Today’s classic song of the day was written way back in 1955, was a minor hit for three different artists in the ’50s, then became a major smash for the Righteous Brothers in 1965. The song is “Unchained Melody,” and it’s one of my all-time favorites.
The music for “Unchained Melody” was written by film composer Alex North, with lyrics by Hy Zaret, as the theme for the 1955 prison film, Unchained. (Hence the title—it was the melody from Unchained.) That same year, three different artists recorded versions of the song that all made it into the Billboard Top Ten—Lex Baxter (#1), Al Hibbler (#3), and Roy Hamilton (#6). They weren’t the only artists recording versions of “Unchained Melody” at the time; Liberace, June Valli, and Harry Belafonte all had versions that hit the chart.
The most popular version of “Unchained Melody,” however, was by the Righteous Brothers. It was initially intended to be an album track and, since their regular producer Phil Spector was only interested in spending his precious time on sure-fire hits, he left the producing chores to Righteous Brother Bill Medley. Medley gave the tune the whole Wall of Sound treatment, with backing by members of the Wrecking Crew, and had fellow Brother Bobby Hatfield sing the solo vocal. (The Brothers would alternate doing solo tunes, in addition to their normal duo vocal format, and this one came up in Bobby’s rotation.) Released in July of 1965, the Righteous Brothers’ version of “Unchained Melody” hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100.
The Righteous Brothers recording got a well-deserved second life in 1990 when it was prominently featured in the film Ghost, which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. You probably remember it from the scene where Ms. Moore is molding a clay pot, with the help of Mr. Swayze’s ghost.
Many people, me included, regard “Unchained Melody” as one of the most romantic songs of all time. The key to the song’s emotional impact lies not in the performance (although Bobby Hatfield really pulls out all the stops on this one) but rather in its chord progression. It’s a really simple I – vi – IV – V progression (in the key of C, that’s C – Am – F – G), but that descending bassline really seals the deal and packs a heartfelt wallop.
“Unchained Melody” got its first accolades in 1956, when was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. (It lost to “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing,” from the movie of the same name.) In 1991, the re-recorded version from the movie Ghost was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group (even though it was essentially a Bobby Hatfield solo performance). Later, ASCAP named it one of the twenty-five most-played songs of the 20th century.
Over the years, “Unchained Melody” has been recorded by many, many more artists. I’m sure some of you have a favorite non-Righteous Brothers version, perhaps one recorded by Elvis Presley, Vito and the Salutations, Heart, Leo Sayer, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, Ronnie McDowell, LeAnn Rimes, or Willie Nelson—or, in the UK, versions by Clem Curtis, Robson and Jerome, or Gareth Gates. I’m particularly partial to Mr. Nelson and Ms. Lauper’s versions, and include them here for your listening pleasure.
