Song of the Day 9/25: The Righteous Brothers, “Unchained Melody”

According to its publisher, this song has been recorded more than 1,500 times by nearly 700 different artists. Most listeners agree that Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers sang the definitive version, and most people nowadays are familiar with the song recorded for a 1965 LP. That became a No. 4 hit despite starting out as a B-side (not even the uncanny Phil Specter got it right all the time), and it re-entered the charts 25 years later when it featured in a pivotal scene in the 1990 film “Ghost.”

Though Spector later took credit, Bill Medley, the tall, dark Righteous with the deep voice, actually produced the record because Specter didn’t bother with B-sides, but you can’t tell the difference. Medley also played piano, and said in his autobiography, “If I knew that it was gonna be a hit I certainly would have brought in a better piano player.”

As good as the record is, this live recording, from a 1965 episode of Andy Williams’ TV show, isn’t just Hatfield’s best performance of his signature song — I think it might be the greatest live vocal performance in television history, and I’m not alone. After showing off his timbre and vocal agility for a bit he raises goosebumps with his range — that last note is G5, half an octave above tenor, and it’s not falsetto — Hatfield was a true countertenor. The clip includes Williams’ introduction, so though Medley doesn’t get to sing, he does demonstrate his droll sense of humor.

I always wondered about the title — the melody demands a wide range, sure, but why is it “unchained”? For the simple reason that the tune was composed for a mostly forgotten 1955 prison flick called “Unchained.” Legendary film composer Alex North wrote the music. A guy named Hy Zaret wrote the lyrics, and to his everlasting credit refused the studio’s demand to feature the word “unchained.”

The movie is about a convict torn between his desire for escape and freedom, which would mean a life on the run, or serving his time and rejoining his wife. In the film, Todd Duncan sings an abbreviated version, just the verse, to a room full of convicts. The song was nominated for an Oscar — North was the Randy Newman of his time, nominated for 15 Oscars without a win* — but lost to “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing.”

Within two months the song had been recorded and released by a half-dozen artists. Al Hibbler’s version did best in the US, reaching No. 3, but the Brits went nuts for it — four different covers charted at the same time (Liberace hit No. 20).

*Yes, Randy Newman finally won his Oscar — after 15 losing times. He’s now won 2, out of 22 nominations.