As much as I love Elvis this song belongs to Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers. No one has sung "Unchained Melody" better than Bobby Hatfield. This performance done (Live) 59 years ago in (1965) on the Andy Williams Television Show. Has gone on to become the greatest (Live) television performance by a singer and orchestra ever. The NBC Studio Orchestra's musical arrangement on this song was off the charts beautiful and brilliant. Add to it the great Counter Tenor voice of one of the greatest singers in Rock & Roll history in Bobby Hatfield and you get an instant classic that will live on forever. Great and honest reaction to the greatest performance of "Unchained Melody" ever.
This is one of the most recorded songs in music history. 760 different artists have made 1100 recordings of it, but Bobby Hatfield's version is the iconic one. The song was written in 1955 for a prison movie 'Unchained' and three singers had hits with it before Bobby recorded it. For the studio version, Bill Medley not only produced it, he played the piano accompaniment and sang backup.
Live raw un-futz with talent. No autotune, no protools, no computer nitwits “adjusting” anything. The real thing. And no dozens of back up dancers with explosions and whirling around. One guy with a microphone.
The late Bobby Hatfield. No one sang this song like he did. I was 15 yrs old when I watched him sing this beautiful song on the Andy Williams show in 1965. No auto tunes just pure raw. He owns this song! RIP Bobby. We miss hearing your beautiful voice. ❤
This song has been sung by many singers but none do it better than Bobby Hatfield. No auto tune or gimmicks just pure talent. The studio version was used in the film 'Ghost' and was great but this live version is stupendous. He had a cold, his mother was watching him perform for the first time and he suffered with stage fright. When he hits the last high note his face does not contort like other singers. He just bites his lip and smiles as if to say 'I nailed it'.
That’s Bobby Hatfield. If you’d like to hear his ‘brother’ do a complete song solo as well, and you do, Bill Medley does I Just Want To Make Love To You - another A-plus. Results guaranteed.
I'd never thought about comparing Bobby to Elvis, but you're right. They both had beautiful voices, full bodied and yet chrystal clear. Different styles but amazing voices.
Trinity perhaps they could do a comparison, they both had a different style of vocals. Bobby had the vocal range that to this day no one can reach. Bobby was such a blessed individual, he is dearly missed. This song will always be his, his alone. A contertenor with such a range that could reach g5.
Great reaction and your statement that music is history is so true. I'm 66 so I was blessed to hear new stuff like this daily from righteous brothers, Beatles, who, beach boys, the guess who, stones, Janis Joplin, byrds, the list is literally endless. Peace from Northern Michigan!
His parents were watching him in the audience and he performed this on the Andy Williams Show back in the day. He and his partner Bill Medley flipped a coin and Bobby got the recording. Blue eyed soul singers and a giant of a song.
I subscribed as your reaction is real and on point. Music back then stands the test of time it's that great & this performance from Bobby can't be topped. His counter tenor voice was a pure gift. The Righteous Brothers are incredible. When you hear more of their songs you will be hooked with their amazing but different voice ranges. The other brother Bill Medley is still on tour performing with a new partner. I saw them last year here in CA. I saw Bobby & Bill in IN in 1965 with several of my friends. And Yes...he was a hottie. I liked him even more when I discovered he wasn't full of himself & had a great sense of humor.
I was raised on this music. I am a 69-year-old grandma. My granddaughters love, listening to this old music with me. I will tell you that racist exist back then. However, Music united lot of us. Both black-and-white together was the big united. Because we were united as one soul to the great words, the tenderness, the talent and the gorgeous, beautiful mess of black white, etc. It didn’t matter we were united by music. And it’s sad that racism did exist back then but I will say I had so many friends of all different colors that we went to concerts together and listen to this great music and the room was filled with love and happiness. And I’m hoping for the sake of the young people that are rediscovering this music that will unite this generation and music like this will bring everyone together once again it would be my dream, thank you for listening and discovering music of my day. It was just beautiful.
Robert Lee Hatfield (August 10, 1940 - November 5, 2003) Bobby Hatfield, who had a higher countertenor voice to Bill Medley’s William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) baritone, sang lead on this track. It was his idea to record it, since Medley and Hatfield were each allowed to choose a song to sing as a solo vocalist on their albums. As Medley tells it, Hatfield knew the song well, and was a big fan of the Roy Hamilton and Al Hibbler versions of the song. In 2003, Hatfield died of a heart attack at age 63. *The Righteous Brothers version was a huge hit, but it was recorded with far more modest expectations. Phil Spector considered it album filler and released it as a B-side. The single had "Unchained Melody," with no producer credit on the label, as the flip to Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "Hung on You," but many DJs preferred "Unchained Melody" and played that one instead. This infuriated Spector, who subsequently left no doubt as to which side of a Philles single was the A-side. * The famous climax of this song where Bobby Hatfield sings the high "I need your love" line wasn't how the song was written. In an interview with Bill Medley, he explained that Hatfield did two takes of the song, then left. He would often reconsider his performance and come back later to change it, and that's what he did on this track, returning to ask Medley if he could make an edit. This was no easy task, since with a maximum of four tracks to work with, you had to record over part of the original take, but Medley accommodated and Hatfield delivered that soaring vocal line. Said Medley: "I punched that in and he left. He said, 'No, I can do it better.' And I said, 'No, you can't.' [Laughs] And I think it's a big part of that song." * This was released on Philles Records, Phil Spector's label. Spector, known for his "Wall Of Sound" technique, did not produce this - Bill Medley did. In a 2007 statement to the Forgotten Hits newsletter, Medley said: "You have to remember that I was producing our stuff before Phil Spector... I mean I produced 'Little Latin Lupe Lu,' 'My Babe' and all that stuff. Then when we went with Phil, Phil asked me if I would produce the albums because it was too time consuming for him to produce the entire albums. So he was going to do the singles and I would do the album. And so that's how that happened and that's how I produced 'Unchained Melody,' which Phil Spector apparently now takes credit for. He can have the credit. And I'm not a producer. I know how to produce. But it's obviously not a Spector production. 'Unchained Melody' was never intended to be the single... it was produced to be on the album. It was put on the B side of a Phil Spector single 'Hung On You' and the minute it was released 'Unchained Melody' just went through the roof."
I've listened to tons of reactions to this song. Yours definetly is the best. Not only do you know music but you captured the feel too. I was 15 in 1965 and this song hit me hard at even that age. Great job!!! Keep On Keepin On
I was only about 3 years old when Elvis was starting out. I was crazy about him from the very beginning, and he's always been my favorite. As much as I love him and all of his music, even he takes a back seat to this stunning performance. The late , great Bobby Hatfield will forever own this song. No one has ever come close to topping this live performance. RIP, Elvis and Bobby. Though we lost you both much too soon, your beautiful voices live on, never to be forgotten. 😔💔
I'm sure Bobby was a bit nervous since his parents were in the audience. His voice, what can you say, heavenly blessed. This will always be his song then and forever. He is much dearly missed, his music is still with us.
Great comments Dame ! So true that there is a motive for they choose the name Righteous brothers… when not famous they went to a tour on South and performed in a club near a black marine base. Some of them heard two white guys were singing and went listen them. They were so impressed that shouted the way they did between them : that’s righteous, brothers ! So Bobby decided to adopt that name. Also remember. We only listen music on radio or vynil, and everybody was big fans of black R&B and Soul music. When TVs became affordable it was amazing to find those two were white 😂 !!! And in the radio they became calling them Blue Eyed Souls …!! Even Elvis sang about racism : In the ghetto !
I enjoyed your reaction & review. We who were lucky to grow up during the 60s when music was blossoming & changing with the birth of rock n' roll (which I love), & the beginning popular presence of folk music's social commentary coming forward. There was very good melody, harmony & singers & music out there. I love folk music, pop, switched-on Bach, rock, R&B, New Orleans jazz, & classical (formal & modern, including Symphony in Blue - my Dad's favorite piece - he was born in 1920). I encourage you to keep on learning by doing these shows - that's how you never grow old. :D
Your comment about dancing to this song is spot on. I danced with my college sweetheart to this tune in the 60"s. Haven't seen her in decades, but still remember the song and that dance with her. Thanks for the fine review.
A little background on their name: The were performing in a group called the Paramours in a club in Santa Ana, Orange County, CA. On the weekends, some black Marines from the nearby El Toro marine base would come in. The marines started calling them righteous brothers. When they went off as a duo and recorded Little Latin Lupe Lu, they needed a name. Bobby suggested they use the name the Marines were calling them. (There are some that insist it happened down south, but it was really southern California. At that point they had never performed outside of California. They're both from Orange county, Bobby from Anaheim and Bill from Santa Ana.)
The sixties were just bursting with talent. I was seven years old in 1965 and remember seeing this on the Andy Williams Show. Younger black ones today like yourself should listen to soul music from the sixties. That was singing and so much talent not this stupid rap BS today. That ain't music my man. There was something lined up in the universe or something for that decade. Talent everywhere. That decade not only gave the world the gift of The Beatles but also Bob Dylan. That ain't ever happening again! Peace ❤
Blue-eyed soul at its best! Elivs did a cover of this song shortly b4 his death. But Bobby Hatfield has a vocal range unmatched by others. This is Bobby's song.💕 Their most popular hits are You've Lost That Loving Feeling, Soul & Inspiration. Here is a link to them singing You'll Never Walk Alone from the Ed Sullivan Show. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xBTeyKtfrXw.html
Soar and sing with the angels Bobby!!!❤❤❤ be good to one another!! We don’t die our energy cannot die!!!! We are spiritual beings having an human experience!!!!❤❤❤
Your comment about race is so true, i am as white as a milky bar, but i love music and the talent that i have had the privelage to hear in my 63 years is as black as it is white. Talent is talent. Great reaction.
Apologies if someone else had said this: The song was from a 1955 movie called "Chained" about a chain gang prison. It was sung by a black opera singer named Todd Duncan (one of the prisoners) - it's on RU-vid. The song won an Academy Award in 1955. For the 1955 versions, check out Roy Hamilton and Sam Cooke (on RU-vid). But this version was the one that really took off. Bobby was the one that started singing "I need your love" up an octave, which other singers followed.
First of all young man, this song was written in1955 by Hy Zaret and Alex North and it was not for slow dancing or any of that but for a prison movie entitled, "Unchained". And the first and original singer was the First African American Opera Singer named Mr Todd Duncan. As time went on, the song "Unchained Melody" has had over 2400 recordings of it by over 670 artists in multiple languages. And yes your so-called "Elvis" and Linda Ronstadt and many others gave it a shot as well. "Unchained Melody" was the Most Played Song in all of America and throughout the UK of the Twentieth Century. It has or rather parts of it has been played in several other movies as well, but the Most Really Famous Movie, "Ghost" in the 1990's really brought it back to life.Starring in the movie was Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and of course none other than Whoopi Goldberg. They wanted and they needed the best person that was and still is what is considered the best person to have ever sung it and it was Mr. Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers as you have just heard that was performed in 1965 on The Andy Williams Show. You keep mentioning Elvis this and Elvis that. Can you imagine your Elvis Presley singing notes so high and so long in many, different ranges? Oh really man be for real will you? The only other person that I know with what they considered a "perfect pitch" is a Beautiful Lady named Mirah Carrie. Though I don't believe she has sung it yet. And Elvis knew that he himself was Punked Big time after listening to Mr. Bobby Hatfield's rendention was is that he, Elvis was coming down with a cold or something. He didn't have enough cajones to say that in reality all the so called "King of Rock n' Roll" was just a hype. I mean he was not half as talented as Little Richard, and was only at best a average acustic guitar player, didn't write his own music and as far as the gyrating on stage, the flunky shuffle, what he called dancing and the glittery clothes was all he had. Yes true he was indeed a very good singer but can you see Elvis do a split, slide and move like the "Bad Boy of Rock n' Roll"? He sure as heck would need some of his hinchmen to help him get back up. Prince could not only write, produce and compose his ownusic, but he he was so musically talented and gifted, that he could actually play about 17 or whatever musical instruments and could play them very, very good Including the harp, the violin, the electric guitar, the bass, the piano and on and on and on. Sometimes he would play every single musical instrument, and then go back and put them all together and he would come out with a Number One Hit. Heck he sure as heck couldn't play the guitar like Chuck Berry or could he, "Elvis" move like Jackie Wilson or even sing half as good as Sir Tom Jones or play the piano like "The Killer" Jerry Lee Lewis? Not no but, Heck no. But anyway this Super Beautiful Romantic Love Song was Extremely Beautiful. Sure wish that they would come out with some today but oh well, just a thing of the past I guess. Once again young man thank you. PS: And you are so right young man, I listen to some guy named Mr. Bobby Caldwell singing "What you won't do for love" and he like Elvis couldn't move like James Brown or Michael but he had a lot of soul. Oh well, good bye for now Amigo. See ya'.
We had a lot of great music back then . I had a radio station that played rock , R &B ,And pop. The music back then,( oldies goodies) was so good . There was a drive in that groups would sing on Saturdays ❤ I was a teenager. I had all the records. Memories ❤
I love your reactions! They are original and so ride on target! You are deep and are willing to dig into the beauty of the music of days gone by! Thank you for that!
This song had a re-release in 1990 being in the movie - Ghost also.... with Bobby singing a new recording. But it ended up being the original one that got the replay in a strange remake got credit and awarded.... yet the original Bobby 1965 version got the radio play. Both eras it was a top 20 song. Still so iconic it is surprising that it was not a #1 hit. Just too many artist in them decades and the Beatles group mid-60s took over top 10 and so many great artist 80s early 90s charting too. The mid 50s version from a movie than charted the highest yet we never hear that one. Also it is great this was recorded and aired on TV in '65 on FILM as it is as if HD and downloaded on RU-vid in more HD. So many got downloaded on early RU-vid in low-HD even 80s videos though they were in HD. Just if older videotape that took over into the 70s it would not be as HD as it was for TV of the era that could not broadcast in HD.
excellent analysis; great reaction... new subscriber here first time listeners always start by following the beat with the head bob but end up transfixed by the transcendence of the voice... even the beautiful orchestration merely accents this mans voice. notice the little amber orbs during the 'lonely river flows' floating by the camera giving a river flowing effect. the camera isolating the singer during 'lonely' references a complete visual and audio production of the highest order
i remember this being very popular during the Vietnam war -- both with those at home waiting but also from the men that were serving. n yes i am that old
Bobby Hatfield owns this song ❤️🩹❣️He had a cold in this performance & his Mom was in the audience so he wanted to do a good performance 🥰. This song takes me back to when it came out, I was 14 & became a fan of The Righteous Brothers, and a lifelong fan of Elvis since I was ten !! Both versions are special 💓💓 **Another band you might enjoy is The Guess Who, the lead singer is Burton Cummings & their music began in the 60’s/70’s. American Woman, Stand Tall, Break It To Them Gently, These Eyes, I’m Scared, are a few of their popular songs 🎸🥁🎹🎙️💜☮️. Cheers from 🇨🇦 Canada
Women melted upon hearing Bobby sing this and many of the fell in love with their dance partner while dancing to this. It has been said that Bobby singing this song is probably responsible for 8% of the current population.
He is a countertenor. Meaning he has a higher range on high notes. Its not falsetto. His partner Bill Medley is baritone bass. Check them out on You've lost that Loving Feeling...the most requested song of the 20th century. As for the girls... he has an entire wing of the Smithsonian for his panty collection Lol.
This film clip was from The Andy Williams Show Valentines Day Special of 1965. Bobby & Bill (the "Bros") dressed identically , Andy Williams, an established singer along the lines of Sinatra, Dean Martin & Nat "King" Cole, wore a pink pullover and white trousers. The Bros had an agreement that they would each have a solo track on every album that they put out. They both wanted to do Unchained very, very much; they settled who would do it with a coin toss. Obviously the extremely right Righteous Brother won the toss. Bobby Hatfield suffered from extreme stage fright and he would lose his lunch, rather violently, before going onstage. If you had seen the extended version, you would've seen him huffing & puffing like he had just ran a 440. Actually, he was suffering from an upper respiratory infection, a cold, bronchitis? As if this wasn't bad enough, his mother was in the audience, watching her 25-year-old son singing live for the very first time and he was very worried that he might disappoint her. I think it's safe to say that nobody in the audience or any of the 70,000,000 fans in TV land were disappointed with his masterful performance.
This meant so much more than his amazing vocal, you had the background of the Vietnam war going on. For lots of young men and women back home they really needed to know that their love was there waiting.
No auto tune back then. Bobby Hatfield sang this with conviction. This is music that was meant to be. Elvis's version is also equivalent to popularity, but in his entity as well. Both singers are the standard... all others need to use this as a minimum. How easy is that... it's not.👍🏽👍🏽
Elvis couldn't carry Bobby Hatfield's socks when it comes to this song. The Righteous Brothers had the biggest hit with this. Elvis never even released it as a single. Someone put a video of him singing it on RU-vid, but it was never on anybody's radar when Elvis was alive.
Actually, in the sixties, the youth didn’t share the prejudices of our parents, especially within the realm of music. It didn’t matter what ethnicity the group was we liked them all. I’m 73 now, 1965 was an incredible year for music of all kinds. In 1965 I was 13 years old.
DAME. It's OK. You can admit it. Goosebumps. You got the bumps, man. You know who doesn't get those bumps to this song? Psychopaths. You know the girl that was in the audience he was worried about? His mom.
Been loving your reactions to The Warning for the past year or so,but rapt to see you react to possibly THE MOST reacted to video on RU-vid. Bobby Hatfield was a one of a kind vocalist,but when teamed up with Bill Medley (not seen here on this performance,as the song was a solo number from the album - they both did a couple of solo performances on the album),when he teamed with Bill,they were the best...but this has to be one of the best vocal performances ever (and you should see the rest of the show with Bill). But this performance puts Elvis to shame,and I have no qualms saying that.
Bobby’s fiancé was in the audience with his mother(in blue dress behind him). They were married in Las Vegas five days after this performance so, I don’t think that he got “all the women “ after that performance.😊
Some 😍 #BlueEyedSoul which was picked up by folks like Hall & Oats, who covered the Everley Bros song 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling'. They carry that 💙 Blue Eyed Soul in their early 📻 Radio Hits (Sarah Smile, She's Gone). 🙄 Then H&O went "MTV" like a lot of Bands transitioning from the 60's/70's into the 80's. Some made it and were discovered by new Generations and then again, with RU-vid 🤗 like you. 🫣 Although it does feel weird sometimes watching y'all react to Concerts & Shows I was at! 😂 (Zep & anybody who Toured eventually played MSG, MTV Unplugged Shows, RRHoF Videos) 😏😉🥰🐰
