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Unchained Melody

November 16, 2023

For the LeAnn Rimes album, see Unchained Melody: The Early Years.

"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),[1] hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack.[2] It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965.[3] 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.[4]

"Unchained Melody"
Song by Todd Duncan
ReleasedJanuary 19, 1955 (1955-01-19)
Composer(s)Alex North
Lyricist(s)Hy Zaret

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,[5] and four versions (by Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace) appeared in the top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, a record for any song.[6][7] 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 Band Aid 30's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 2014.[8][9]

Of the hundreds of recordings made, the Righteous Brothers' version, with 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 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.

Origin of song edit

"Unchained Melody"
Single by Les Baxter
B-side"Medic"
ReleasedFebruary 1955
Recorded1955
GenreEasy listening
Length2:30
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Alex North, Hy Zaret
Les Baxter singles chronology
"The High and the Mighty"
(1954) 		"Unchained Melody"
(1955) 		"Medic"
(1955)
"Unchained Melody"
Single by Al Hibbler
from the album Hits by Hibbler
B-side"Daybreak"
ReleasedMarch 7, 1955
Recorded1955
GenreEasy listening
Length2:53
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)Alex North, Hy Zaret
Al Hibbler singles chronology
"After the Lights Go Down Low"
(1955) 		"Unchained Melody"
(1955) 		"They Say You're Laughing at Me"
(1955)
"Unchained Melody"
Single by Roy Hamilton
from the album You'll Never Walk Alone
B-side"From Here to Eternity"
ReleasedMarch 21, 1955
Recorded1955
GenreEasy listening
Length2:57
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Alex North, Hy Zaret
Roy Hamilton singles chronology
"If You Are But a Dream"
(1955) 		"Unchained Melody"
(1955) 		"Forgive This Fool"
(1955)

In 1954, Alex North 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.[10] North asked Hy Zaret to write the lyrics. After first refusing, Zaret and North together wrote "Unchained Melody."[11][12] Zaret refused the producer's request to include the word "unchained" in his lyrics.[13] 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".[14] 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.[14] The song has an unusual harmonic device as 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.[2] With Duncan singing the vocals,[2] the song was nominated in 1956 for 1955's Oscars, but the Best Song award went to the hit song "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing".[14]

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.[15][16] The case went to court and the dispute was resolved completely in favor of Zaret (the songwriter born Hyman Zaritsky, not Stirrat) who continued to receive all royalties.[13]

Early versions edit

Following 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.[17] 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.[18] Al Hibbler followed close behind with a vocal version (Decca Records catalog number 29441),[19] 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.[20] Young re-recorded the song in early 1964 and it hit number 43 in the UK. Two weeks after Young's version entered 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.[21] June Valli recorded the song on March 15, 1955 (RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-6078) with the flip side "Tomorrow",[22] and took it to number 29 on the Top Pop Records list.[23] Harry Belafonte recorded the song,[24] and sang his version at the 1956 Academy Awards after it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song of 1955.[25]

While the sheet music business was losing its prominence to sound recordings,[26] a sheet music release of the song peaked at number 1 on its tenth week on the Billboard Best Selling Sheet Music chart on the week ending June 18, 1955.[27] It stayed at its peak position for nine weeks[28] until it dropped to number 4 on its twentieth week on the week ending August 27.[29]

Charts edit

The Righteous Brothers versions edit

"Unchained Melody"
 
B-side label of the original US vinyl single "Hung on You"
Single by the Righteous Brothers
from the album Just Once in My Life
A-side"Hung on You" (original 1965 release)
B-side"You're My Soul and Inspiration" (1990 European reissue)
Released
  • July 17, 1965 (US, original)
  • October 15, 1990 (UK, reissue)[42]
RecordedMarch 2, 1965
StudioRadio Recorders (Hollywood)
GenreBlue-eyed soul
Length3:36
Label
Composer(s)Alex North
Lyricist(s)Hy Zaret
Producer(s)
The Righteous Brothers singles chronology
"Just Once in My Life"
(1964) 		"Unchained Melody"
(1965) 		"Ebb Tide"
(1965)
Alternative release
 
1990 UK vinyl re-release of the original 1965 recording

The best-known version of "Unchained Melody" was recorded by the duo the Righteous Brothers for Philles Records in 1965.[10] 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 the coin toss.[43]

"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".[10] 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,[44] 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".[45] 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.[46]

Recording edit

 
"Unchained Melody"
Bobby Hatfield changed the tune to the line "I need your love" for the climax of the song, a change found in most subsequent versions
Problems playing this file? See media help.

As Spector was not especially interested in producing b-sides or album tracks he left the production to Bill Medley,[47][10] who had produced the duo before they signed with Spector and Philles. He brought in a similar 'wall of sound' instrumental track.[48] 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."[49] By Medley's account, Spector only claimed production credit after it supplanted "Hung On You" as the hit.[50] 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".[10] 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).[51]

Hatfield made a change to the song during the recording sessions. The first two takes of the song he performed it in the same style as Roy Hamilton.[10] 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.[10] After this recording, Hatfield said he could do another take better, to which Medley replied: "No, you can't."[48] 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 a better piano player."[45][50]

Re-recording and re-release edit

"Unchained Melody" reappeared on the US Billboard charts in 1990 after the Righteous Brothers' recording was used in the box office blockbuster film Ghost.[10] 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 was no longer as good as when he first recorded the song, they decided to re-record it for Curb Records.[52] The re-recorded version was released as both a cassette single[53] and a CD single.[54] 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,[55] and received a Grammy Award nomination.[56]

The 1965 original Righteous Brothers recording was reissued in 1990 by oldies-reissue label Verve Forecast[57][43] under licensing from Polygram Records[58] (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 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.[59] 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.[60] The 1990 reissue also reached number 1 in Australia, Austria, Ireland, 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;[61] later in 1990, it issued its own regular-priced Righteous Brothers greatest hits CD that included the recording.[62]

Reception edit

The Righteous Brothers' cover of "Unchained Melody" is now widely considered the definitive version of the song.[7][48] Hatfield's vocal in the original recording in particular is highly praised; it has been described as "powerful, full of romantic hunger, yet ethereal,"[7] and a "vocal tour de force", although his later re-recording was noted as "fudging only a bit on the highest notes".[63] 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 a record designed to reduce anyone separated from the one they loved to a "pile of mush".[43]

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[102] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[103] Gold 25,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[104] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[105] Gold 5,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[106] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[107] Platinum 1,167,000[60]
United States (RIAA)[55] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Elvis Presley version edit

"Unchained Melody"
 
Single by Elvis Presley
B-side"Softly, As I Leave You"
ReleasedMarch 1978
RecordedJune 21, 1977
VenueRushmore Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota
LabelRCA
Composer(s)Alex North
Lyricist(s)Hy Zaret
Producer(s)Felton Jarvis
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"My Way" "Unchained Melody" "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear"

On June 21, 1977, Elvis Presley performed the song at a show in Rapid City, South Dakota.[10] The performance, described by Rolling Stone as "the last great moment of his career", was recorded for his last television special two months before his death in August 1977.[108] A single, based on this recording, was released in March 1978 by RCA Records with "Softly, As I Leave You" as the b-side.[109][110] The song reached No. 6 in the country charts of both the US and Canada,[111] and was certified Gold by Music Canada on July 10, 1986.[112]

Another live version recorded earlier on April 24, 1977, at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was included in his last album Moody Blue.[113] Both versions had studio overdubs with additional instruments added before they were released.

Charts edit

Chart (1977) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[114] 6
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[115] 6

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[112] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Robson & Jerome version edit

"Unchained Melody"
 
Single by Robson & Jerome
from the album Robson & Jerome
ReleasedMay 8, 1995 (1995-05-08)[116]
Recorded1995
Length3:17
LabelBMG
Composer(s)Alex North
Lyricist(s)Hy Zaret
Producer(s)Mike Stock, Matt Aitken
Robson & Jerome singles chronology
"Unchained Melody" / "White Cliffs of Dover"
(1995) 		"I Believe" / "Up on the Roof"
(1995)

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 a significant figure in the music industry.[117]

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.[118][119] Their performance triggered a strong response from the audience who attempted to find a recording of the song that was then unavailable.[120] 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.[121] The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record 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.[122] 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, the date of the single release.[120][123] The video released for "Unchained Melody" also incorporated clips from the 1945 film Brief Encounter.[119]

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.[119] It stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks.[118] It became the best selling single of 1995, and one of the country's all-time biggest-selling singles (No. 9 in November 2012),[124] with 1.87 million copies sold.[60] The self-titled album they released later in the year also became the best-selling album of 1995.[125] 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.[126] Simon Cowell, who before this was known largely as a creator of novelty records with television characters such as the puppets Zig and Zag and action characters Power Rangers,[127] then came to the attention of the media for his ability to create hit records.[126]

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[133] 2× Platinum 1,872,000[60]

Gareth Gates version edit

"Unchained Melody"
 
Single by Gareth Gates
from the album What My Heart Wants to Say
ReleasedMarch 18, 2002 (2002-03-18)
Recorded2002
StudioA-side (Stockholm, Sweden)
GenrePop
Length3:54
LabelRCA, 19, S
Composer(s)Alex North
Lyricist(s)Hy Zaret
Producer(s)Steve Mac
Gareth Gates singles chronology
"Unchained Melody"
(2002) 		"Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)"
(2002)

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 the judges.[134] Gates reprised the song in the final as his personal choice,[135] 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 the same two songs released by Young, which Gates had also performed in the final.[136]

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.[137][138] It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release with sales of 850,000 copies,[139][140] and stayed at the top of the chart for four weeks.[7] It became 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.[141] It has sold 1.35 million copies in the UK as of 2017.[60]

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[161] Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[162] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[163] 2× Platinum 1,348,000[60]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history edit

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom March 18, 2002 (2002-03-18)
  • CD
  • cassette
[164]
Australia July 21, 2003 (2003-07-21) CD [165]

Other notable versions edit

Country charts edit

Different versions of the song have made the US Hot Country Songs charts.

  • Joe Stampley (number 41, 1975)[187]
  • Ronnie McDowell (number 26, 1991)[188]
  • LeAnn Rimes (number 3, 1997)[189] LeAnn Rimes' cover was originally released in September 1996 as a B-side track to One Way Ticket (Because I Can) and again in November 1996 on a promotional single "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" that was only available at Target stores on the purchase of her first album Blue.[190] It was also released as a single to radio on December 24, 1996, and included in the compilation album Unchained Melody: The Early Years in 1997.[191] The song reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US, and No. 3 in the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.[192] It was ranked No. 64 on the 1997 Year End Country Songs chart in the US,[193] and No. 49 in Canada's Year End Country Tracks chart.[194]

Impact edit

Popularity edit

"Unchained Melody" was 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.[8][9] 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).[60] The song has been number 1 on lists of love songs featured on 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 the BBC's list of The Richest Songs in the World at £18 million.[195]

Accolades edit

The song was nominated in 1956 for 1955's Oscar for best original song from the film Unchained.[196] 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,[197] and their original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.[198][199] The use of 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).[200] 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.[13]

In 2001, 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.[201] 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.[5] It was placed first in Magic 1278's 500 greatest songs of all time. It was also listed in 2004 at No. 27 in the list of the 100 top movie songs of all time in American Film institute's centenary AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of songs in American cinema.[202] In 2007, the Songwriters Hall of Fame honored "Unchained Melody" with a Towering Song award that is presented to creators of a song "that has influenced the culture in a unique way over many years."[203][204]

References edit

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External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Unchained Melody.
  • Publishing administrator for "Unchained Melody"
  • Biography of Hy Zaret
  • . Archived from the original on October 30, 2007.
  • Music video on official Vevo channel on YouTube Robson & Jerome's version
  • Music video on official Vevo channel on YouTube Gareth Gates' version
  • Elvis Presley - Unchained Melody (Official Music Video) on YouTube

November 16, 2023
unchained, melody, leann, rimes, album, early, years, 1955, song, with, music, alex, north, lyrics, zaret, north, wrote, music, theme, prison, film, unchained, 1955, hence, song, title, todd, duncan, sang, vocals, film, soundtrack, since, become, standard, mos. For the LeAnn Rimes album see Unchained Melody The Early Years 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 1 hence the song title Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack 2 It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century most notably by the Righteous Brothers in 1965 3 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 4 Unchained Melody Song by Todd DuncanReleasedJanuary 19 1955 1955 01 19 Composer s Alex NorthLyricist s Hy ZaretIn 1955 three versions of the song by Les Baxter Al Hibbler and Roy Hamilton charted in the Billboard top 10 in the United States 5 and four versions by Al Hibbler Les Baxter Jimmy Young and Liberace appeared in the top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously a record for any song 6 7 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 Band Aid 30 s Do They Know It s Christmas in 2014 8 9 Of the hundreds of recordings made the Righteous Brothers version with 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 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 Contents 1 Origin of song 2 Early versions 2 1 Charts 2 1 1 Les Baxter 2 1 2 Roy Hamilton 2 1 3 Jimmy Young 2 1 4 Al Hibbler 3 The Righteous Brothers versions 3 1 Recording 3 2 Re recording and re release 3 3 Reception 3 4 Charts 3 4 1 Weekly charts 3 4 2 Year end charts 3 5 Certifications 4 Elvis Presley version 4 1 Charts 4 2 Certifications 5 Robson amp Jerome version 5 1 Charts 5 1 1 Weekly charts 5 1 2 Year end charts 5 2 Certifications 6 Gareth Gates version 6 1 Charts 6 1 1 Weekly charts 6 1 2 Year end charts 6 1 3 Decade end charts 6 2 Certifications 6 3 Release history 7 Other notable versions 7 1 Country charts 8 Impact 8 1 Popularity 8 2 Accolades 9 References 10 External linksOrigin of song edit Unchained Melody Single by Les BaxterB side Medic ReleasedFebruary 1955Recorded1955GenreEasy listeningLength2 30LabelCapitolSongwriter s Alex North Hy ZaretLes Baxter singles chronology The High and the Mighty 1954 Unchained Melody 1955 Medic 1955 Unchained Melody Single by Al Hibblerfrom the album Hits by HibblerB side Daybreak ReleasedMarch 7 1955Recorded1955GenreEasy listeningLength2 53LabelDeccaSongwriter s Alex North Hy ZaretAl Hibbler singles chronology After the Lights Go Down Low 1955 Unchained Melody 1955 They Say You re Laughing at Me 1955 Unchained Melody Single by Roy Hamiltonfrom the album You ll Never Walk AloneB side From Here to Eternity ReleasedMarch 21 1955Recorded1955GenreEasy listeningLength2 57LabelEpicSongwriter s Alex North Hy ZaretRoy Hamilton singles chronology If You Are But a Dream 1955 Unchained Melody 1955 Forgive This Fool 1955 In 1954 Alex North 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 10 North asked Hy Zaret to write the lyrics After first refusing Zaret and North together wrote Unchained Melody 11 12 Zaret refused the producer s request to include the word unchained in his lyrics 13 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 14 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 14 The song has an unusual harmonic device as 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 2 With Duncan singing the vocals 2 the song was nominated in 1956 for 1955 s Oscars but the Best Song award went to the hit song Love Is a Many Splendored Thing 14 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 15 16 The case went to court and the dispute was resolved completely in favor of Zaret the songwriter born Hyman Zaritsky not Stirrat who continued to receive all royalties 13 Early versions editFollowing 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 17 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 18 Al Hibbler followed close behind with a vocal version Decca Records catalog number 29441 19 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 20 Young re recorded the song in early 1964 and it hit number 43 in the UK Two weeks after Young s version entered 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 amp B Best Sellers list and number 6 on the pop chart 21 June Valli recorded the song on March 15 1955 RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20 6078 with the flip side Tomorrow 22 and took it to number 29 on the Top Pop Records list 23 Harry Belafonte recorded the song 24 and sang his version at the 1956 Academy Awards after it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song of 1955 25 While the sheet music business was losing its prominence to sound recordings 26 a sheet music release of the song peaked at number 1 on its tenth week on the Billboard Best Selling Sheet Music chart on the week ending June 18 1955 27 It stayed at its peak position for nine weeks 28 until it dropped to number 4 on its twentieth week on the week ending August 27 29 Charts edit Les Baxter edit Chart 1955 PeakpositionAustralia AMR 30 1UK Singles OCC 31 10UK Record Mirror 32 10US Billboard Best Seller in Stores 33 2US Billboard Most Played by Jockeys 33 1Roy Hamilton edit Chart 1955 PeakpositionUS Billboard Most Played by Jockeys 34 6US Billboard R amp B Best Sellers in Stores 35 1 Jimmy Young edit Chart 1955 PeakpositionUK Singles OCC 36 1UK Record Mirror 37 2Al Hibbler edit Chart 1955 PeakpositionAustralia AMR 30 1UK Singles OCC 38 2UK Record Mirror 39 1US Billboard Most Played by Jockeys 40 3US Billboard R amp B Best Sellers in Stores 41 1The Righteous Brothers versions edit Unchained Melody nbsp B side label of the original US vinyl single Hung on You Single by the Righteous Brothersfrom the album Just Once in My LifeA side Hung on You original 1965 release B side You re My Soul and Inspiration 1990 European reissue ReleasedJuly 17 1965 US original October 15 1990 UK reissue 42 RecordedMarch 2 1965StudioRadio Recorders Hollywood GenreBlue eyed soulLength3 36LabelPhilles US original Verve UK reissue Composer s Alex NorthLyricist s Hy ZaretProducer s Uncredited original pressings Phil Spector later pressings Back to Mono 1958 1969 Bill Medley uncredited The Righteous Brothers singles chronology Just Once in My Life 1964 Unchained Melody 1965 Ebb Tide 1965 Alternative release nbsp 1990 UK vinyl re release of the original 1965 recordingThe best known version of Unchained Melody was recorded by the duo the Righteous Brothers for Philles Records in 1965 10 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 the coin toss 43 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 10 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 44 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 45 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 46 Recording edit nbsp Unchained Melody source source Bobby Hatfield changed the tune to the line I need your love for the climax of the song a change found in most subsequent versions Problems playing this file See media help As Spector was not especially interested in producing b sides or album tracks he left the production to Bill Medley 47 10 who had produced the duo before they signed with Spector and Philles He brought in a similar wall of sound instrumental track 48 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 49 By Medley s account Spector only claimed production credit after it supplanted Hung On You as the hit 50 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 10 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 51 Hatfield made a change to the song during the recording sessions The first two takes of the song he performed it in the same style as Roy Hamilton 10 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 10 After this recording Hatfield said he could do another take better to which Medley replied No you can t 48 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 a better piano player 45 50 Re recording and re release edit Unchained Melody reappeared on the US Billboard charts in 1990 after the Righteous Brothers recording was used in the box office blockbuster film Ghost 10 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 was no longer as good as when he first recorded the song they decided to re record it for Curb Records 52 The re recorded version was released as both a cassette single 53 and a CD single 54 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 55 and received a Grammy Award nomination 56 The 1965 original Righteous Brothers recording was reissued in 1990 by oldies reissue label Verve Forecast 57 43 under licensing from Polygram Records 58 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 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 59 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 60 The 1990 reissue also reached number 1 in Australia Austria Ireland 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 61 later in 1990 it issued its own regular priced Righteous Brothers greatest hits CD that included the recording 62 Reception edit The Righteous Brothers cover of Unchained Melody is now widely considered the definitive version of the song 7 48 Hatfield s vocal in the original recording in particular is highly praised it has been described as powerful full of romantic hunger yet ethereal 7 and a vocal tour de force although his later re recording was noted as fudging only a bit on the highest notes 63 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 a record designed to reduce anyone separated from the one they loved to a pile of mush 43 Charts edit Weekly charts edit Chart 1965 PeakpositionBelgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 64 10Belgium Ultratop 50 Wallonia 65 17Canada Top Singles RPM 66 9Netherlands Dutch Top 40 67 9Netherlands Single Top 100 68 8New Zealand Lever Hit Parade 69 4UK Singles OCC 70 14US Billboard Hot 100 71 4Chart 1990 1991 PeakpositionAustralia ARIA 72 1Austria O3 Austria Top 40 73 1Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 64 3Canada Top Singles RPM 74 4Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 75 1Europe Eurochart Hot 100 76 4Finland Suomen virallinen lista 77 24France SNEP 78 6Germany Official German Charts 79 6Ireland IRMA 80 1Netherlands Dutch Top 40 81 1Netherlands Single Top 100 68 1New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 82 1Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 83 4UK Singles OCC 70 1US Billboard Hot 100 71 19US Adult Contemporary Billboard 84 1 Year end charts edit Chart 1965 PositionBelgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 85 61Netherlands Dutch Top 40 86 54US Billboard Hot 100 87 21Chart 1990 PositionAustralia ARIA 88 8Canada Top Singles RPM 89 48Canada Adult Contemporary RPM 90 34Netherlands Dutch Top 40 91 59Netherlands Single Top 100 92 29UK Singles OCC 93 1US Adult Contemporary Billboard 94 28Chart 1991 PositionAustralia ARIA 95 45Austria O3 Austria Top 40 96 4Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 97 59Europe Eurochart Hot 100 98 17Germany Official German Charts 99 47New Zealand Recorded Music NZ 100 2Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 101 29 Certifications edit Region Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 102 Platinum 70 000 Austria IFPI Austria 103 Gold 25 000 Japan RIAJ 104 Platinum 100 000 New Zealand RMNZ 105 Gold 5 000 Spain PROMUSICAE 106 Gold 25 000 United Kingdom BPI 107 Platinum 1 167 000 60 United States RIAA 55 Platinum 1 000 000 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Elvis Presley version edit Unchained Melody nbsp Single by Elvis PresleyB side Softly As I Leave You ReleasedMarch 1978RecordedJune 21 1977VenueRushmore Civic Center in Rapid City South DakotaLabelRCAComposer s Alex NorthLyricist s Hy ZaretProducer s Felton JarvisElvis Presley singles chronology My Way Unchained Melody Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear On June 21 1977 Elvis Presley performed the song at a show in Rapid City South Dakota 10 The performance described by Rolling Stone as the last great moment of his career was recorded for his last television special two months before his death in August 1977 108 A single based on this recording was released in March 1978 by RCA Records with Softly As I Leave You as the b side 109 110 The song reached No 6 in the country charts of both the US and Canada 111 and was certified Gold by Music Canada on July 10 1986 112 Another live version recorded earlier on April 24 1977 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor Michigan was included in his last album Moody Blue 113 Both versions had studio overdubs with additional instruments added before they were released Charts edit Chart 1977 PeakpositionCanada Country Tracks RPM 114 6US Hot Country Songs Billboard 115 6Certifications edit Region Certification Certified units salesCanada Music Canada 112 Gold 50 000 Shipments figures based on certification alone Robson amp Jerome version edit Unchained Melody nbsp Single by Robson amp Jeromefrom the album Robson amp JeromeReleasedMay 8 1995 1995 05 08 116 Recorded1995Length3 17LabelBMGComposer s Alex NorthLyricist s Hy ZaretProducer s Mike Stock Matt AitkenRobson amp Jerome singles chronology Unchained Melody White Cliffs of Dover 1995 I Believe Up on the Roof 1995 The version by Robson amp Jerome is notable as the best selling single of 1995 in the UK It also launched the singing career of Robson amp Jerome and became the biggest hit in the UK for Simon Cowell marking his beginning as a significant figure in the music industry 117 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 118 119 Their performance triggered a strong response from the audience who attempted to find a recording of the song that was then unavailable 120 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 121 The actors were eventually persuaded to sign a recording contract with Cowell and record 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 122 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 the date of the single release 120 123 The video released for Unchained Melody also incorporated clips from the 1945 film Brief Encounter 119 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 119 It stayed at the top of the chart for seven weeks 118 It became the best selling single of 1995 and one of the country s all time biggest selling singles No 9 in November 2012 124 with 1 87 million copies sold 60 The self titled album they released later in the year also became the best selling album of 1995 125 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 126 Simon Cowell who before this was known largely as a creator of novelty records with television characters such as the puppets Zig and Zag and action characters Power Rangers 127 then came to the attention of the media for his ability to create hit records 126 Charts edit Weekly charts edit Chart 1995 PeakpositionEurope Eurochart Hot 100 128 5Ireland IRMA 80 2Scotland OCC 129 1UK Singles OCC 130 1 Year end charts edit Chart 1995 PositionEurope Eurochart Hot 100 131 60UK Singles OCC 132 1 Certifications edit Region Certification Certified units salesUnited Kingdom BPI 133 2 Platinum 1 872 000 60 Gareth Gates version edit Unchained Melody nbsp Single by Gareth Gatesfrom the album What My Heart Wants to SayReleasedMarch 18 2002 2002 03 18 Recorded2002StudioA side Stockholm Sweden GenrePopLength3 54LabelRCA 19 SComposer s Alex NorthLyricist s Hy ZaretProducer s Steve MacGareth Gates singles chronology Unchained Melody 2002 Anyone of Us Stupid Mistake 2002 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 the judges 134 Gates reprised the song in the final as his personal choice 135 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 the same two songs released by Young which Gates had also performed in the final 136 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 137 138 It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release with sales of 850 000 copies 139 140 and stayed at the top of the chart for four weeks 7 It became 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 141 It has sold 1 35 million copies in the UK as of 2017 60 Charts edit Weekly charts edit Chart 2002 2003 PeakpositionAustralia ARIA 142 9Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 143 15Belgium Ultratop 50 Wallonia 144 6Europe Eurochart Hot 100 145 12France SNEP 146 4Germany Official German Charts 147 17Ireland IRMA 80 1Netherlands Dutch Top 40 148 25Netherlands Single Top 100 149 12Romania Romanian Top 100 150 22Scotland OCC 151 1Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 152 18UK Singles OCC 153 1 Year end charts edit Chart 2002 PositionIreland IRMA 154 12UK Singles OCC 155 2Chart 2003 PositionAustralia ARIA 156 72Belgium Ultratop 50 Flanders 157 84Belgium Ultratop 50 Wallonia 158 28France SNEP 159 68Switzerland Schweizer Hitparade 160 91Decade end charts edit Chart 2000 2009 PositionUK Singles OCC 141 2 Certifications edit Region Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 161 Gold 35 000 Belgium BEA 162 Gold 25 000 United Kingdom BPI 163 2 Platinum 1 348 000 60 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Release history edit Region Date Format s Label s Ref United Kingdom March 18 2002 2002 03 18 CDcassette RCA19S 164 Australia July 21 2003 2003 07 21 CD 165 Other notable versions editSpike Milligan and Peter Sellers of The Goons recorded a parody of the song produced by George Martin on June 29 1955 It would have been the first single by the Goons however EMI refused to release it fearing a lawsuit from its music publisher 166 167 It prompted Spike Milligan to move to Decca Records which released other works from the Goons 167 The Goons later released an album titled Unchained Melodies with Decca but without the actual song 168 The single was later released in 1990 169 170 and the song was then included in the 2007 compilation album titled Unchained Melodies The Complete Recordings 1955 1978 171 172 In 1963 an uptempo doo wop version by Vito amp the Salutations peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 173 this version was used in the soundtrack for Goodfellas in 1990 174 175 David Garrick released a version which reached No 14 in the Netherlands in 1968 176 Matt Monro released an LP album From Hollywood with Love with track Unchained Melody in 1964 In 1975 Clem Curtis had a disco version which spent three weeks in the Record Mirror UK Disco Chart peaking at no 75 177 In 1979 George Benson recorded a version for the Warner Bros Records album Livin Inside Your Love The single peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart 178 In 1981 a live version performed by the band Heart with lead vocals by Ann Wilson peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 179 In 1986 Leo Sayer released a version of the song with a contemporary reworking of the wall of sound production technique that included an unusual electric guitar solo near the climax The single charted in the UK at No 54 180 U2 covered the song as a B side to their 1989 single All I Want Is You and included in their compilation album The Best of 1980 1990 They have performed the song live many times including one captured on their 1993 concert film Zoo TV Live from Sydney 181 Bono and The Edge also performed the song together with One for the charity 46664 Concert in tribute to Nelson Mandela held in Cape Town in 2003 182 Cyndi Lauper was nominated for a 2005 Grammy award for Best Instrumental Composition Accompanying a Vocal for her interpretation of the song which appears on her 2003 studio album At Last 183 In 2006 singer Barry Manilow covered the song on his album The Greatest Songs of the Fifties and was released as a single 184 The song reached number 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart 185 In 2020 country singers Orville Peck and Paul Cauthen released a cover of the song under the name The Unrighteous Brothers along with a cover of You ve Lost That Lovin Feelin 186 Country charts edit Different versions of the song have made the US Hot Country Songs charts Joe Stampley number 41 1975 187 Ronnie McDowell number 26 1991 188 LeAnn Rimes number 3 1997 189 LeAnn Rimes cover was originally released in September 1996 as a B side track to One Way Ticket Because I Can and again in November 1996 on a promotional single Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart that was only available at Target stores on the purchase of her first album Blue 190 It was also released as a single to radio on December 24 1996 and included in the compilation album Unchained Melody The Early Years in 1997 191 The song reached No 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US and No 3 in the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada 192 It was ranked No 64 on the 1997 Year End Country Songs chart in the US 193 and No 49 in Canada s Year End Country Tracks chart 194 Impact editPopularity edit Unchained Melody was 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 8 9 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 60 The song has been number 1 on lists of love songs featured on 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 the BBC s list of The Richest Songs in the World at 18 million 195 Accolades edit The song was nominated in 1956 for 1955 s Oscar for best original song from the film Unchained 196 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 197 and their original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000 198 199 The use of 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 200 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 13 In 2001 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 201 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 5 It was placed first in Magic 1278 s 500 greatest songs of all time It was also listed in 2004 at No 27 in the list of the 100 top movie songs of all time in American Film institute s centenary AFI s 100 Years 100 Songs survey of songs in American cinema 202 In 2007 the Songwriters Hall of Fame honored Unchained Melody with a Towering Song award that is presented to creators of a song that has influenced the culture in a unique way over many years 203 204 References edit Unchained Turner Classic Movies Retrieved April 29 2021 a b c Robert Rodriguez The 1950s Most Wanted The Top 10 Book of Rock amp Roll Rebels Brassey s p 90 Dowling Stephen November 6 2003 Entertainment Brothers in good company with hits BBC News Retrieved March 30 2014 Unchained Melody Unchained Melody Publishing LLC a b 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Rolling Stone December 11 2003 Philip Dodd Paul Du Noyer 1999 The encyclopedia of singles p 222 ISBN 0 7525 3337 1 a b c d Paul Simpson October 2 2003 The Rough Guide to Cult Pop Rough Guides pp 246 247 ISBN 978 1 84353 229 3 a b Record Breakers and Trivia Singles Individual Hits Number 1s Every Hits a b Paul Sexton November 24 2014 Band Aid 30 s Do They Know It s Christmas Opens at No 1 in U K With Huge Sales Billboard a b c d e f g h i Padgett Ray 2017 Cover me the stories behind the greatest cover songs of all time New York pp 36 43 ISBN 978 1 4549 2250 6 OCLC 978537907 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Biography of Hy Zaret Argosy Music Corporation Unchained Melody Lyricist Dies at 99 All Things Considered National Public Radio U S July 3 2007 The audio linked from that page includes snippets of various artists performing the song a b c Douglas Martin July 3 2007 Hy Zaret 99 Tin Pan Alley Lyricist Is Dead NY Times Archived from the original on July 9 2017 a b c Lyricist behind Unchained Melody dies CBC Arts CBC July 3 2007 Archived from the original on July 5 2007 Hinckley David July 9 2007 He waxed lyrical over Unchained Melody NY Daily News Zaret was songwriter Long Beach Press Telegram July 3 2007 Behind the song MPL Communications Archived from the original on February 26 2006 Retrieved February 26 2006 Billboard Top 30 1955 Archived from the original on January 25 2010 Retrieved January 26 2011 Gilliland John 1969 Show 17 The Soul Reformation More on the evolution of rhythm and blues Part 3 audio Pop Chronicles University of North Texas Libraries Jimmy Young The Official Charts Company Whitburn Joel 2004 Top R amp B Hip Hop Singles 1942 2004 Record Research p 243 RCA Victor 78rpm numerical listing discography 20 6000 6500 78discography com Retrieved March 30 2014 Whitburn Joel 1973 Top Pop Records 1940 1955 Menomonee Falls Wisconsin Record Research RCA Victor 20 6500 7000 78rpm numerical listing discography 78discography com July 25 2013 Retrieved March 30 2014 Funnell John 2005 Best Songs of the Movies p 220 ISBN 978 0 7864 2193 0 Music Printers Decry Pop Sheet Business Doldrums Billboard May 28 1955 pp 34 39 Retrieved January 8 2018 via Google Books Best Selling Sheet Music Billboard June 18 1955 p 26 Retrieved January 8 2018 Billboard 1955 issues July 2 July 16 July 30 August 13 August 27 Best Selling Sheet Music PDF Billboard August 27 1955 p 44 Retrieved January 8 2018 via World Radio History a b Top 100 Singles Les Baxter Artist Chart History Official Charts Company January June 1955 Record Mirror Retrieved May 15 2010 permanent dead link a b Most Played by Jockeys for survey week ending May 14 PDF The Billboard No 20 May 14 1955 p 34 Retrieved June 27 2022 Most Played by Jockeys for survey week ending May 11 The Billboard No 20 May 21 1955 p 60 Rhythm amp Blues Records Best Sellers in Stores for survey week ending May 11 The Billboard No 20 May 21 1955 p 66 Jimmy Young Artist Chart History Official Charts Company July November 1955 Record Mirror Retrieved May 15 2010 permanent dead link Al Hibbler Artist Chart History Official Charts Company Smith Alan Every No 1 in the 1960s is listed from all the nine different magazine charts Dave McAleer s website Archived from the original on May 10 2011 Retrieved November 4 2010 Most Played by Jockeys for survey week ending May 25 The Billboard No 20 June 4 1955 p 30 Rhythm amp Blues Records Best Sellers in Stores for survey week ending May 25 The Billboard No 20 June 4 1955 p 40 New Singles Music Week October 13 1990 p 39 a b c Steve Sullivan October 4 2013 Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings Volume 2 Scarecrow Press p 632 ISBN 978 0 8108 8295 9 Howe Alan January 6 2022 The story behind the Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody The Australian Retrieved January 8 2022 a b Medley Bill April 24 2014 The Time of My Life A Righteous Brother s Memoir Da Capo Press pp 53 54 ISBN 978 0 306 82316 9 North Alex The Righteous Brothers Zaret Hy January 3 2019 Unchained Melody Musicnotes com Retrieved June 2 2021 Robert Dimery December 5 2011 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die Cassell Illustrated ISBN 978 1 84403 717 9 a b c Prato Greg June 15 2014 Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers Songfacts com Retrieved September 9 2015 Sharp Ken Soul amp Inspiration A Conversation with Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers page 2 Rockcellar Magazine Retrieved September 8 2015 a b Sharp Ken Soul amp Inspiration A Conversation with Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers Rockcellar Magazine Retrieved September 8 2015 Back To Mono Songs albumlinernotes Retrieved February 6 2022 Medley 2014 p 140 Righteous Brothers 1990 Unchained Melody Media notes Curb Records 4JM 76842 The newly recorded version by the original Righteous Brothers Righteous Brothers 1990 Unchained Melody Media notes Curb Records D2 76844 Contains Special New TIMELESS LOVE Extended Version Remix a b American single certifications Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody Recording Industry Association of America Hatfield dies at 63 Billboard November 15 2003 McAleer Dave 2001 The Book of Hit Singles The Top Twenty Charts from 1964 to the Present Day 2001 ed Music Player Network p 305 ISBN 0 87930 666 1 Unchained Melody positioned on number 15 on the October 1990 US chart The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody Media notes Verve Forecast Polygram Records 871 882 7 Printed in USA Peter Richmond BOBBY HATFIELD 1940 2003 Blue eyed Soul Brother Spectropop a b c d e f g Copsey Rob September 19 2017 he UK s Official Chart millionaires revealed The Official Charts Company Righteous Brothers Anthology 1962 1974 2 CDs Amazon Retrieved September 8 2015 Unchained Melody Very Best Of The Righteous Brothers Amazon Retrieved September 8 2015 Jim Washburn November 21 1990 POP MUSIC REVIEW Righteous Brothers Keep Their Melodies Unchained They still generate the vocal excitement that made them a sensation a quarter century ago The Los Angeles Times a b The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in Dutch Ultratop 50 The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in French Ultratop 50 Top RPM Singles Issue 5580 RPM Library and Archives Canada Nederlandse Top 40 week 39 1965 in Dutch Dutch Top 40 a b The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in Dutch Single Top 100 Lever hit parades 28 Oct 1965 Flavour of New Zealand a b Righteous Brothers Artist Chart History Official Charts Company a b The Righteous Brothers Chart History Hot 100 Billboard The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody ARIA Top 50 Singles The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in German O3 Austria Top 40 Top RPM Singles Issue 7749 RPM Library and Archives Canada Top RPM Adult Contemporary Issue 1355 RPM Library and Archives Canada Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 7 no 46 November 17 1990 p 10 Retrieved January 24 2020 Pennanen Timo 2021 Righteous Brothers Sisaltaa hitin 2 laitos Levyt ja esittajat Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1 1 1960 30 6 2021 PDF in Finnish Helsinki Kustannusosakeyhtio Otava p 216 Retrieved July 4 2022 The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in French Les classement single Retrieved April 11 2019 The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in German GfK Entertainment charts a b c The Irish Charts Search Results Unchained Melody Irish Singles Chart Retrieved January 29 2020 Nederlandse Top 40 week 48 1990 in Dutch Dutch Top 40 The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody Top 40 Singles The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody Swiss Singles Chart The Righteous Brothers Chart History Adult Contemporary Billboard Jaaroverzichten 1965 in Dutch Ultratop Retrieved April 11 2019 Top 100 Jaaroverzicht van 1965 Dutch Top 40 Retrieved May 12 2020 Billboard Top 100 1965 Billboardtop100of com Retrieved April 11 2019 ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1990 ARIA Retrieved February 7 2021 Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved June 29 2018 Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990 RPM Library and Archives Canada Retrieved April 11 2019 Top 100 Jaaroverzicht van 1990 Dutch Top 40 Retrieved May 12 2020 Jaaroverzichten Single 1990 in Dutch MegaCharts Retrieved April 11 2019 1990 Top 100 Singles Music Week London England Spotlight Publications March 2 1991 p 41 Adult Contemporary Songs Year End 1990 Billboard Retrieved March 12 2021 ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1991 ARIA Retrieved February 7 2021 Jahreshitparade Singles 1991 in German Retrieved April 11 2019 Jaaroverzichten 1991 in Dutch Ultratop Retrieved April 11 2019 Eurochart Hot 100 1991 PDF Music amp Media Vol 8 no 51 52 December 21 1991 p 21 Retrieved January 17 2020 via World Radio History Top 100 Singles Jahrescharts 1991 in German GfK Entertainment Retrieved April 11 2019 End of Year Charts 1991 Recorded Music NZ Retrieved December 3 2017 Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1991 hitparade ch in German Retrieved May 12 2020 ARIA Charts Accreditations 1990 Singles PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved November 9 2021 Austrian single certifications Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in German IFPI Austria Japanese single certifications Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody in Japanese Recording Industry Association of Japan Retrieved July 31 2021 Select 1991年3月 on the drop down menu New Zealand single certifications Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody Recorded Music NZ Solo exitos ano a ano 1959 2002 p 929 British single certifications Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody British Phonographic Industry Andy Greene April 4 2013 Flashback Elvis Presley Sings Unchained Melody Two Months Before His Death Rolling Stone Archived from the original on February 23 2016 Jerry Osborne 2007 Presleyana VI the Elvis Presley Record CD and Memorabilia Price Guide Osborne Enterprise Publishing p 65 ISBN 978 0 932117 49 6 Whitburn 2008 p 330 Country Playlist RPM May 20 1978 a b Canadian single certifications Elvis Presley Unchained Melody Music Canada Ernst Jorgensen 2014 Elvis Presley A Life In Music St Martin s Griffin ISBN 978 1 4668 6855 7 Top RPM Country Tracks Issue 4582 RPM Library and Archives Canada Elvis Presley Chart History Hot Country Songs Billboard New Releases Singles PDF Music Week May 6 1995 p 59 Retrieved August 23 2021 Justin Lewis 2012 Olly Murs The Biography John Blake ISBN 978 1 78219 085 1 a b Jon Kutner May 26 2010 1000 UK Number One Hits Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 85712 360 2 a b c Official Charts Company November 4 2012 Million Sellers Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 85712 882 9 a b Nigel Hunter December 16 1995 For English Duo So Far So Good Robson amp Jerome Hit Gold with Vintage Songs Billboard Chas Newkey Burden October 10 2009 Simon Cowell The Unauthorized Biography Michael O Mara Books ISBN 978 1 84317 445 5 Tom Bower 2012 Sweet Revenge The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell Faber amp Faber Non Fiction ISBN 978 0 571 29938 6 Colin Larkin 2000 The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music Virgin p 333 Ami Sedghi November 4 2012 UK s million selling singles the full list The Guardian Retrieved November 4 2012 Ross McG June 17 2015 What was the biggest selling album in 1995 Britpop Britain The answer may surprise you Metro a b Chas Newkey Burden October 10 2009 Simon Cowell The Unauthorized Biography Michael O Mara Books ISBN 978 1 84317 445 5 Stephen Thomas Erlewine Robson amp Jerome Allmusic Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 12 no 21 May 27 1995 p 31 Retrieved February 7 2021 Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Robson Artist Chart History Official Charts Company Retrieved February 7 2021 Year End Sales Charts Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1995 PDF Music amp Media Vol 12 no 51 52 December 23 1995 p 14 Retrieved February 7 2021 Top 100 Singles 1995 Music Week January 13 1996 p 9 British single certifications Robson amp Jerome Unchained Melody White Cliffs of Dover British Phonographic Industry The Million Sellers Omnibus Press November 4 2012 ISBN 978 0 85712 882 9 Will Young wins Pop Idol contest The Daily Telegraph February 9 2002 Will Young wins Pop Idol contest The Telegraph February 9 2002 Gates fails to match Young s debut BBC March 19 2002 Adam Bychawski March 19 2002 Gareth Lacks Will Power NME Pop Idol s Gareth is number one BBC March 24 2002 A New Pop Idol Tops U K Singles Chart Billboard March 25 2002 a b Will Young has biggest selling single of the decade The Daily Telegraph January 1 2009 Gareth Gates Unchained Melody ARIA Top 50 Singles Gareth Gates Unchained Melody in Dutch Ultratop 50 Gareth Gates Unchained Melody in French Ultratop 50 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles PDF Music amp Media Vol 20 no 16 April 13 2002 p 13 Retrieved May 9 2020 Gareth Gates Unchained Melody in French Les classement single Gareth Gates Unchained Melody in German GfK Entertainment charts Nederlandse Top 40 week 19 2003 in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Gareth Gates Unchained Melody in Dutch Single Top 100 Arhiva romanian top 100 Editia 31 saptamina 11 08 17 08 2003 in Romanian Romanian Top 100 Archived from the original on February 18 2005 Retrieved May 9 2020 Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Gareth Gates Unchained Melody Swiss Singles Chart Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Best of Singles 2002 IRMA Retrieved July 6 2019 The Official UK Singles Chart 2002 PDF UKChartsPlus Retrieved July 6 2019 ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2003 ARIA Retrieved February 7 2021 Jaaroverzichten 2003 in Dutch Ultratop Retrieved July 6 2019 Rapports annuels 2003 in French Ultratop Retrieved July 6 2019 Tops de L annee Top Singles 2003 in French SNEP Retrieved February 7 2021 Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003 in German Retrieved July 6 2019 ARIA Charts Accreditations 2003 Singles PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved July 6 2019 Ultratop Goud en Platina singles 2003 Ultratop Hung Medien Retrieved July 6 2019 British single certifications Gareth Gates Unchained Melody British Phonographic Industry New Releases For Week Starting 18 March 2002 Singles PDF Music Week March 16 2002 p 30 Retrieved August 23 2021 The ARIA Report New Releases Singles Week Commencing 21st July 2003 PDF ARIA July 21 2003 p 25 Archived from the original PDF on August 6 2003 Retrieved August 23 2021 Surreal brand of humour which baffled the Beeb Yorkshire Post February 27 2002 a b Tim Riley September 29 2011 Lennon The Man the Myth the Music The Definitive Life Virgin Books pp 171 172 ISBN 978 0 7535 4019 0 The Goons Unchained Melodies Discogs Spike Milligan amp Peter Sellers Unchained Melody Dance With Me Henry Discogs Unchained Melody Peter Sellers amp Spike Milligan Amazon The Goons Unchained Melodies The Complete Recordings 1955 1978 British Comedy Guide Unterberger Richie The Goons Unchained Melodies The Complete Singles Recordings 1955 1978 AllMusic The Billboard Hot 100 Billboard November 30 1963 Doo Wop Unchained Melody The Daily Doo Wop March 17 2015 Vito and the Salutations Unchained Melody Joe T S Soda Shop Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved December 7 2015 David Garrick Unchained Melody Top 40 James Hamilton s Disco Page A full list of all Record Mirror UK Disco Chart entries 1975 1979 Clem Curtis Unchained Melody RCA 25 August 1979 75 3 song database com 1 song database com Retrieved April 29 2021 Heart gt Chart History gt Hot 100 Billboard Leo Sayer The Official UK Charts Company Scott Calhoun 2011 Exploring U2 Is This Rock n Roll Scarecrow Press p 141 ISBN 978 0 8108 8157 0 David Kootnikoff 2009 U2 A Musical Biography Greenwood Press p 116 ISBN 978 0 313 36523 2 Kenneth Jones February 11 2005 Which Cast Album Will Win the Grammy Feb 13 Avenue Q Assassins Boy From Oz Wicked or Wonderful Town Playbill Oldies Good to Manilow Billboard February 18 2006 p 22 Barry Manilow Adult Contemporary Billboard Bloom Madison Orville Peck and Paul Cauthen Cover the Righteous Brothers Pitchfork Retrieved October 18 2020 Whitburn Joel 2008 Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008 Record Research Inc p 397 ISBN 978 0 89820 177 2 Whitburn 2008 p 269 Whitburn 2008 p 352 Movie Roles Abound For Country Artists Mark Miller to Shoot Hoops Billboard November 23 1996 Wade Jesson February 8 1997 Country Corner Billboard p 28 Top RPM Country Tracks Issue 3151 RPM Library and Archives Canada March 17 1997 Best of 1997 Country Songs Billboard Prometheus Global Media 1997 Retrieved July 17 2013 RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1997 RPM December 15 1997 Retrieved July 17 2013 BBC4 The World s Richest Songs Did You Watch It December 29 2012 Archived from the original on January 1 2016 25 Greatest Original Song Oscar Nominees that lost HitFix February 24 2014 Paul Geitner January 11 1991 Grammy Nominees Announced Associated Press Don Tyler June 15 2007 Hit Songs 1900 1955 American Popular Music of the Pre Rock Era McFarland amp Co Inc p 338 ISBN 978 0 7864 2946 2 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame List GRAMMY com Megan Garber July 13 2015 How Unchained Melody Broke Free The Atlantic Songs of the Century CNN March 7 2001 AFI S 100 Years 100 Songs American Film Institute Unchained Melody Honored As 2007 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Towering Song Songwriters hall of Fame John Bessman June 9 2007 They Wrote The Song Billboard External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Unchained Melody Publishing administrator for Unchained Melody Biography of Hy Zaret Cashbox charts 1955 Cash Box Top Singles of 1955 Archived from the original on October 30 2007 Music video on official Vevo channel on YouTube Robson amp Jerome s version Music video on official Vevo channel on YouTube Gareth Gates version Elvis Presley Unchained Melody Official Music Video on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Unchained Melody amp oldid 1184693059, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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