| Unchained Melody |
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Information AboutUnchained Melody |
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Originally written by the renowned Film Composer Alex North as a theme for the now obscure 1955 prison film '' Unchained '', the lyrics by Hy Zaret tell of a prisoner's anguish over his girlfriend. Les Baxter recorded it for the film's soundtrack (a version that was also released as a single, Capitol Records Catalog Number 3055, and reached #1 on the Billboard charts), and it was very soon thereafter recorded by Al Hibbler in a version ( Decca Records catalog number 29441) that reached #3 on the chart. Roy Hamilton recorded a version ( Epic Records catalog number 9102) that reached #6, and June Valli (reaching #29). The first hit version was by Harry Belafonte , who also sang it at the 1956 Academy Awards . There is a raucous doo-wop version by Vito & The Salutations . Perhaps the best known version is from 1965 , credited to The Righteous Brothers but performed as a solo by Bobby Hatfield , who later recorded versions credited solely to himself. "Unchained Melody" appeared on the Billboard Charts again in 1990 , reaching #19, after the Righteous Brothers' recording was used in the film '' Ghost ''. Recently, in 2006 , singer Barry Manilow covered the song on his album Greatest Songs Of The Fifties , and it reached #20. The song has uniquely been a UK number one hit for four different acts: Jimmy Young ( 1955 ); Righteous Brothers ( 1990 ); Robson & Jerome ( 1995 ); and Gareth Gates ( 2002 ). EXTERNAL LINKS
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