More
hit records came out of the 1960s than any other decade and many of
those great hits continue to be played and covered into this century
with no signs of stopping. Many unique sounds were born and one
of them came from the blue-eyed soul group known as The
Righteous Brothers. The duo first hit No. 1 in 1964 with
their soulful rendition of "You've Lost That Loving
Feeling."
Their second hit actually came from the previous
decade. "Unchained Melody" (music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret)) first made the music scene in 1955 in a movie soundtrack,
after which is was recorded by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler and Jimmy Young, all in
the same year. Roy Hamilton, June Valli and rockabilly legend Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps recorded it. Harry Belafonte sang it at the 1956 Academy Awards where it finished fifth in the voting for Best Original Song of 1955.
In the early 1960s,
Vito and the Salutations brought out a doo-wop version which became a pretty big hit on the
east coast when doo wop was all the rage, and the "fast Unchained
Melody" continues to be covered by groups like Sha-Na-Na to this day.
The Righteous Brother's 1965 release highlighted the beautiful voice of
Bobby Hatfield.. That not only became the definitive version of
"Unchained Melody," but also gained the distinction of becoming a
number one hit for a second time three decades later, when in the
1990s, it was featured in the movie "Ghost."
Tribute Pages: Bobby Darin
· Dean Martin · Jay
Black
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