The Righteous Brothers were the definition of blue eyed soul. Bobby Hatfield was the tenor on the left and Bill Medley the baritone on the right. This song, which was the most played on radio and tv in the 20th century, was released in December of 1964. Both of them were only 24 at that time. Early in their career they were performing at a club near El Toro Marine Base and Black Marines would say things like "That's righteous, brother" about their singing. That's where the name came from. (You're My) Soul and Inspiration should be next up. I Just Wanna Make Love to You, unfortunately not live, is another great one. Bobby does an absolutely raving version of Summertime, which is live.
You are exactly right. The name of the club was John's Black Derby In Santa Ana. It's interesting to note that at the time they were called The Paramours and they almost never became The Righteous Brothers if it weren't for Papa Bear Mike Patterson. It's a great story related by Bill Medley himself.
I was fortunate to see the Righteous Brothers in person. I was an 18 year old. These singers were loved by both people of color and white folks. I was born in the 50's and raised in both the 50's and 60's. These two decades were a time of great upheaval and change. The music that , was created gave us an escape to concentrate on the things that mattered to us all. Vietnam was escalating each year. Many young people played this music on their way to war. This music will never die and is being discovered by a new generation. Keep the music alive my soul brother. Peace be with you always.
OH MY!!!! I get chills EVERY SINGLE TIME!! This duo actually got their name when they were performing when an African American stood up and yelled "That's righteous brother!!" Their music is called "blue-eyed soul"!! A musician with soul is an EPIC MUSICIAN!! SOUL ROCKS!!!💙💙💙💙💙
They were the first baby boomers, still connected to previous generation. 1950's Boomers created the Hippy Generation. Myself,1960. Witnessed the end of the Hippy in 1980, like a light switch. But you still see them around, Bald heads and ponytail's.
It amazes me that you hear this old music almost like it came from another country, or planet, even. To me, every phrase and note is the air we breathed, the life we lived, and the way we loved. It was the best of us.
This was 1967. Black radio stations thought these were two black guys. When it was put out that they were white black stations across the country banned the song from airplay and that just isn't right. Great music is great music, I was nine when this song came out and I loved it. So much great music back then, you have no idea and no auto tune crap like today, you had to be able to sing. The black music in the sixties was incredible. Now you want to hear the greatest of all time , check out The Beatles my man. Nobody ever did it better !
They appeared on the Andy Williams sho & he asked how they came up with their name..The Rightous Brothers....they had played at a club...at the end of their last song & and through the applauds this one man yelled out to them, "That was righteous brothers"!!!!! And they liked the way that sounded...the rest is history!!!💞💞💞
The only thing that could make that vid any cooler, is if Bobby, after sitting patiently for Bill to do his bit, had stood up, and thrown a cigarette away, swigged the last of a can down and crushed it! Sorry, my imagination runs away with me sometimes. Everything about this, the soaring voices behind them, the strings, the Wall of Sound, the silhouettes, the grainy black and white, Bill begging, Bobby wailing, the rocking out at the end ... baby, baby, pleassssse! Still love it after all these years.
A year ago... I watched this video just before going in to the job. The song in my head... I jumped on the production line and began singing... Both Bill and Bobby's lines. Of course, I'm a horrible singer... But my boss was enjoying it.... Great song Great harmony. Great duet.
I am from The Netherlands Amsterdam, they play this song also very much on the radio here, Every one here knows this song, Elvis is the King, but they were his King-Brothers ❤❤❤
If you liked this one, please react to Soul and Inspiration. It was written as a follow-up to the success of this song by the same writers, features both "brothers", and peaked at #1 in the US for three straight weeks in 1966. And a tidbit: one of the female back-up singers in this song was a 18 year old named Cherilyn Sarkisian; today she is simply known as Cher.
My dad's 1st new car was a 1964 Pontiac Tempest. It didn't come with radio so my father and I went to a place and had an AM radio with an outside antenna and one speaker in the dashboard installed. As we drove away, this was the first song that played. It's strange that I can remember this.
Here's a little backstory, they used to be called the Paramours, but one time they had performed for a group of black Marines and someone in the audience yelled "That was righteous brothers!" Hence their name...or at least that's the story I heard.
I lv watching your reactions because you’re so sincere and honest and you enjoy different genres of music because you just love music .. i think if music can bring so many people together .. I love watching your channel because it makes me happy
Both the Righteous Brothers were 24 when Unchained Melody and You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling were released in early 1965. Bobby turned 25 on August 10th, and Bill turned 25 on September 19th. I grew up loving their music, so I especially enjoy when someone as young as you discovers them. Your reactions are good! 🎶👍
Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield were doing a show and one of the black guys at the concert came up to them and said, "That's righteous, brother!!!" And now you know the rest of the story. They liked what he said and that's how they became The Righteous Brothers. Glad you like em....
I think the story goes that after a performance, a Black Marine shouted, "That's righteous, brother!" no doubt impressed with the soul in a couple of White boys.
It's WAY better when you hear both of them together! This was the most played song on radio worldwide in the 20th century! They started out in a vocal quintet called The Paramours. When the group split up, Bill & Bobby continued performing together as Hatfield & Medley. They were performing at a nightclub right next to a marine corps base in Southern California and one night, one of the marines (a black guy) stood up and yelled, "That was Righteous, Brothers!", and the name stuck. When I lived in Las Vegas in the mid-90s, they used to play there all the time and I got to see them live there several times. Even 30 years after the hits, they still sounded incredible. Other great songs of theirs are Soul & Inspiration (sort of a sequel to You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'), Rock & Roll Heaven, Ebb Tide, Justine and Little Latin Lupe Lu.
A great song along with fun reaction -- thanks! It's hard to imagine. When this video was made, there were between 5 and 6 billion people on the planet. How those two voices found each other boggles the mind.
FYI - they "found" each other in high school in Orange County, California, when they were both big James Brown fans. Bill Medley once said in an interview that they would, each in his own bedroom, tune in to a black station on the radio, and listen together. And so it began...
I love watching these songs. I remember watching my Mom and Dad dancing to this song and they even use to dance in the grocery stores when this song would come on in the stores. People use to watch thrm dance til it was done. I miss them so much. Dad passed in 2007 and Mom in 2014...
Back in the 60s I was blessed to see the Righteous Brothers at the Circle Star Theater in Redwood City California😊 Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley would send chills up your spine listening to the beautiful sound of their voices with amazing lyrics❤ Bobby Hatfield was the high-pitched voice and Bill Medley with his amazing low voice😊 Years later after Bobby got sick Bill took care of him until he passed away and that is a beautiful story to research check it out you'll enjoy it what love for your neighbor, which is what we were put in this world to do❤
I don't know where you got your info but Bill Medley never took care of Bobby. Bobby died of heart failure in a hotel room night before they were to a concert
They were 24 years old. Bobby was 1 month older. Bobby's "Summertime" will blow you away. Bill's Brown eyed Woman will make you cry. And there are so many others, they were the best of the best. Neither of them had any formal vocal training.
Efffing LOVE the smile on your face brutha!!! That my friend is what great music does..😁 I used to work for Bill & Bobby in the mid 90’s as part of their secdetail; BOTH just as they seemed... down to earth, ready with a polite greeting, and quick witted with infectious humor!! Bobby IS related to the famous Hatfield’s of “Hillbilly Feud” fame, his grandfather moved the family out west soon after. Also, a little known Cherilyn Sarkisian or “Cher” was one of the backup singers in the background!
I'm 60 years old and grew up on this kind of music. I am LOVING you reactions!! Back then it was pure talent, not a bunch of machines making a voice sound better that it really was. You should listen to Credence Clearwater Revival, the Allman Brothers when you get a chance.
I saw them in Concert in January 1984 before cell phones. That was a concert to see, The Righteous Brothers opened, followed by the Oak Ridge Boys, and the head liner was Kenny Rodgers. The women were a mess at the end.
I was a little 10 year old girl when this came out. We all loved it, our families loved it. We little kids used to say, "Yaw, one of the Righteous Brothers Mama was Black!" LOL! You didn't have to be grown to feel the love and longing these men successfully communicated in this song. It came out in December, 1964, the same month and year Sam Cooke was murdered and a beloved Aunt died. Because of that, and the fear of loss of love they sing about, this song still is beautiful and haunting for me. One of my all time favorite songs and performances FOR EVER!
The Righteous Brothers hit you with their "Thunder" (Bill Medley: Deep Baritone) and "Lightning" (Bobby Hatfield: High Tenor), as you can see & hear, together they are "unmatched" and a force to be reckoned with!!! Their voices just go together and they blend so well like "peanut butter & jelly," "fish & chips," "rice & beans," "mac & cheese," "cake & ice cream," "salt & pepper," "shrimp & grits," burgers & fries," "milk & cookies," etc., etc...I believe you get the picture!!! The next song to react to by them is "Soul and Inspiration," as they continue to "deliver the goods!!!" These dudes are some pure soulful brothers!!!
I heard (not sure it's true, mind you) that they were singing live when they first got started and someone hollered "that's righteous, brother". And the rest is history. I had a huuuuge fan crush on Bill Medley back in the day 😊
They got their name Righteous Brothers from an audience member when he shouted out after they performed at a first stage concert...that was righteous brothers, and they adopted it.
