version. The Righteous Brothers recording achieved a second round of great popularity when it was featured in the film Ghost in 1990. In 2004, it was number 27 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. In 1954, Alex North
2678-555: A strain on his voice singing solo, and lost his voice for a while. Under advice, he sought out Hatfield to reform the Righteous Brothers in 1974. They signed with Haven Records, and quickly recorded " Rock and Roll Heaven ", which became a hit. In 1976, Medley decided to quit music for some time after the death of his first wife. He reunited with Hatfield in 1981 for the 30th-anniversary special of American Bandstand , where they performed an updated version of "Rock and Roll Heaven". Although Medley focused his attention on his solo career in
2781-430: A strong response from the audience who attempted to find a recording of the song that was then unavailable. Simon Cowell was alerted to the interest shown by the public, and pursued the two reluctant actors for the next four months to record the song, to the extent that Robson Green threatened legal action to stop Cowell harassing them. The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record
2884-421: A track from Michel Colombier 's album Wings . In 1988, Medley received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for his duet with Jennifer Warnes on "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed
2987-531: A vocal version (Decca Records catalog number 29441), that reached number 3 on the Billboard charts and number 2 in the UK chart listings. Jimmy Young 's release (on Decca Records UK catalog number F10502) stayed at number 1 on the British charts for 3 weeks and remained on the UK charts for 19 weeks. Young re-recorded the song in early 1964 and it hit number 43 in the UK. Two weeks after Young's version entered
3090-520: Is the most-played song in the history of American radio. They recorded other songs such as " Unchained Melody " with Philles Records, as well. Medley, who had produced the duo before they signed with Spector and Philles, was the actual producer on many tracks and B-sides credited to Spector, including "Unchained Melody", which was originally only intended to be an album track. On singles such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and " Just Once in My Life ,"
3193-426: Is thought to have first been coined by Philadelphia radio DJ Georgie Woods in 1964 when describing the duo's music. Hatfield and Medley had contrasting vocal ranges, which helped them create a distinctive sound as a duet. They each had the vocal talent to perform as soloists. Medley sang the low parts with his bass-baritone voice, with Hatfield taking the higher-register vocals with his tenor . His voice reached
Bill Medley - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-580: The Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously and the Righteous Brothers became the first act to have two versions of the same song in the Top 20 at the same time. This re-released song reached number 1 in the UK where it stayed for four weeks, becoming the UK's top selling single of 1990. As of 2017, it had sold 1.17 million copies in the UK. The 1990 reissue also reached number 1 in Australia, Austria, Ireland,
3399-602: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. Rolling Stone ranked them no. 16 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley were in different groups before they met – Hatfield was in a group from Anaheim called the Variations, and Medley in a group from Santa Ana called the Paramours. Barry Rillera, a member of Medley's band who
3502-499: The register of a countertenor . Following a year and a half of Top 40 non-entries on Billboard' s Hot 100 , the duo hit big with the late-1964 release of what would become their signature record, " You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' " – a transatlantic number one produced by Phil Spector , often considered one of his finest works and a landmark recording in popular music. Other notable hits include three US 1965 Top Tens – " Just Once in My Life " and covers of " Unchained Melody " (also
3605-400: The 1970s and 1980s. He enjoyed a resurgence in his career in the 1980s. He released the album Sweet Thunder in 1980, containing a version of " Don't Know Much ", which was originally written and performed by Barry Mann the same year. He signed with Planet Records in 1982 and later with RCA Records . In 1984 and 1985, he charted five singles on the country charts, the biggest of these being
3708-530: The 1980s, they continued to appear together as a duo. After a resurgence in popularity in 1990s due to the use of "Unchained Melody" in the film Ghost , they toured extensively as a duo until Hatfield's death in November 2003. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2003 by Billy Joel . In January 2016, Medley announced that he would revive the Righteous Brothers for
3811-477: The 1990s and early 2000s and performed for about 12 weeks a year in Las Vegas. Bobby Hatfield was found dead in his hotel room in Kalamazoo, Michigan , on November 5, 2003, shortly before he was due to perform at a concert with Bill Medley at Western Michigan University 's Miller Auditorium . The autopsy report attributed his death to heart failure brought on by cocaine. Bill Medley continued to perform as
3914-581: The 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages. In 1955, three versions of the song (by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton) charted in the Billboard top 10 in the United States, and four versions (by Al Hibbler , Les Baxter , Jimmy Young , and Liberace ) appeared in
4017-573: The BBC's list of The Richest Songs in the World at £18 million. The song was nominated in 1956 for 1955's Oscar for best original song from the film Unchained . The re-recorded version by the Righteous Brothers was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991 in the best pop performance by a duo or group category, and their original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. The use of
4120-575: The Curb label in 1991 with the album Blue Eyed Singer . The first single from the forthcoming album was released on October 18, 2024; a duet with country musician Vince Gill entitled "These Days". The album will also feature duets with renowned artists such as Michael McDonald, Shawn Colvin, and Keb Mo. In support of his new album, Medley will make his debut at the legendary Grand Ole Opry on February 22, 2025. Medley met his first wife, Karen O'Grady, in church; they started dating in 1963 and were married at
4223-530: The Festival Internacional da Canção (FIC) in Rio de Janeiro with the song "Evie" by Jimmy Webb . Medley performed " Hey Jude " at the 1969 Grammy Awards , and was then signed to A&M Records , which released a number of his records. One of his recordings, "Freedom and Fear" from Michel Colombier 's album Wings , was nominated for a Grammy in 1972 . Medley released several solo albums during
Bill Medley - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-466: The MGM label. Medley first recorded "I Can't Make It Alone" written by Carole King , but the song failed to make much of an impact. The following single, "Brown Eyed Woman" written by Mann and Weil, performed better. However, neither he nor Hatfield was able to match their previous chart success. Hatfield and Jimmy Walker recorded an album, Re-Birth , as The Righteous Brothers before disbanding in 1971. In
4429-582: The Netherlands, and New Zealand. Due to the success of their re-recording, the Righteous Brothers also re-recorded other songs and released them as part of a budget-priced CD compilation by Curb Records. For the original recordings, Polydor had licensed the CD rights to Rhino Records for a premium-priced 1989 compilation of Righteous Brothers hits from various labels; later in 1990, it issued its own regular-priced Righteous Brothers greatest hits CD that included
4532-529: The Righteous Brothers appeared in a show with other groups at The Cow Palace in San Francisco, where Phil Spector was conducting the band for the entire show. Spector was impressed by the duo, and arranged to have them record for his label Philles Records . In 1965, they had their first No. 1 hit with " You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' ", produced by Spector. According to music-publishing watchdog Broadcast Music, Inc. , "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"
4635-415: The Righteous Brothers would be his first white vocal group for the label. However, their "blue-eyed soul" vocal style suited Spector. Spector commissioned Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to write a song for them, which turned out to be " You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' ". The song, released in late 1964, became their first major hit single and reached No. 1 in February 1965. Produced by Phil Spector ,
4738-461: The Righteous Brothers' best-known songs, such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "Soul & Inspiration", "Unchained Melody", but also the later "Rock and Roll Heaven", as well as Bill Medley's "The Time of My Life". Medley explained that it was the encouragement of the Righteous Brothers' fans as well as several friends, producers and contacts in Las Vegas that made him consider reviving the Righteous Brothers' name again, while acknowledging that it
4841-479: The Righteous Brothers' cover of "Unchained Melody" in the film Ghost resurrected the song's popularity as it was recognized as the "most played" song of 1992 by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). ASCAP also announced it to be one of the 25 most-performed songs and musical works of the 20th century in 1999, and the most-performed love song of the 1950s in 2003. In 2001,
4944-618: The Top Pop Records list. Harry Belafonte recorded the song, and sang his version at the 1956 Academy Awards after it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song of 1955 . While the sheet music business was losing its prominence to sound recordings, a sheet music release of the song peaked at number 1 on its tenth week on the Billboard Best Selling Sheet Music chart on
5047-490: The United Kingdom's Channel 4 and Five . The song has been covered by many artists; according to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists in multiple languages. Its popularity also meant that the song is one of the highest grossing songs for its copyright holders, estimated in 2012 to be the fifth biggest earners of royalties according to
5150-497: The Variations. According to Medley, both the early singles "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Just Once in My Life" featured Medley's vocal strongly, which caused some friction between the duo, and the Hatfield solos in later singles restored some balance between the two. The last single released that they recorded with Philles Records was " The White Cliffs of Dover ". Although Spector focused his attention in producing singles,
5253-456: The albums so Spector could spend time and money on producing singles. Later copies of the original 45 release credited Spector as producer when it became a hit. After the success of "Unchained Melody", Spector started releasing older songs with the Righteous Brothers, including " Ebb Tide ", which reached No. 5. Hatfield was the only vocal on "Unchained Melody" and "Ebb Tide", and both were songs Bobby Hatfield had performed with his first group,
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#17327832971545356-481: The band did not have much success and soon broke up, leaving Hatfield and Medley to perform as a duo in 1963. Medley and Hatfield adopted the name the Righteous Brothers, and their first single was the Medley-penned " Little Latin Lupe Lu ", released through Moonglow Records . Medley also recorded as a solo artist with Moonglow, releasing the single "Gotta Tell You How I Feel", which did not chart. In 1964,
5459-521: The beginning of his music career. Their son, Darrin, was born in 1965 but they were divorced when Darrin was about five years old. Medley married Suzi Robertson in 1970, then Janice Gorham, but each marriage was soon annulled. He was a close friend of Elvis Presley . In January 1976, his first wife Karen, by then remarried and named Karen Klaas, was raped and murdered by a stranger, and Medley decided to take time off from his music career to look after his son. The murder had not been solved and Medley employed
5562-478: The bridge ends on the tonic chord rather than the more usual dominant chord. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack and performs an abbreviated version in the film. Playing one of the prisoners, he sings it, accompanied by another prisoner on guitar, while other prisoners listen sadly. With Duncan singing the vocals, the song was nominated in 1956 for 1955's Oscars , but the Best Song award went to
5665-408: The coin toss. "Unchained Melody" was originally released as the "B" side of the single "Hung On You" as the follow-up single to " Just Once in My Life ". However, "Hung On You" failed to interest radio DJs who instead chose to play the 'B' side "Unchained Melody". According to Medley, producer Phil Spector , who would deliberately place a throwaway song that was not meant to be played on the B side,
5768-596: The completed song, and was able to fully simulate the Spector style of production and achieve a similar sound to that of "Lovin' Feelin'". It quickly became their second No. 1 U.S. hit, staying at the top for three weeks. After a few more top-40 hits, including " He " and "Go Ahead And Cry", their popularity began to decline. Even a collaboration with former Motown A&R chief William "Mickey" Stevenson failed to work. In 1967, before they went their separate ways, and, to capitalize on their previous hits, Verve/MGM issued
5871-413: The country's all-time biggest-selling singles (No. 9 in November 2012), with 1.87 million copies sold. The self-titled album they released later in the year also became the best-selling album of 1995. Although the duo decided to quit the following year, they would eventually sell 7 million copies of albums and 5 million copies of the 3 singles released. Simon Cowell, who before this was known largely as
5974-415: The date of the single release. The video released for "Unchained Melody" also incorporated clips from the 1945 film Brief Encounter . Their recording immediately reached number 1 in the UK, selling 314,000 copies in its first week, at that time the fastest-selling debut single in UK chart history. It stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks. It became the best selling single of 1995, and one of
6077-531: The end of 1999. The Righteous Brothers had several other hit singles with Philles Records in 1965, including " Just Once in My Life " and " Unchained Melody " (originally the B-side of "Hung on You"), both reaching the Billboard Top 10. Medley said that he produced "Unchained Melody"; the song was originally intended only as a track on the album Just Once in My Life , and Spector had asked him to produce
6180-538: The first time in the UK at Wembley Arena . Medley wrote a memoir entitled The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir . The book was published in 2014. Medley is set to release his first new album in over a decade, Straight from the Heart , due out February 14, 2025. The album will feature a 12-song collection of covers by country music artists. Straight from the Heart was produced by Fred Mollin and will be released on Curb Records . Medley last recorded on
6283-635: The first time since 2003, partnering with new singer Bucky Heard. After six decades of touring, in early 2024 Medley announced his forthcoming retirement with the Righteous Brothers; the Lovin' Feelin' Farewell Tour. Medley has also had a moderately successful solo career. In 1968, Medley first recorded "I Can't Make It Alone" written by Carole King , but the song failed to make much of an impact. The following singles, "Brown Eyed Woman" written by Mann and Weil, and "Peace, Brother, Peace" both performed better, and were top 40 pop hits. In 1969, he won second place at
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#17327832971546386-424: The following is a selection of compilation albums that received certifications. Unchained Melody " Unchained Melody " is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret . North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of
6489-450: The group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called the Paramours , and adopted the name The Righteous Brothers when they became a duo. Their most active recording period was in the 1960s and '70s, and, after several years inactive as a duo, Hatfield and Medley reunited in 1981 and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003. The term " blue-eyed soul "
6592-423: The hit song " Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing ". William Stirrat, an electrical engineer, claimed to have written the lyrics as a teenager in 1936 under the pen name "Hy Zaret" only to have North use the uncredited words in the 1955 original. The case went to court and the dispute was resolved completely in favor of the real Zaret (the one born Hyman Zaritsky ) who continued to receive all royalties. Following
6695-423: The hit. Early copies of the single did not credit a producer for "Unchained Melody" and only credited Spector as producer of the original single "Hung On You". Later pressings of the single credited Spector as the producer, as do album liner notes in the Spector box set Back to Mono (1958–1969) . Hatfield made a change to the song during the recording sessions. The first two takes of the song he performed it in
6798-406: The judges. Gates reprised the song in the final as his personal choice, but the competition was won by Will Young . Gates was signed by Cowell, and as the runner-up, Gates released the song as his first single three weeks after the winner had released his single, the double A-sided " Anything Is Possible " / " Evergreen ". Gates' cover of "Unchained Melody" was released together with his versions of
6901-577: The mid to late 2000s, Medley performed mainly in Branson, Missouri, at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater, Andy Williams' Moon River Theater, and The Starlite Theatre. In 2004, DBC Management released his album Your Heart to Mine – Dedicated to the Blues (later released on Fuel Records in 2013). In 2007, Medley released his first new album since the passing of his long-time Righteous Brothers partner Bobby Hatfield who died on November 5, 2003. The album
7004-510: The movie to play the 1965 Righteous Brothers' recording. This motivated Polygram (which now owned the Verve/MGM label archives) to re-release the song to Top 40 radio. It became a major hit for a second time, reaching No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 1990. It also became their second No. 1 in the UK. The duo quickly re-recorded another version of "Unchained Melody" for Curb Records . Both the reissued and
7107-474: The movie, there were several charting covers that were released in 1955. Bandleader Les Baxter released a choral version ( Capitol Records catalog number 3055) which reached number 1 on the US charts and number 10 in the UK. The words "unchain me" are sung repeatedly at the beginning and the lyrics are sung by a choir. Billboard ranked this version as the No. 5 song of 1955 . Al Hibbler followed close behind with
7210-457: The only song to have reached No. 1 in the UK in four different recordings on the official chart until it was joined by the charity single " Do They Know It's Christmas? " in its fourth re-recording in 2014. It is the only song to have sold over a million by three separate acts in the UK – Robson and Jerome (1.87 million), Gareth Gates (1.35 million), the Righteous Brothers (1.17 million). The song has been number 1 on lists of love songs featured on
7313-422: The production to Bill Medley, who had produced the duo before they signed with Spector and Philles. He brought in a similar 'wall of sound' instrumental track. Medley said: "Phil came to me and asked me to produce the Righteous Brothers albums because he would have taken too long and it would have cost too much money." By Medley's account, Spector only claimed production credit after it supplanted "Hung On You" as
7416-576: The re-recorded songs charted at the same time for several weeks, and the Righteous Brothers made history as the first act to have two versions of the same song in the Top 20 at the same time. The re-recorded "Unchained Melody" hit No. 19 on the Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They also re-recorded other songs for a budget-priced CD, The Best of The Righteous Brothers , released by Curb Records. Medley would later describe
7519-509: The re-recordings as "artistically, a stupid idea; financially, a wonderfully idea". The album sold very well and received a double platinum certification from the RIAA. A greatest hits CD collection of the original recordings called The Very Best of The Righteous Brothers...Unchained Melody was released later by Verve/ Polydor . This compilation album also became their first entry in the UK album chart. They began to tour extensively all through
7622-414: The record is often cited as one of the finest expressions of Spector's Wall of Sound production techniques. It is one of the most successful pop singles of its time, despite exceeding the then-standard length for radio play. Indeed, according to BMI , "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" became the most-played song on American radio and television of the 20th century, with more than eight million airplays by
7725-562: The recording. The Righteous Brothers' cover of "Unchained Melody" is now widely considered the definitive version of the song. Hatfield's vocal in the original recording in particular is highly praised; it has been described as "powerful, full of romantic hunger, yet ethereal," and a "vocal tour de force", although his later re-recording was noted as "fudging only a bit on the highest notes". The production of their original recording has been described as "epic", and that with "Hatfield's emotion-packed tenor soaring to stratospheric heights, it's
7828-566: The road with the Righteous Brothers; Lovin' Feelin' Farewell Tour. The tour commenced in January 2024 and is expected to run throughout the year and into early 2025. The Righteous Brothers were nominated twice for a Grammy . In 1965, their recording of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" was nominated in the Best Rock And Roll Recording category at the 7th Annual Grammy Awards . Their re-recording of "Unchained Melody"
7931-474: The same style as Roy Hamilton. For a third take, he decided to change the melody for the "I need your love" line in the final verse, and sang it much higher instead. After this recording, Hatfield said he could do another take better, to which Medley replied: "No, you can't." Medley played the Wurlitzer piano on the song and he noted that "if I knew that it was gonna be a hit I certainly would have brought in
8034-473: The same two songs released by Young, which Gates had also performed in the final. Gates' version of "Unchained Melody" became one of the fastest-selling singles in the UK, selling around 328,000 copies in the first day of release. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release with sales of 850,000 copies, and stayed at the top of the chart for four weeks. It became
8137-474: The second best-selling song in the UK in 2002, as well as that of the decade of 2000s , after the single by the winner Will Young. It has sold 1.35 million copies in the UK as of 2017. Sales figures based on certification alone. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Different versions of the song have made the US Hot Country Songs charts. "Unchained Melody" was
8240-738: The song was ranked at No. 138 in the list of Songs of the Century released by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts . In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the Righteous Brothers version of the song at number 365 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . It was placed first in Magic 1278 's 500 greatest songs of all time. It was also listed in 2004 at No. 27 in
8343-405: The soundtrack for Dirty Dancing , topped the Billboard Hot 100 . It won them a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals . In 1990, Bobby Hatfield's original recording of "Unchained Melody" was featured in the popular feature film Ghost , starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore . It triggered an avalanche of requests to Top 40 radio stations by fans who had seen
8446-417: The term blue-eyed soul was first used to refer to The Righteous Brothers by black DJs, but after they became popular, the term became a general term for all white singers who sang what was then considered "black music". In October and November 1964, they opened for The Rolling Stones on their American tour . In 1964, music producer Phil Spector came across the Righteous Brothers when they performed in
8549-503: The top 10 of the British charts in June 1955, Liberace scored a number 20 hit (Philips PB 430). Roy Hamilton 's version ( Epic Records catalog number 9102) reached number 1 on the R&;B Best Sellers list and number 6 on the pop chart. June Valli recorded the song on March 15, 1955 ( RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-6078) with the flip side "Tomorrow", and took it to number 29 on
8652-641: The top 20 country hit " I Still Do ", which also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary chart, and later became a cult hit with the Carolina Beach/Shag dance-club circuit. One of Medley's minor entries, "All I Need to Know", was later recorded as " Don't Know Much " in a Grammy-winning duet by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville ; this was a long-running No. 2 Hot 100 and No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit in 1989–90. In 1987, Medley's duet with Jennifer Warnes , " (I've Had) The Time of My Life ",
8755-407: The top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, a record for any song. The song continued to chart in the 21st century, and it was the only song to reach number one with four different recordings in the United Kingdom until it was joined by " Do They Know It's Christmas? " in 2014 with the release of Band Aid 30 's version. Of the hundreds of recordings made, the Righteous Brothers' version, with
8858-530: The tour finished as they were asked to appear on a new television show called Shindig! ; they also felt unappreciated by the audience as they were then little known on the East Coast, and the audience demanded to hear the Beatles while they were performing. They returned to Los Angeles to tape the pilot for the show, and would later appear in the show regularly. Their next album was Some Blue-Eyed Soul ;
8961-418: The vocals were concentrated mainly on Medley, but on a few singles, such as " Unchained Melody " and " Ebb Tide ," Hatfield performed solo. The duo left Spector in 1966 to sign with Verve Records , where they had a hit with " Soul and Inspiration ", but broke up in 1968 when Medley left to pursue his own career. Medley was performing three shows a night in Las Vegas; according to Medley, he found it too much of
9064-607: The week ending June 18, 1955. It stayed at its peak position for nine weeks until it dropped to number 4 on its twentieth week on the week ending August 27. The best-known version of "Unchained Melody" was recorded by the duo the Righteous Brothers for Philles Records in 1965. The lead vocal was performed solo by Bobby Hatfield , who later recorded other versions of the song credited solely to him. According to his singing partner Bill Medley , they had agreed to do one solo piece each per album. Both wanted to sing "Unchained Melody" for their fourth album, but Hatfield won
9167-475: The word "unchained" in his lyrics. The song eventually became known as the "Unchained Melody" even though the song does not actually include the word "unchained". Instead, Zaret chose to focus on someone who pines for a lover he has not seen in a "long, lonely time". The film centered on a man who contemplates either escaping from prison to live life on the run or completing his sentence and returning to his wife and family. The song has an unusual harmonic device as
9270-540: Was a difficult choice to continue without Hatfield, saying "I've had a million fans hollering at me to keep the Righteous Brothers alive... I looked at a couple of guys, but you know, you can't replace Bobby Hatfield, he's the best in the world". Medley was previously acquainted with Heard and watched him perform at a tribute concert to Journey , after which he realized that Heard was the only one he would consider capable of filling Hatfield's shoes, also noting that he and Heard had good chemistry together. Medley approached Heard
9373-548: Was also in Hatfield's group, suggested they go see each other's show and perform together. Later, after a member of Paramours left in 1962, Hatfield and Medley joined forces and formed a new Paramours, which included Johnny Wimber (a founder of the Vineyard Movement ). They started performing at a club called John's Black Derby in Santa Ana, and were signed to a small record label Moonglow in 1962. They released
9476-428: Was broke and living alone in a small apartment. In 1974, Medley and Hatfield announced their reunion at an appearance on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour . They signed with Haven Records, run by producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and distributed by Capitol Records . Within a few weeks of reforming, they recorded Alan O'Day 's " Rock and Roll Heaven ", a paean to several deceased rock singers which became
9579-400: Was contracted to compose the score for the prison film Unchained (released in 1955). North had a melody he had written in the 1930s and composed and recorded the score when he was asked to write a song based upon the movie's theme. North asked Hy Zaret to write the lyrics. After first refusing, Zaret and North together wrote "Unchained Melody." Zaret refused the producer's request to include
9682-424: Was fifteen or sixteen years old, and later Ray Charles , Bobby "Blue" Bland , and B.B. King . Medley first formed a singing duo called The Romancers with his friend Don Fiduccia, who also played the guitar. He began to write songs and record multi-track recordings in his living room. At 19, he had two songs, "Womaling" and "Chimes of My Heart," recorded by vocal group The Diamonds . Medley and Fiduccia then formed
9785-498: Was in both Hatfield's and Medley's band (the Variations and the aforementioned Paramours, respectively) and asked them to see each other's shows. In 1962 they formed a new group, but kept the name the Paramours, which included saxophonist John Wimber , who went on to found The Vineyard Church movement. They performed at The Black Derby nightclub in Santa Ana , and released the single "There She Goes (She's Walking Away)" in December 1962 through independent record label Moonglow . However,
9888-434: Was included in his last album Moody Blue . Both versions had studio overdubs with additional instruments added before they were released. Shipments figures based on certification alone. The version by Robson & Jerome is notable as the best-selling single of 1995 in the UK. It also launched the singing career of Robson & Jerome, and became the biggest hit in the UK for Simon Cowell , marking his beginning as
9991-476: Was included on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack , and the single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song won Medley and Warnes a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the composers. Among Medley's other notable songs are "Most of All You", the closing theme to the film Major League ; "Friday Night's
10094-427: Was no longer as good as when he first recorded the song, they decided to re-record it for Curb Records . The re-recorded version was released as both a cassette single and a CD single. It received minimal airplay but sold well, peaking at number 19. The re-recorded version was certified Platinum by the RIAA on January 10, 1991, and received a Grammy Award nomination. The 1965 original Righteous Brothers recording
10197-851: Was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1991 Grammy . They were also awarded the Best New Singing Group in the Billboard Disc Jockey Poll in 1965. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, 2003. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2019 The Righteous Brothers were Inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame . Current members Former members For their discography as solo artists, see Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield . Many compilation albums by The Righteous Brothers have been released,
10300-563: Was recorded for his last television special two months before his death in August 1977. A single, based on this recording, was released in March 1978 by RCA Records with " Softly, As I Leave You " as the b-side. The song reached No. 6 in the country charts of both the US and Canada, and was certified Gold by Music Canada on July 10, 1986. Another live version recorded earlier on April 24, 1977, at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan ,
10403-465: Was reissued in 1990 by oldies-reissue label Verve Forecast under licensing from Polygram Records (which had acquired the rights years earlier). The original version received a lot of airplay, and topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart for two weeks in 1990. However, sales for this version were minimal in the US since it was available as only a 45 RPM single and the song peaked at No. 13 based largely on airplay. For eight weeks, both versions were on
10506-402: Was so incensed by DJs choosing to play the B side that he started to call their radio stations to get them to stop playing "Unchained Melody". However, he failed, and the song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 14 in the UK in 1965. "Unchained Melody" is written in the key of C major . As Spector was not especially interested in producing b-sides or album tracks he left
10609-464: Was titled Damn Near Righteous and released on Westlake Records (later released on Varese Sarabande in 2014). The soulful album featured a memorable track collaboration on "In My Room" with Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Phil Everly (Everly Brothers), plus new originals "Sit Down and Hurt", "Something Blue" and "Beautiful". Medley later also began touring with his daughter McKenna and her 3-Bottle Band. On November 24, 2013, he performed in concert for
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