song of the day 09/27: unchained melody

[isabelle_guns]

1. listen to the song
2. read lyrics
3. post thoughts

Yes...this one is a cover so feel free to compare this with the original in your opinions As always, all opinions and points of views are welcome and should be respected by others For those who have never heard the original, here are the lyrics.

Oh, oh my love
Oh my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long and lonely time


And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine


I need your love
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, oh my love
Oh my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long and lonely time


And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine


I need your love
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me (it to me)
God speed your love to me
(I need your love)
[Repeat until end]

 

[u2granny]

While I like U2's version, the original is hard to top in my opinion.

 

[Popmartijn]

I don't know the original (and no, it's not by the Righteous Brothers), but I think the studio version is lacking a bit of magic, especially in the beginning. The Bono live snippets are much better (although never the full song, unfortunately).

And the Righteous Brothers came close to recording the perfect version of it.

 

[Bono's shades]

The original is one of my favorite songs of all time, but I love the U2 version as well. I like that it's not a copy of the original, but a very raw, rock and roll interpretation.

 

[u2granny]

I don't know the original (and no, it's not by the Righteous Brothers), but I think the studio version is lacking a bit of magic, especially in the beginning. The Bono live snippets are much better (although never the full song, unfortunately).

And the Righteous Brothers came close to recording the perfect version of it.

It was written for some old prison movie. I can't remember the name of the movie.

 

[Popmartijn]

It was written for some old prison movie. I can't remember the name of the movie.

Unchained.

A couple of years ago, somebody asked a question to Q magazine about this song and its origins (yes, I am a music dork that keeps music magazines, for moments like this )

Hearing young Gareth Gates crooning the latest version of Unchained Melody, I started wondering something: why was it so-called? the lyrics don't mention the words at all.

The simple answer is that the song first appeared as the recurring melody in a 1955 film called Unchained. This unremembered prison flick (that is, unremembered except by our dear u2granny - Marty), directed by Hall Bartlett, was based on a humanitation book about prison called Prisoners Are People by one Kenyon Scudder.
The author had been a forward-thinking governor at the California Institute Of Men in Chino, California and both book and film detail the lives of those he helped rehabilitate. NFL legend Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch starred as a criminal torn between wishing to continue his criminal ways and going straight. Also featured were jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon and Barbara Hale, who had earlier co-starred with Neil Young's buddy Dean Stockwell in cold war oddity The Boy With Green Hair.
The song - written by Alex North and lyricist Hy Zaret - was performed on film by blind black singer Al Hibbler, who first achieved fame singing with Duke Ellington in the 1940s. From the start, it was clearly a goer. In Britain, Hibbler's version reached Number 2 in the British charts, vying with an orchestral version by exotica legend Les Baxter which reached Number 10 (it was a US Number 1). That same month, a swift cash-in by a pre-Radio 2 Jimmy Young finally took the song to the UK top spot for the first time. The next month, a piano version by Liberace reached Number 20.

I think that's enough info for the moment.

C ya!

Marty

 

[RademR]

Never liked u2's version, but when Bono sang a snippet of it after ONE during the ZooTV tour, it was incredible.

 

[ylimeU2]

*sigh* Sometimes I feel like I am the only person who doesn't like "Unchained Melody" in any of it's forms. Maybe it's just because I hear it all the time, and I'm sick of it. I never listen to U2's cover. I just don't want to hear it, by anybody.

 

[Keocmb]

Woah, I'm listening to the original right now. It's my absolute favorite song of all time. Especially the Righteous Brothers' version.

 

[Popmartijn]

Woah, I'm listening to the original right now.

Where did you find it?

 

[Keocmb]

The original is sung by Al Hibbler. Another good version was done in the early 60s by a group called Vito and the Salutations.

 

[starsgoblue]

Anyone got any clay? j/k

 

[Popmartijn]

*suddenly has a vision of Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley*

 

[u2granny]

The original is sung by Al Hibbler. Another good version was done in the early 60s by a group called Vito and the Salutations.

He didn't sing it in the movie, though. I can't remember that either! Hopefully it isn't as obvious as the movie title.

 

[Keocmb]

In the film, the music was by Alex North and the lyrics by a guy I can't remember the name of. But, the words and music were sung on the soundtrack by Al Hibbler so that the song could be eligible for the Oscars that year.

 

[u2granny]

I found this.

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Unchained Melody

 

[Keocmb]

ah HA!

 

[dandy]

i've always loved this song, so i was pretty happy when my favourite band did a cover of it. love the song, love u2 covering the song. it's all good.