"Unchained Melody" - Righteous Brothers
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Topic: "Unchained Melody" - Righteous Brothers
Posted By: Paul Haney
Subject: "Unchained Melody" - Righteous Brothers
Date Posted: 03 March 2009 at 7:31am
| Our commercial copy of "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers (Phillies 129) states a time of (3:15), but actually runs (3:35). |
Replies:
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 14 November 2009 at 9:38pm
| Were "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" unique mono mixes for the 45, or were they fold downs? |
Posted By: BillCahill
Date Posted: 15 November 2009 at 7:02am
| Three's nothing extra in the mono versions that I can hear except they punch more than a fold down. They were mixed to mono first and then mixed to stereo later. Although Phil didn't like stereo he was practical enough to release stereo albums as labels charged a dollar more for them. Plus the only way to get your albums into the Capitol Stereo Record Club was to have stereo LPs, even if they were simulated stereo. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 15 November 2009 at 8:55am
| Thanks, Bill! |
Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 24 August 2020 at 12:33am
|
During 1990 when Ghost was a huge movie and was released the song became a hit all over again. There was a release of two versions of this song in the top 20 for 1990.
Listening to both what differentiated the 1990 version from the 1965 is that the original was released in mono and the stereo LP version has separated stereo, which the 1990 has centered stereo, typical of 1990. One clear difference I noticed is the centered sound of 1989-1990 stereo, which is entirely different in the fresh recording, plus the instrumentation sounds closer and cleaner on the new 1990 version. While we are at it I am sure that I have the 1965 version at #121 and the 1990 version at #143. Was there some story behind the competing version releases? So for #121 is it mono or stereo in 1990? When Twist and Shout was a huge hit in 1986 again for the Beatles, the 45 was only in stereo if I recall. Is it safe to say it was only in stereo reissues in 1990? ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 24 August 2020 at 4:33am
|
In 1990, the original 1965 recording was only available as a vinyl single on Verve Forecast 871882. The newly recorded
version was available as a cassette single on Curb 76842. This is a case where the original version got nearly ALL of the radio airplay and the new version got nearly ALL of the sales. In fact, the new version actually went platinum (which at the time was 1 million units). Brilliant move by Curb to get that new version out there for sale. |
Posted By: thecdguy
Date Posted: 24 August 2020 at 5:07am
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What's the deal with why the original version was only available as a vinyl 45 in 1990? I never understood why they wouldn't have put it out in Cassette
or CD form and capitalize on it. The new version was also available on CD Single as well (I have it myself). I'm sure the Cassette Single had most of the sales, though. I can honestly say I never heard the new version on the radio except for "American Top 40". I'm also curious as to how many people were shocked when they brought the single home and realized when they played it that it wasn't the same version they'd been hearing on the radio. ------------- Dan In Philly |
Posted By: Paul C
Date Posted: 24 August 2020 at 7:26am
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As discussed in The Contours "Do You Love Me" thread, when The Contours song became a hit for the second time in 1988, the Motown Yesteryear reissue 45 was still in print. By the time "Unchained Melody" became a hit for the second time in 1990, however, Polydor had discontinued its 'Band Of Gold' reissue 45 series and was licensing its reissue 45s to Collectables and Eric. (The Collectables 45s of Polydor material were actually manufactured by Polydor and I believe at least some of the Erics were as well.) So I believe that the Verve Forecast 45 Paul Haney mentions was a new 1990 issue and not a reissue Polydor already had in print. Polydor did not issue a cassette single to encourage sales of its Greatest Hits album. When Curb realized that a cassette single of the 1965 version would not be issued, the new version was quickly recorded and released. I also only ever heard the Curb version on the radio on AT40. Billboard listed the two versions separately for this song. For the 1965 version, Billboard listed only the Verve Forecast 45, even though the Collectables and Eric 45s were also in print at the time. For "God Bless The USA" in 2001, Billboard listed three versions (MCA, Capitol, and Curb) as one listing. "Unchained Melody" is often mentioned as one of Phil Spector's greatest productions. It has long been rumoured, however, that Spector had no involvement in its recording and that it was actually produced by Bill Medley. It was recorded to fill out the Just Once In My Life album and was issued as the B-side of "Hung On You". Early pressings of the 45 list Spector as the producer of "Hung On You" and do not list a producer at all for "Unchained Melody'. Singles pressed once the B-side became the hit list Spector as producer on both sides. A few months later, Spector sold The Righteous Brothers' contract and their Philles masters to Verve, reportedly for $1,000,000, and more or less retired. |
Posted By: LunarLaugh
Date Posted: 24 August 2020 at 8:51pm
Not long after, Phil also produced great singles for Ike and Tina Turner ("River Deep, Mountain High") and Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, Ltd ("Black Pearl") and they didn't live up to his sales expectations in the US which may have signaled to him that his reign was coming to an end. Additionally, I think Phil had some massive studio overtime budgets that he needed some quick cash for which is one reason why he decided to sell their contract to Verve (another reason is that Bill Medley had proved to be more than proficient at producing them himself). His retirement didn't last too long, though. John Lennon and George Harrison put him to good use in the early 70s. ------------- https://thelunarlaugh.bandcamp.com/ - Listen to The Lunar Laugh! |
Paul C wrote:Posted By: TomDiehl1
Date Posted: 25 August 2020 at 7:11am
|
The Wrecking Crew producer posted the AFM
sheet for Unchained Melody, turns out Bill did produce it, and most of the musicians on it were from the duo's touring band at that time. ------------- Live in stereo. |
Posted By: TallPaulInKy
Date Posted: 27 August 2020 at 8:04am
I think most of the sales on the 1990 rerecording was due to misinformation by customers. They probably ask for the song by the Righteous Brothers and that's what the record .. er cassette dealer sold them. So as you stated they probably didn't get the one they heard in the movie or on the radio. I never liked the 1990 version it pales in comparison to the original. Tom mentions the AFM recording contract, but it does not list a producer,(or Bill Medley)only 13 musicians and that is probably the basic session..with overdubs later for sweetening. The Mike Patterson Band is credited on the Just Once In My Life album along with joint production credit of Phil Spector and Bill Medley. |