Tag Archives: Bill Medley

♫ You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

As I was writing my a.m. post (a bit of a rant, I must say) I was humming a song by The Supremes — “My World Is Empty Without You”.  I have no idea how I got from the Supremes to the Righteous Brothers in the course of a single hour, but somehow I did.  That’s what falling into a rabbit hole will do to you!  Anyway, I’ve only played this once before way back in 2020, so it’s fair game for a redux on this cold, soon-to-be-snowy night.

According to BMI music publishing, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was played on U.S. radio and television more times than any other song in the 20th century. It got over 8 million plays from the time it was released in 1964 until 2000. (This figure includes all versions, not only the Righteous Brothers)

The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote this song at the request of Phil Spector, who was looking for a hit for an act he had just signed to his Philles label: The Righteous Brothers.

Inspired by Baby I Need Your Loving by The Four Tops, Mann & Weil came up with this song about a desperate attempt to rekindle a lost love.  The title You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was just a placeholder until they could think of something better, but Spector thought it was great so they went with it. With most of the song written, Mann and Weil completed the song at Spector’s house, where Phil worked with them to compose the famous bridge (“Baaaby… I need your love…”).

The song was the first Righteous Brothers release on Philles, and it shot to #1, giving both the duo and the songwriting team of Mann & Weil their first #1 hit. It was Spector’s third #1 as a producer: he had previously hit the top spot with To Know Him Is To Love Him by The Teddy Bears and He’s A Rebel by The Crystals.

Phil Spector was determined to make this his finest production to date, and wanted it to be better than anything released by current top producers like Berry Gordy, George Martin, Andrew Loog Oldham and Brian Wilson. He chose the Righteous Brothers for their tremendous vocal talents, and enlisted his old Jazz guitar idol Barney Kessel to play on the song. Other musicians to play on the track included Los Angeles session pros Carol Kaye (acoustic guitar), Earl Palmer (drums) and Ray Pohlman (bass).  Cher, who did a lot of work with Spector early in her career, can also be heard on background vocals near the end of the song.

Phil Spector put a tremendous amount of effort (and about $35,000) into this production, but the final product was so unusual that he began to wonder if he had a hit. Seeking a second, third and fourth opinion, he played the song for the following people:

1) The song’s co-writer Barry Mann, who was convinced the song was recorded at the wrong speed. Spector called his engineer Larry Levine to confirm that it was supposed to sound that way.

2) His publisher Don Kirshner, who Spector respected for his musical opinion. Kirshner thought it was great, but suggested changing the title to “Bring Back That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

3) The popular New York disc jockey Murray the K.  Spector confided in Murray that the song was almost four minutes long (despite the label saying it was 3:05), and wanted to make sure he would play it. Murray thought the song was fantastic, but suggested moving the bass line in the middle to the beginning.

Spector heard all three opinions as criticism, and got very nervous. “The co-writer, the co-publisher and the number-one disc jockey in America all killed me,” Spector said in a 2003 interview with Telegraph Magazine. “I didn’t sleep for a week when that record came out. I was so sick, I got a spastic colon; I had an ulcer.”

When the song’s writers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil sang this for the Righteous Brothers, low-voiced Bill Medley loved it, but Bobby Hatfield was puzzled, as the duo typically shared lead vocals and he was relegated to a minor part in this song. Hatfield asked, “What do I do while he’s singing the entire first verse?” Phil Spector replied, “You can go directly to the bank.”

According to Spector, The Righteous Brothers didn’t even want to record the song, as they fancied themselves more in the realm of rock and doo-wop.

Some of the artists who covered this include Elvis, Dionne Warwick, Hall and Oates, and Neil Diamond, among others. Warwick’s version hit #16 in 1969, Hall and Oates’ hot streak began when their remake hit #12 in 1980.

The song hit #1 in the U.S., Canada, and the UK.

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
The Righteous Brothers

You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips
And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips
You’re trying hard not to show it
But baby, baby I know it

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh

Now there’s no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you
And now you’re starting to criticize little things I do
It makes me just feel like crying
‘Cause baby, something beautiful’s dyin’

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh

Baby, baby, I’d get down on my knees for you
If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah
We had a love, a love, a love you don’t find everyday
So don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t let it slip away

Baby, baby, baby, baby
I beg you please, please, please, please
I need your love, need your love
I need your love, I need your love
So bring it on back, so bring it on back
Bring it on back, bring it on back

Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
‘Cause it’s gone, gone, gone
And I can’t go on, whoa-oh

Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
‘Cause it’s gone, gone, gone

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Phil Spector / Barry Mann / Cynthia Weil
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

♫ (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I had one heck of a time deciding on a song to play tonight!  Everything that popped into my head I had already played recently, or within the last two years, and while I really wanted some Stevie Wonder to sooth my frayed nerves, ’twasn’t to be.  I think having had some 4 hours of being under a tornado watch, the kitties all in hiding due to prolonged bouts of wind and thunder, has made it hard for me to think!  So far, no sirens though, and we still have electricity … touch wood!

This was co-written by Franke Previte of Franke And The Knockouts, who hit #10 with Sweetheart in 1981, but by 1986 was without a recording contract. In late 1986 or early 1987, producer and head of Millennium Records, Jimmy Ienner, asked Previte about writing some music for “a little movie called Dirty Dancing”.  Previte initially turned the request down because he was still trying to get a record deal, but Ienner was persistent, and got Previte to write several songs for the film, including Hungry Eyes, later recorded by singer Eric Carmen, which also became a top 10 hit.

Previte wrote the lyrics, and the music was written by John DeNicola and Don Markowitz.

The song was initially intended for Donna Summer and Joe Esposito, but Summer turned it down because she didn’t like the title of the film. Bill Medley was approached by Jimmy Ienner repeatedly over two months to do the recording, but he also turned it down because his daughter McKenna was due to be born, and he had promised his wife he would be there. After the birth of his daughter, Medley was approached again, because Jennifer Warnes had indicated she would record the song if she could do the duet with Medley. Medley then agreed to record the track. With the release of the film it became a worldwide hit, and is one of the most frequently played songs on radio.

The song has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award for “Best Original Song”, a Golden Globe Award for “Best Original Song”, and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life
Jennifer Warnes, Bill Medley

Now I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you

‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life
And I owe it all to you

I’ve been waiting for so long
Now I’ve finally found someone to stand by me
We saw the writing on the wall
And we felt this magical fantasy
Now with passion in our eyes
There’s no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each others hand
‘Cause we seem to understand the urgency

Just remember
You’re the one thing
I can’t get enough of
So I’ll tell you something
This could be love

Because I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
Hey baby

With my body and soul
I want you more than you’ll ever know
So we’ll just let it go
Don’t be afraid to lose control, no

Yes, I know what’s on your mind when you say
“Stay with me tonight” (stay with me)
And remember
You’re the one thing
I can’t get enough of
So I’ll tell you something
This could be love

Because I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life
And I’ve searched through every open door (never felt this way)
Till I found the truth
And I owe it all to you

Now I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you

I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life (I had time of my life)
And I’ve searched through every open door (you do it to me, baby)
Till I found the truth (you do it to me, baby)
And I owe it all to you

Songwriters: John De Nicola / Donald Markowitz / Frank Previte
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Worldsong Inc

♫ Unchained Melody ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

The other night, I stumbled across this song in my archives that I played a couple of years ago.  I took a minute to listen and thought it was about time to play it again, since so many of you loved this one.  When I last played this, a number of readers suggested other versions by artists such as Ann Wilson, Roy Hamilton, The Platters, and Marc Martel, but since I didn’t want to put multiple versions here, I simply provided the links … click on whichever one you might wish to hear.  My favourite remains the Righteous Brothers, but perhaps only because that is the one I’m most familiar with.

This is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the little-known prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers. According to the song’s publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of Unchained Melody have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages!  Wow, huh?

In 1955, three versions of the song (by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton) charted in the Billboard Top 10 in the United States, and four versions (by Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace) appeared in the Top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, an unbeaten record for any song.

Of the hundreds of recordings made, the Righteous Brothers’ version in July 1965, with a solo by Bobby Hatfield, became the jukebox standard after its release. Hatfield changed the melody in the final verse and many subsequent covers of the song are based on his version. The Righteous Brothers recording achieved a second round of great popularity when featured in the film Ghost in 1990.

I am amazed at some of the artists that have covered this song:

Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Presley, the Supremes, George Benson, U2 and many more.  Plus … Bono and The Edge also performed the song together with “One” for the charity 46664 Concert in tribute to Nelson Mandela held in Cape Town in 2003.

Unchained melody
The Righteous Brothers

Oh, my love, my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh
“Wait for me, wait for me”
I’ll be coming home, wait for me

Oh, my love, my darling
I’ve hungered, for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Songwriters: Alex North / Hyman Zaret
Unchained melody lyrics © Unchained Melody Pub LLC

♫ You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ♫

Posted on by under music

According to BMI music publishing, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was played on U.S. radio and television more times than any other song in the 20th century. It got over 8 million plays from the time it was released in 1964 until 2000. (This figure includes all versions, not only the Righteous Brothers)

The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote this song at the request of Phil Spector, who was looking for a hit for an act he had just signed to his Philles label: The Righteous Brothers.

Inspired by Baby I Need Your Loving by The Four Tops, Mann & Weil came up with this song about a desperate attempt to rekindle a lost love.  The title You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was just a placeholder until they could think of something better, but Spector thought it was great so they went with it. With most of the song written, Mann and Weil completed the song at Spector’s house, where Phil worked with them to compose the famous bridge (“Baaaby… I need your love…”).

The song was the first Righteous Brothers release on Philles, and it shot to #1, giving both the duo and the songwriting team of Mann & Weil their first #1 hit. It was Spector’s third #1 as a producer: he had previously hit the top spot with To Know Him Is To Love Him by The Teddy Bears and He’s A Rebel by The Crystals.

Phil Spector was determined to make this his finest production to date, and wanted it to be better than anything released by current top producers like Berry Gordy, George Martin, Andrew Loog Oldham and Brian Wilson. He chose the Righteous Brothers for their tremendous vocal talents, and enlisted his old Jazz guitar idol Barney Kessel to play on the song. Other musicians to play on the track included Los Angeles session pros Carol Kaye (acoustic guitar), Earl Palmer (drums) and Ray Pohlman (bass).  Cher, who did a lot of work with Spector early in her career, can also be heard on background vocals near the end of the song.

Phil Spector put a tremendous amount of effort (and about $35,000) into this production, but the final product was so unusual that he began to wonder if he had a hit. Seeking a second, third and fourth opinion, he played the song for the following people:

1) The song’s co-writer Barry Mann, who was convinced the song was recorded at the wrong speed. Spector called his engineer Larry Levine to confirm that it was supposed to sound that way.

2) His publisher Don Kirshner, who Spector respected for his musical opinion. Kirshner thought it was great, but suggested changing the title to “Bring Back That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

3) The popular New York disc jockey Murray the K.  Spector confided in Murray that the song was almost four minutes long (despite the label saying it was 3:05), and wanted to make sure he would play it. Murray thought the song was fantastic, but suggested moving the bass line in the middle to the beginning.

Spector heard all three opinions as criticism, and got very nervous. “The co-writer, the co-publisher and the number-one disc jockey in America all killed me,” Spector said in a 2003 interview with Telegraph Magazine. “I didn’t sleep for a week when that record came out. I was so sick, I got a spastic colon; I had an ulcer.”

When the song’s writers Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil sang this for the Righteous Brothers, low-voiced Bill Medley loved it, but Bobby Hatfield was puzzled, as the duo typically shared lead vocals and he was relegated to a minor part in this song. Hatfield asked, “What do I do while he’s singing the entire first verse?” Phil Spector replied, “You can go directly to the bank.”

According to Spector, The Righteous Brothers didn’t even want to record the song, as they fancied themselves more in the realm of rock and doo-wop.

Some of the artists who covered this include Elvis, Dionne Warwick, Hall and Oates, and Neil Diamond, among others. Warwick’s version hit #16 in 1969, Hall and Oates’ hot streak began when their remake hit #12 in 1980.

The song hit #1 in the U.S., Canada, and the UK.

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
The Righteous Brothers

You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips
And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips
You’re trying hard not to show it
But baby, baby I know it

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh

Now there’s no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you
And now you’re starting to criticize little things I do
It makes me just feel like crying
‘Cause baby, something beautiful’s dyin’

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh

Baby, baby, I’d get down on my knees for you
If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah
We had a love, a love, a love you don’t find everyday
So don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t let it slip away

Baby, baby, baby, baby
I beg you please, please, please, please
I need your love, need your love
I need your love, I need your love
So bring it on back, so bring it on back
Bring it on back, bring it on back

Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
‘Cause it’s gone, gone, gone
And I can’t go on, whoa-oh

Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
‘Cause it’s gone, gone, gone

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Phil Spector / Barry Mann / Cynthia Weil
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

♫ (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life ♫

Posted on by under music

Who knows why one song or another pops into our heads at any given time?  I can never figure it out, but all of a sudden I will find myself belting out a song that maybe I haven’t thought of in years … no reason, it’s just there.  Yesterday’s song, Unchained Melody, will be a tough act to follow, for I think that may have been the most ‘liked’ song I’ve played.  It seems the seed for a song is planted in my head either when I’m in the shower or rolling smokes.  Odd that.

This was co-written by Franke Previte of Franke And The Knockouts, who hit #10 with Sweetheart in 1981, but by 1986 was without a recording contract. In late 1986 or early 1987, producer and head of Millennium Records, Jimmy Ienner, asked Previte about writing some music for “a little movie called Dirty Dancing”.  Previte initially turned the request down because he was still trying to get a record deal, but Ienner was persistent, and got Previte to write several songs for the film, including Hungry Eyes, later recorded by singer Eric Carmen, which also became a top 10 hit.

Previte wrote the lyrics, and the music was written by John DeNicola and Don Markowitz.

The song was initially intended for Donna Summer and Joe Esposito, but Summer turned it down because she didn’t like the title of the film. Bill Medley was approached by Jimmy Ienner repeatedly over two months to do the recording, but he also turned it down because his daughter McKenna was due to be born, and he had promised his wife he would be there. After the birth of his daughter, Medley was approached again, because Jennifer Warnes had indicated she would record the song if she could do the duet with Medley. Medley then agreed to record the track. With the release of the film it became a worldwide hit, and is one of the most frequently played songs on radio.

The song has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award for “Best Original Song”, a Golden Globe Award for “Best Original Song”, and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life
Jennifer Warnes, Bill Medley

Now I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you

‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life
And I owe it all to you

I’ve been waiting for so long
Now I’ve finally found someone to stand by me
We saw the writing on the wall
And we felt this magical fantasy
Now with passion in our eyes
There’s no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each others hand
‘Cause we seem to understand the urgency

Just remember
You’re the one thing
I can’t get enough of
So I’ll tell you something
This could be love

Because I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
Hey baby

With my body and soul
I want you more than you’ll ever know
So we’ll just let it go
Don’t be afraid to lose control, no

Yes, I know what’s on your mind when you say
“Stay with me tonight” (stay with me)
And remember
You’re the one thing
I can’t get enough of
So I’ll tell you something
This could be love

Because I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life
And I’ve searched through every open door (never felt this way)
Till I found the truth
And I owe it all to you

Now I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you

I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt this way before (never felt this way)
Yes I swear it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life (I had time of my life)
And I’ve searched through every open door (you do it to me, baby)
Till I found the truth (you do it to me, baby)
And I owe it all to you

Songwriters: John De Nicola / Donald Markowitz / Frank Previte
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Worldsong Inc

♫ Unchained Melody ♫

Posted on by under music

I was planning to play this song, Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers, one night last week, but then I was advised that it was Appreciate A Dragon Day, and I switched gears to Puff, the Magic Dragon in honour of the occasion.  And then, the song was forgotten for a few nights until tonight, when I went in search of a song and … here it was!

This is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the little-known prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers. According to the song’s publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of Unchained Melody have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages!  Wow, huh?

In 1955, three versions of the song (by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton) charted in the Billboard Top 10 in the United States, and four versions (by Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace) appeared in the Top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, an unbeaten record for any song.

Of the hundreds of recordings made, the Righteous Brothers’ version in July 1965, with a solo by Bobby Hatfield, became the jukebox standard after its release. Hatfield changed the melody in the final verse and many subsequent covers of the song are based on his version. The Righteous Brothers recording achieved a second round of great popularity when featured in the film Ghost in 1990.

I am amazed at some of the artists that have covered this song:

Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis Presley, the Supremes, George Benson, U2 and many more.  Plus … Bono and The Edge also performed the song together with “One” for the charity 46664 Concert in tribute to Nelson Mandela held in Cape Town in 2003.

Unchained melody
The Righteous Brothers

Oh, my love, my darling
I’ve hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh
“Wait for me, wait for me”
I’ll be coming home, wait for me

Oh, my love, my darling
I’ve hungered, for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Songwriters: Alex North / Hyman Zaret
Unchained melody lyrics © Unchained Melody Pub LLC