Unchained Melody
Encyclopedia
"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.
In 1955, Alex North
used the music as a theme
for the prison
film Unchained
, hence the name.
Todd Duncan
sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. Les Baxter
(Capitol Records
catalog number
3055), released an instrumental version which reached #2. Then song recordings were released by Al Hibbler
(Decca Records
#29441) reaching #3 on the Billboard charts, Jimmy Young
which hit #1 in the United Kingdom, and Roy Hamilton
(Epic Records
no. 9102) reaching #1 on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. Hundreds of other recordings followed.
It was the July 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers
that became a jukebox
standard for the late 20th century, regaining massive popularity when used in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost
.
and their song eventually became known as the "Unchained Melody." The song doesn't actually include the word "unchained", and songwriter Zaret chose instead to focus his lyrics on someone who pines for a lover he hasn't seen in a "long, lonely time." The 1955 film centers around a man who contemplates either escaping from prison to live life on the run, or completing his sentence and returning to his wife and family.
With Todd Duncan singing the vocals, the song was nominated for an Oscar in 1955, but the Best-Song award went to the hit song "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
."
recorded the song on March 15, 1955
and it was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-6078, with the flip side "Tomorrow" and took it to #29. Gene Vincent
and his Blue Caps recorded it for their second album in 1956 — Vincent's version is played at mid-tempo and features a tremolo picking guitar part. It is also probably the most unusual cover version, as the bridge was omitted. Harry Belafonte
sang it at the 1956 Academy Awards
where it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
of 1955
. (Belafonte had also made a recording of the song for RCA Victor Records, which was released as catalog number 20-6784 in 1955, with the flip side "A-Roving.") In 1963, an uptempo, doo-wop
version hit the regional charts (eastern U.S.) by Vito & the Salutations
, eventually becoming part of the soundtrack for Goodfellas
in 1990. Perry Como
recorded the song in 1955, and English jazz musician Cliff Townshend
of The Squadronaires
also released a popular version in 1956.
The song regained popularity when another version was produced by Phil Spector
in 1965, credited to The Righteous Brothers, but performed as a solo by Bobby Hatfield
, who later recorded versions credited solely to him. This version climbed to #4 on the charts.
Roy Hamilton
Al Hibbler
Jimmy Young
, in character as "Bluebottle."
Line Renaud
recorded different versions of the song in 1956, sung in both French and Spanish.
The song was released on a B-side by Merri Gail in 1957 for Cha Cha Records, accompanied by an accordion.
Another early version was by teen idol Ricky Nelson
, issued in 1958 on the album Ricky Nelson
.
Gisele Mackenzie
covered the song on her 1958 solo album for RCA Victor, Gisele (LPM/LSP-1790).
The Fleetwoods
released a version of the song on their 1959 album, Mr. Blue for Dolton Records
.
The Supremes
covered the song for their album I Hear A Symphony
, released in 1966.
Roy Orbison
recorded a version of it for his album Many Moods
, released in May 1969.
Bobby Vinton
covered the song on The Love Album
, released June 1971. Recordings have also been made by Cliff Richard
and Conway Twitty
.
On June 21, 1977, just six weeks before his death, Elvis Presley
performed "Unchained Melody" for what would be his last television appearance, "Elvis In Concert
." However, the recording that was ultimately released as a single and included on the Moody Blue
album (the last released while he was alive) was from an earlier appearance at Ann Arbor, Michigan, featuring him on piano, as was invariably the case when Presley sang the song in concert.
In 1981, a live version performed by the band Heart
peaked at #83 on the Billboard Top 100.
In 1986, Leo Sayer
released a version of the song with a contemporary re-working of the "wall of sound" production technique that included an unusual electric guitar solo near the climax. The single charted in the UK only, making the Top 60.
U2
also covered the song as a B-side to their 1989 single, "All I Want Is You." They have played the track live several times, including one performance which was captured on their 1993 concert film Zoo TV: Live from Sydney
.
In 1995, the song was performed by Robson Green
and Jerome Flynn
in the UK drama series Soldier Soldier
. This version was subsequently released as a single and quickly reached #1 in the UK, becoming one of the country's all time biggest selling records.
Also in 1995, Air Supply
's album News from Nowhere contained a cover of the song.
R. Kelly
sampled the song in 1998 in his song, "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time
" from the album R.
Sarah McLachlan
's haunting version of the song opened Pine Ridge: An Open Letter to Allan Rock - Songs for Leonard Peltier, a benefit CD published by What Magazine on 1 November 1996; the recording was reissued in 2008 on her album Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2. She also performed the song at the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund Benefit Concert on 12 February 1997.
Cyndi Lauper
was nominated for a 2005 Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition Accompanying a Vocal" for her interpretation of the song, which appears on the At Last
album. In 2006, singer Barry Manilow
covered the song on his album Greatest Songs of the Fifties, and it reached #20.
Christian Singer David Phelps
recorded the song on his 2008 album The Voice.
The Smashing Pumpkins
also released a cover of the song in their Live Smashing Pumpkins
album series.
Deerhunter
frontman Bradford Cox recorded a version in 2007 as Atlas Sound
and gave it away on his blog, along with a Jay Reatard
cover.
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
performed the song in concert as a tribute to Bobby Hatfield, and it appeared on their 2008 "Greatest Hits Live" CD.
Gareth Gates
recorded a cover version of the song as his first release following his appearance on Pop Idol in the United Kingdom. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on its first week of release.
Clay Aiken
recorded the song on his 2010 album Tried and True
.
The Pop Opera group, Amici Forever
recorded the song in Italian, under the title, 'Senza Catene' (Without Chains).
Joni Mitchell
incorporated the chorus and parts of the melody in 'Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody'.
Constantine Maroulis
released his version of the song as a single, which he debuted during a guest performance on American Idol
on April 7, 2011.
Micheal Castaldo
recorded an Italian version of the song on his 2010 album, Aceto.
Donald Braswell II
recorded this song on his 2011 album, Unchained.
It will also be featured as a musical number in the upcoming GHOST The Musical
.
charts: Joe Stampley
(#41, 1975), Elvis Presley (#6, 1978), Ronnie McDowell
(#26, 1991) and LeAnn Rimes
(#3, 1997). Rimes's version of the song was only available as a bonus single to copies of her album Blue
that were sold at Target
stores during the 1996 Christmas season. It was released as a single on December 24, 1996. Rimes' version was later released on her compilation album Unchained Melody: The Early Years
.
to be his favorite song, leading it to be a favourite among those hoping to impress him in auditions for Pop Idol
, American Idol, and The X Factor
. It was performed on the original series of Pop Idol by runner-up Gareth Gates, who later released it as a single. It was also sung on Australian Idol
by finalist Dan England and 2006's winner Damien Leith
, and on American Idol by George Trice in Season 2, Kellie Pickler
on Season 5
Top 6 Love Songs Week, for which she was eliminated, Clay Aiken during the Season 2
Top 3 finals, after which he advanced to the Top 2 (finals), and Lauren Alaina
on American Idol (season 10)
. On Series 8 of UK X Factor
, Johnny Robinson performed the song on November 6, 2011 to stay in the competition.
and Five.
In 2004 Rolling Stone
placed the song at #365 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
.
Placed 1st in Magic 1278, 500 greatest songs of all time.
"Unchained Melody" reappeared on the Billboard charts in 1990 after The Righteous Brothers' recording was used in the box office blockbuster film Ghost. Two versions charted in the US that year. There was the reissue of the 1965 original Righteous Brothers single which received a lot of airplay, but sales were minimal since it was only available as a 45 RPM single. This version peaked at #13. There was also a 1990 re-recording of the song which was available only as a cassette single. The re-recorded version saw minimal airplay, but excellent sales. It peaked at #19. For eight weeks, both versions were on the Hot 100 simultaneously. This re-release of the song topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart
for two weeks in 1990. It reached #1 for the fifth time in the UK, becoming the UK's top selling single of 1990; it also later reached #1 in Australia
, staying at number-one for seven weeks through November 1990 and into January 1991. The song would also appear in the comedy film The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991, in which the pottery wheel scene from Ghost was parodied.
The song later appeared in a Ford Fiesta
commercial featuring two German
engineers moulding a car together, in a parody
of Ghost.
The song is included on the karaoke
games Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 and the US version of SingStar Legends. It features in the animated film "Happy Feet
", released in 2006.
This song is also used by Bubbles in Trailer Park Boys
when Julian is about to shoot Conky, in reference to his obsession with Patrick Swayze
.
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 ....
and lyrics by Hy Zaret
Hy Zaret
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.-Biography:...
. 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.
In 1955, 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 ....
used the music as a theme
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
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 name.
Todd Duncan
Todd Duncan
Robert Todd Duncan was an American baritone opera singer and actor.-Biography:Todd Duncan was born in Danville, Kentucky in 1903. He obtained his musical training at Butler University in Indianapolis with a B.A. in music followed by an M.A...
sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. 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...
(Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
3055), released an instrumental version which reached #2. Then song recordings were released by 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...
(Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
#29441) reaching #3 on the Billboard charts, Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young (disc jockey)
Sir Jimmy Young CBE was a British singer, disc jockey and radio interviewer.-Early life:...
which hit #1 in the United Kingdom, 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...
(Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
no. 9102) reaching #1 on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. Hundreds of other recordings followed.
It was the July 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003...
that became a jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
standard for the late 20th century, regaining massive popularity when used in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost
Ghost (film)
Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
.
Origin of song
In 1955, Alex North and lyricist Hy Zaret were contracted to write a song as a theme for the obscure prison film Unchained,and their song eventually became known as the "Unchained Melody." The song doesn't actually include the word "unchained", and songwriter Zaret chose instead to focus his lyrics on someone who pines for a lover he hasn't seen in a "long, lonely time." The 1955 film centers around a man who contemplates either escaping from prison to live life on the run, or completing his sentence and returning to his wife and family.
With Todd Duncan singing the vocals, the song was nominated for an Oscar in 1955, but the Best-Song award went to the hit song "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song)
"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" is a popular song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing , winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
."
Early versions
Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. Les Baxter (Capitol Records catalog number 3055), released an instrumental version which reached #2. Al Hibbler followed close behind with a vocal version (Decca Records catalog number 29441) that reached #3 on the Billboard charts. He was followed soon after by Jimmy Young, whose version hit #1 on the British charts. Roy Hamilton's version (Epic Records catalog number 9102) reached number one on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. June ValliJune Valli
June Valli , the stage name of June Foglia, was an American singer and television personality.Born in the Bronx, Valli was one of the stars of the 1950s television shows Stop the Music and Your Hit Parade. She sang on the show during the show's 1952–1953 season...
recorded the song on March 15, 1955
1955 in music
-Events:*January 1 – RCA Victor announces a marketing plan called "Operation TNT." The label drops the list price on LPs from $5.95 to $3.98, EPs from $4.95 to $2.98, 45 EPs from $1.58 to $1.49 and 45's from $1.16 to $.89...
and it was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-6078, with the flip side "Tomorrow" and took it to #29. Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
and his Blue Caps recorded it for their second album in 1956 — Vincent's version is played at mid-tempo and features a tremolo picking guitar part. It is also probably the most unusual cover version, as the bridge was omitted. Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
sang it at the 1956 Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
where it 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...
of 1955
28th Academy Awards
The 28th Academy Awards were presented at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Marty, a simple and low-budget film usually uncharacteristic of Best Picture awardees, became the shortest film to win the top honor.This year also was notable for having only 2 of the best picture...
. (Belafonte had also made a recording of the song for RCA Victor Records, which was released as catalog number 20-6784 in 1955, with the flip side "A-Roving.") In 1963, an uptempo, doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
version hit the regional charts (eastern U.S.) by Vito & the Salutations
Vito & the Salutations
Vito & the Salutations is a New York doo wop group from the 1960s, whose first popular recording, "Gloria," was a regional hit.Vito & the Salutations scored a success in 1963 with an up-tempo version of the song "Unchained Melody," which reached number 60 on the Cash Box hit parade and made the top...
, eventually becoming part of the soundtrack for Goodfellas
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
in 1990. Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
recorded the song in 1955, and English jazz musician Cliff Townshend
Cliff Townshend
Clifford Blandford Townshend was an English jazz musician noted for playing the saxophone in The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, popularly known as The Squadronaires. He was described by acquaintances as a quiet man with a wry sense of humor. He also played clarinet in the band and was respected...
of The Squadronaires
The Squadronaires
The Squadronaires is a Royal Air Force band which began and performed in England during and after World War II. The official title of the band was 'The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra', but it was always known by the more popular title "The Squadronaires"....
also released a popular version in 1956.
The song regained popularity when another version was produced 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....
in 1965, credited to The Righteous Brothers, but performed as a solo by Bobby Hatfield
Bobby Hatfield
Robert Lee "Bobby" Hatfield was an American singer, best known as one half of the Righteous Brothers.-Early life:...
, who later recorded versions credited solely to him. This version climbed to #4 on the charts.
Chart performances
Les Baxter| Chart (1955) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom (NME NME The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles... ) |
10 |
| United Kingdom (Record Mirror) | 10 |
| United States (Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... ) |
1 |
Roy Hamilton
| Chart (1955) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United States (Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... ) |
6 |
| United States (Billboard R&B Singles Chart Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... ) |
1 |
Al Hibbler
| Chart (1955) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom (NME NME The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles... ) |
2 |
| United Kingdom (Record Mirror) | 1 |
| United States (Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... ) |
3 |
| United States (Billboard R&B Singles Chart Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... ) |
1 |
Jimmy Young
| Chart (1955) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom (NME NME The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles... ) |
1 |
| United Kingdom (Record Mirror) | 2 |
Other versions
In 1955, The Goons produced a comic version of the song, sung in an inappropriately upbeat manner (and with as few added "ying-tongs") by Peter SellersPeter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
, in character as "Bluebottle."
Line Renaud
Line Renaud
- Early life :Line Renaud was born in Pont-de-Nieppe on 2 July 1928. Her mother Simone was a shorthand typist; her father was a truck driver during the week, but he played trumpet at the weekends, in a local brass band...
recorded different versions of the song in 1956, sung in both French and Spanish.
The song was released on a B-side by Merri Gail in 1957 for Cha Cha Records, accompanied by an accordion.
Another early version was by teen idol Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
, issued in 1958 on the album Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson (album)
Ricky Nelson is the second album by teen idol Ricky Nelson, released in 1958. The album charted in the Top 10 on the Billboard album charts, and has since been re-issued on iTunes.-Musical content:...
.
Gisele Mackenzie
Gisele MacKenzie
Gisèle MacKenzie was a Canadian-American singer, most famous for her performances on the popular television program Your Hit Parade.-Biography:...
covered the song on her 1958 solo album for RCA Victor, Gisele (LPM/LSP-1790).
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods
The Fleetwoods were a singing trio from Olympia, Washington, United States; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me"...
released a version of the song on their 1959 album, Mr. Blue for Dolton Records
Dolton Records
Dolton Records was a record label based in Seattle that was originally known as Dolphin Records. It was owned by Bob Reisdorf and Bonnie Guitar. Success for the label came early with "Come Softly to Me" by The Fleetwoods, the first single to be released on that label...
.
The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
covered the song for their album I Hear A Symphony
I Hear a Symphony (album)
I Hear a Symphony is a 1966 album released by Motown girl group The Supremes on the Motown label.Positioned as a successful attempt to further bridge the gap between traditional pop music, the traditional Motown sound and soul, the album included the title track, The Supremes' sixth number-one...
, released in 1966.
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...
recorded a version of it for his album Many Moods
Roy Orbison's Many Moods
Roy Orbison's Many Moods, also known as The Many Moods of Roy Orbison, is a music album recorded by Roy Orbison on the MGM Records label and released in May 1969.-Track listing:Side One#"Truly, Truly True"...
, released in May 1969.
Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton
Bobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...
covered the song on The Love Album
The Love Album (Bobby Vinton album)
-Album credits:*"This Guy's in Love With You", "Till", "For Once in My Life", "When I Fall in Love", "No Arms Can Ever Hold You", "Please Love Me Forever", "Love Me With All Your Heart", "To Think You've Chosen Me", "If I Didn't Care" and "It's All in the Game" produced by Billy Sherrill*"Sunrise,...
, released June 1971. Recordings have also been made by Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
and Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
.
On June 21, 1977, just six weeks before his death, 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"....
performed "Unchained Melody" for what would be his last television appearance, "Elvis In Concert
Elvis In Concert
Elvis In Concert is a posthumous 1977 TV special starring Elvis Presley. It was Elvis' third and final TV special, following Elvis and Aloha From Hawaii. It was filmed during Presley's final tour in the cities of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 19, 1977, and Rapid City, South Dakota, on June 21, 1977...
." However, the recording that was ultimately released as a single and included on the Moody Blue
Moody Blue
Moody Blue is the final studio album by Elvis Presley. The album was a mixture of live and studio work, and included tracks from Presley's final studio recording sessions in 1976, including Moody Blue, a previously published hit song, and Way Down, which became a hit song after Presley's death less...
album (the last released while he was alive) was from an earlier appearance at Ann Arbor, Michigan, featuring him on piano, as was invariably the case when Presley sang the song in concert.
In 1981, a live version performed by the band Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
peaked at #83 on the Billboard Top 100.
In 1986, Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
released a version of the song with a contemporary re-working of the "wall of sound" production technique that included an unusual electric guitar solo near the climax. The single charted in the UK only, making the Top 60.
U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
also covered the song as a B-side to their 1989 single, "All I Want Is You." They have played the track live several times, including one performance which was captured on their 1993 concert film Zoo TV: Live from Sydney
Zoo TV: Live From Sydney
Zoo TV: Live from Sydney is a concert video release by rock band U2 from the "Zoomerang" leg of their Zoo TV Tour. Recorded on Saturday, November 27, 1993 at Sydney Football Stadium on the band's featured stop in Sydney, Australia, it was released in May 1994 on VHS and Laserdisc, and re-released...
.
In 1995, the song was performed by Robson Green
Robson Green
Robson Green is an English actor, singer–songwriter and presenter.-Biography:Robson Golightly Green was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and baptised in Bethel Chapel, , and named in Northeast tradition as first son after family surnames: Robson is his grandmother's maiden surname, while Golightly...
and Jerome Flynn
Jerome Flynn
Jerome Flynn is an English actor best known for his role as Corporal Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers in the ITV series Soldier Soldier....
in the UK drama series Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier
Soldier Soldier is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name.Produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 1991 to 1997...
. This version was subsequently released as a single and quickly reached #1 in the UK, becoming one of the country's all time biggest selling records.
Also in 1995, Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
's album News from Nowhere contained a cover of the song.
R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
sampled the song in 1998 in his song, "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time
If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time
"If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" is a song by R. Kelly, released as the fifth single from his 1998 album, R.. The song is a sweeping ballad about a man wishing he could go back in time and repair his relationship with his girlfriend...
" from the album R.
R. (album)
-Commercial performance:R. debuted at #2 on the Billboard top 100 with 1st weeks sales of 741,000 coppies in the 1st week.in the second week the album fell to #3 with 567,000 coppies.the album was eventually rewarded a 8x plantium award with more than 8 million copies sold in the United States to...
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
's haunting version of the song opened Pine Ridge: An Open Letter to Allan Rock - Songs for Leonard Peltier, a benefit CD published by What Magazine on 1 November 1996; the recording was reissued in 2008 on her album Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2. She also performed the song at the Leonard Peltier Defense Fund Benefit Concert on 12 February 1997.
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
was nominated for a 2005 Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition Accompanying a Vocal" for her interpretation of the song, which appears on the At Last
At Last (Cyndi Lauper album)
At Last is a Grammy Award-nominated 2003 album by Cyndi Lauper. It made the top 40 of the album charts in both the US and Australia. The album features a duet with Tony Bennett on "Makin' Whoopee". Lauper co-produced the album with Russ Titelman...
album. In 2006, singer Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
covered the song on his album Greatest Songs of the Fifties, and it reached #20.
Christian Singer David Phelps
David Phelps
David Norris Phelps is an American Christian vocalist, songwriter and vocal arranger, who is best known for singing tenor in the Gaither Vocal Band. He has also released several solo albums, including four Christmas collections...
recorded the song on his 2008 album The Voice.
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
also released a cover of the song in their Live Smashing Pumpkins
Live Smashing Pumpkins
Live Smashing Pumpkins is a joint venture between the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and the music distributor Nugs.net Enterprises to sell audio recordings "mastered directly from the soundboard" of The Smashing Pumpkins concerts from the band's 2008 20th anniversary tour of...
album series.
Deerhunter
Deerhunter
Deerhunter is an American four-piece indie rock group originating from Atlanta, Georgia. The band, consisting of Bradford Cox, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver, and Lockett Pundt, have described themselves as "ambient punk," though they incorporate a wide range of genres, including noise rock, art...
frontman Bradford Cox recorded a version in 2007 as Atlas Sound
Atlas Sound
Bradford James Cox is an American musician best known as the lead singer and guitarist of Atlanta, Georgia-based psychedelic and ambient band Deerhunter. He also pursues a solo career under the moniker Atlas Sound. Cox formed Deerhunter with drummer Moses Archuleta in 2001. The band has released...
and gave it away on his blog, along with a Jay Reatard
Jay Reatard
Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. , better known by the stage name Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. Lindsey was signed to Matador Records...
cover.
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their million selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" .-History:...
performed the song in concert as a tribute to Bobby Hatfield, and it appeared on their 2008 "Greatest Hits Live" CD.
Gareth Gates
Gareth Gates
Gareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
recorded a cover version of the song as his first release following his appearance on Pop Idol in the United Kingdom. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on its first week of release.
Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
recorded the song on his 2010 album Tried and True
Tried and True
Tried and True is the fifth full length studio album released by Clay Aiken on June 1, 2010. This album is Aiken's first release on the Decca label. The deluxe edition includes two additional tracks plus a second disk with behind the scenes video and a live performance.-Background:The songs on...
.
The Pop Opera group, Amici Forever
Amici Forever
Amici Forever is a band of four classically trained singers who mix opera with pop music . The band's first album, The Opera Band , reached number one on the Australian classical charts, number two on the United States classical charts and the top 5 in the United Kingdom classical...
recorded the song in Italian, under the title, 'Senza Catene' (Without Chains).
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
incorporated the chorus and parts of the melody in 'Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody'.
Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis
Constantine James Maroulis is an American rock singer, actor, and writer from Wyckoff, New Jersey. He was the sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of the reality television series American Idol, and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty...
released his version of the song as a single, which he debuted during a guest performance on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on April 7, 2011.
Micheal Castaldo
Micheal Castaldo
Michéal Castaldo is an Italian-born Canadian, and now a New York City resident classical crossover tenor, music producer and composer.-Early life and musical career:...
recorded an Italian version of the song on his 2010 album, Aceto.
Donald Braswell II
Donald Braswell II
Donald Braswell II is an American actor, classical crossover tenor and composer. Braswell was on a fast track to become an internationally acclaimed opera singer when he suffered a car accident in 1995 that made him unable to speak for almost two years...
recorded this song on his 2011 album, Unchained.
It will also be featured as a musical number in the upcoming GHOST The Musical
GHOST The Musical
Ghost The Musical is a musical with book and lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin and music and lyrics by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.Based on the hit 1990 romantic drama film of the same name, the musical had its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester...
.
Country music versions
Four different versions of the song have made the Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts: Joe Stampley
Joe Stampley
Joe Stampley is an American country music singer.-Biography:He was born to R.C. Stampley, Jr. , and Mary E. Stampley...
(#41, 1975), Elvis Presley (#6, 1978), Ronnie McDowell
Ronnie McDowell
Ronald Dean "Ronnie" McDowell is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1977 with the song "The King Is Gone", a tribute to Elvis Presley, who had died not long before the single's release. From that single onward, McDowell has charted more than thirty Top 40 hits on the Billboard...
(#26, 1991) and LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
(#3, 1997). Rimes's version of the song was only available as a bonus single to copies of her album Blue
Blue (LeAnn Rimes album)
Blue is the debut album by American country singer LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on July 9, 1996 by Curb Records. It reached #3 on Billboard 200, and #1 on Top Country Albums....
that were sold at Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
stores during the 1996 Christmas season. It was released as a single on December 24, 1996. Rimes' version was later released on her compilation album Unchained Melody: The Early Years
Unchained Melody: The Early Years
Jose F. Promis of Allmusic gave the album two and a half out of five stars stating that it's "a tad bizarre" due to the album consisting of recordings released prior to Blue, that were recorded when Rimes was eleven years old, as a flow up to her debut album....
.
Television shows
The song has become a favorite among auditioners for TV singing contests. It has often been said by Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
to be his favorite song, leading it to be a favourite among those hoping to impress him in auditions for Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, American Idol, and The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
. It was performed on the original series of Pop Idol by runner-up Gareth Gates, who later released it as a single. It was also sung on Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
by finalist Dan England and 2006's winner Damien Leith
Damien Leith
Damien Leo Leith is an Irish Australian singer–songwriter. He was the winner of the Network Ten music contest Australian Idol 2006Damien has also guest co-hosted 'The Morning Show' on Network Ten on 18 July 2011.He was born in Ireland and now lives in Australia with his Australian wife, Eileen...
, and on American Idol by George Trice in Season 2, Kellie Pickler
Kellie Pickler
Kellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music artist and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol, eventually finishing in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to 19 Recordings and BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing...
on Season 5
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
Top 6 Love Songs Week, for which she was eliminated, Clay Aiken during the Season 2
American Idol (Season 2)
The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
Top 3 finals, after which he advanced to the Top 2 (finals), and Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina is an American singer from Rossville, Georgia. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower was released in October 2011....
on American Idol (season 10)
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
. On Series 8 of UK X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 8)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
, Johnny Robinson performed the song on November 6, 2011 to stay in the competition.
Popularity
The song has been #1 on lists of love songs featured on the United Kingdom's Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and Five.
In 2004 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
placed the song at #365 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
.
Placed 1st in Magic 1278, 500 greatest songs of all time.
Uses in media
The enduring popularity of the song has led to it being used on a number of different forms of media."Unchained Melody" reappeared on the Billboard charts in 1990 after The Righteous Brothers' recording was used in the box office blockbuster film Ghost. Two versions charted in the US that year. There was the reissue of the 1965 original Righteous Brothers single which received a lot of airplay, but sales were minimal since it was only available as a 45 RPM single. This version peaked at #13. There was also a 1990 re-recording of the song which was available only as a cassette single. The re-recorded version saw minimal airplay, but excellent sales. It peaked at #19. For eight weeks, both versions were on the Hot 100 simultaneously. This re-release of the song topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
for two weeks in 1990. It reached #1 for the fifth time in the UK, becoming the UK's top selling single of 1990; it also later reached #1 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, staying at number-one for seven weeks through November 1990 and into January 1991. The song would also appear in the comedy film The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991, in which the pottery wheel scene from Ghost was parodied.
The song later appeared in a Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a front wheel drive supermini/subcompact manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company and built in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Thailand and South Africa...
commercial featuring two German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
engineers moulding a car together, in a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Ghost.
The song is included on the karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
games Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 and the US version of SingStar Legends. It features in the animated film "Happy Feet
Happy Feet
Happy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
", released in 2006.
This song is also used by Bubbles in Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian comedy mockumentary television series created and directed by Mike Clattenburg that focuses on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The...
when Julian is about to shoot Conky, in reference to his obsession with Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
.
External links
- Last.FM Unchained Melody search page.
- Behind the song, MPL Communications
- 'Unchained Melody' Lyricist Dies at 99, All Things Considered, 2007-07-03, National Public Radio (U.S.). The audio linked from that page includes snippets of various artists performing the song.
- Cashbox charts 1955 Cash Box Top Singles of 1955