The Righteous Brothers have had a varied career that resulted in many different avenues of success. They were comprised of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. The duo that would go on to seemingly conquer the world for a short period of time had many different influences and passions that seemed to help them move forward to where they wanted to go.
While many may not remember the careers as vividly as others, there were times where it seemed impossible for them to get ahead. They struggled as most did with the climates of nearly every political, social, and economic field being filled to the brim with different activists, rights, and things to fight for.
They first performed in 1962, originally under the title The Paramours. The five-member group had some mixed reviews, while still putting out song after song. However, shortly after, they decided to change their name and lighten their members to a duo, adopting the name we all recognize them by now, The Righteous Brothers.
While the two had a sound that seemed to set them apart from many, there was a beauty to the two of them working together. They seemed to contrast each other in their vocal range, adding a form of symmetry that even the Greeks would paint pictures of. Many famous painters and inventors valued symmetry as the highest form of beauty and flattery you could give a piece of artwork.
With Hatfield taking the higher registers or notes, Medly filled in the baritone or lower register of notes. This seemed to compliment both styles of singing while also allowing them both to be able to continue their careers in a solo fashion. Many were amazed that they could come together and split apart with such amazing performances in between.
You may remember their slew of various classics, from “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” “Ebb and Tide” all the way to the classic we all remember fondly, “Unchained Melody.” The song had such beautiful depth while also exposing the heights that a person could reach, with such amazing splendor. Many remember the classic fondly not only from the first performance, but also from the hit classic Dirty Dancing.
Films in the 60’s had a wide variety of messages from political to bafflingly intelligent predictions that many still seem to hold true to this day. With many of these iconic films, they simply had to have an iconic and astoundingly awesome track list to accommodate the films.
With Unchained Melody, it seemed as though there were many different instances in film where the touchingly sensitive song could be implied. The album of Dirty Dancing seemed to be geared for many awards and subsequently won many accolades. The soundtrack to Dirty Dancing was a piece of history in itself, not even including all the actors and actresses that put their hearts and souls into the timeless performance.
The talent for Dirty Dancing as a whole, could be a bit difficult to comprehend at the time, as many couldn’t separate the moments with music, from the heart-wrenchingly awesome acting. Patrick Swayze seemed to steal the show, but thankfully, Jennifer Grey held out right alongside him to unite and make one of the quintessential 80’s movies we still remember fondly today.
Yet, for Unchained Melody, many will remember the timeless classic as it can only be remembered- the first time that anyone had ever heard it. What were you doing? What was happening in the world for you at the time? What made this one of your favorites that seem to ignite a flurry of emotions and thoughts?
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