from Bill Still
I just saw this off a German site. In this time where the very fate of United States hangs in the balance, it reminded me of the America in which I grew up in 1965.
“Unchained Melody” is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North used the music as a theme for the little-known prison film Unchained, hence the name. It has since become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers.
Of the hundreds of recordings made, it was the July 1965 version by the Righteous Brothers, performed as a solo by Bobby Hatfield, that became a jukebox standard for the late 20th century. This is the version displayed above.
This version achieved a second round of great popularity when it was featured in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost.
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.