Hy Zaret
Encyclopedia
Hy Zaret was an American Tin Pan Alley
lyricist
and composer
best known as the co-author of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody
", one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
and attended West Virginia University
and Brooklyn Law School
, where he received an LLB. He scored his first major success in 1935, when he teamed up with Saul Chaplin
and Sammy Cahn
to co-write the pop standard "Dedicated to You." The early '40s brought some collaborations with Alex C. Kramer and Joan Whitney, including 1941's "It All Comes Back to Me Now" and the socially conscious
, WWII
-themed "My Sister and I." Zaret also wrote lyrics for an English translation of the French Resistance
song "The Partisan
" (aka "The Song of the French Partisan"), which was later covered by Leonard Cohen
. In 1944 he and Lou Singer wrote the popular hit novelty song
"One Meatball", based on a song popular among Harvard undergraduates.
Zaret's biggest success, though, was "Unchained Melody
," a song he co-wrote with film composer Alex North
for the 1955 prison film Unchained
(hence the title), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
. No fewer than three versions of the song—by Les Baxter
, Al Hibbler
, and Roy Hamilton
-- hit the Top Ten that year, with Hibbler's version ranking as the best-known for the next ten years. The song was also recorded successfully by Jimmy Young
and Liberace
, and covered by countless others, but the Righteous Brothers' 1965 version—given a supremely romantic production by Phil Spector
-- became the definitive take, reaching the pop Top Five. That recording was revived in 1990 thanks to its inclusion in the film, Ghost, and nearly reached the Top Ten all over again. Elvis Presley
& Roy Orbison
also recorded versions of the song.
Zaret turned his attention to educational children's music in the late 1950s, collaborating with Lou Singer on a six-album series called "Ballads for the Age of Science"; different volumes covered space
, energy and motion, experiments, weather, and nature. The records were quite successful, and the songs "Why Does the Sun Shine" (aka "The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas") and A Shooting Star Is Not a Star were even covered by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants
in 1994 and 2001, respectively. (source: Steve Huey, Allmusic)
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
best known as the co-author of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
", one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
Biography
Zaret was born Hyman Harry Zaritsky in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and attended West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.-History:Founded in 1901 by William Payson Richardson and Norman P. Heffley, Brooklyn Law School was the first law school on Long Island. Using space provided by Heffley’s business school, the law...
, where he received an LLB. He scored his first major success in 1935, when he teamed up with Saul Chaplin
Saul Chaplin
Saul Chaplin was an American composer and musical director.He was born Saul Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York.He had worked on stage, screen and television since the days of Tin Pan Alley...
and Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
to co-write the pop standard "Dedicated to You." The early '40s brought some collaborations with Alex C. Kramer and Joan Whitney, including 1941's "It All Comes Back to Me Now" and the socially conscious
Social consciousness
Social consciousness is consciousness shared within a society. It can also be defined as social awareness; to be aware of the problems that different societies and communities face on a day-to-day basis; to be conscious of the difficulties and hardships of society.- Theory :Many studies have been...
, WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-themed "My Sister and I." Zaret also wrote lyrics for an English translation of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
song "The Partisan
The Partisan
"The Partisan" is a song about the French Resistance in World War II. The song was written in 1943 in London by Anna Marly and Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie...
" (aka "The Song of the French Partisan"), which was later covered by Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
. In 1944 he and Lou Singer wrote the popular hit novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
"One Meatball", based on a song popular among Harvard undergraduates.
Zaret's biggest success, though, was "Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
," a song he co-wrote with film composer Alex North
Alex North
Alex North was an American composer who wrote the first jazz-based film score and one of the first modernist scores written in Hollywood ....
for the 1955 prison film Unchained
Unchained (film)
Unchained is a 1955 prison film based on the non-fiction book Prisoners are People by Kenyon J. Scudder. The film is most remembered for its theme song, "Unchained Melody", which was a #1 R&B hit for both Al Hibbler & Roy Hamilton in 1955, with Hibbler's version also reaching #3 on the Billboard...
(hence the title), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
. No fewer than three versions of the song—by Les Baxter
Les Baxter
Les Baxter was an American musician and composer.Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer...
, Al Hibbler
Al Hibbler
Albert George "Al" Hibbler was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of his singing is classified as rhythm and blues, but he is best classified as a bridge between R&B and traditional pop music...
, and Roy Hamilton
Roy Hamilton
Roy Hamilton was an American singer, who achieved major success in the US R&B and pop charts in the 1950s...
-- hit the Top Ten that year, with Hibbler's version ranking as the best-known for the next ten years. The song was also recorded successfully by Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young may refer to:*Jimmy Young *Jimmy Young , singer -See also:*Jim Young *James Young...
and Liberace
Liberace
Wladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
, and covered by countless others, but the Righteous Brothers' 1965 version—given a supremely romantic production by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
-- became the definitive take, reaching the pop Top Five. That recording was revived in 1990 thanks to its inclusion in the film, Ghost, and nearly reached the Top Ten all over again. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
& Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
also recorded versions of the song.
Zaret turned his attention to educational children's music in the late 1950s, collaborating with Lou Singer on a six-album series called "Ballads for the Age of Science"; different volumes covered space
Space Songs
Space Songs is an album in the "Ballads For The Age of Science" or "Singing Science" series of scientific music for children from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Songs were written by Hy Zaret and Lou Singer...
, energy and motion, experiments, weather, and nature. The records were quite successful, and the songs "Why Does the Sun Shine" (aka "The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas") and A Shooting Star Is Not a Star were even covered by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
in 1994 and 2001, respectively. (source: Steve Huey, Allmusic)
See Also
- William StirratWilliam StirratWilliam Albert Stirrat was an imposter who claimed to use a pen name, "Hy Zaret," as the lyricist of the hit "Unchained Melody." However, Unchained Melody was written by a man really named Hy Zaret, who was born in 1907 and published about 180 songs.-The Story:Stirrat made his claim to authoring...
— whose discredited claim to have written "Unchained Melody" under the pen name Hy Zaret has been widely circulated.