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Post by BFMR on Oct 22, 2003 1:10:03 GMT -5
this song was great, had it not been so overly killed on radio over the years, it's still a great love song to listen to now and again... anybody agree?
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Post by FreakyFlyBry on Oct 22, 2003 1:12:53 GMT -5
It's definitely a classic... despite all the remakes, none of them can top the original.
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mst3k
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Post by mst3k on Oct 22, 2003 16:47:37 GMT -5
It's definitely a classic... despite all the remakes, none of them can top the original. You mean the version by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, or Roy Hamilton? (All of which hit the top 10 a decade before the Righteous Brothers' version was released.) ;) |
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jbcollier
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Post by jbcollier on Oct 22, 2003 19:56:38 GMT -5
You mean the version by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, or Roy Hamilton? (All of which hit the top 10 a decade before the Righteous Brothers' version was released.) ;) I was under the impression this song was released originally by the Righteous Brothers in the 1960s. Were the other guy's before that? It became a big hit again in 1990, I believe because of the connection with the movie Ghost. Justin |
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mst3k
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Post by mst3k on Oct 22, 2003 20:23:07 GMT -5
The versions I mentioned were huge hits in 1955; for three straight weeks, in fact, all three were in the top ten at the same time. Of course, the Righteous Brothers' recording (from 1965, and rereleased in 1990) is considered the definitive version; I just wanted to clarify that it's not the "original". :)
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Keith3000
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Post by Keith3000 on Oct 22, 2003 21:16:36 GMT -5
The Les Baxtor version reached #1 on Billboard, but I guess the Righeous Brothers version is the most famous. Yeah, the latter was rereleasd in 1990 when it was on the "Ghost" OST. Classic ballad.
Even Gareth Gates recorded a version of this song! But I can't stand the guy, so I won't even go there.
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Post by FreakyFlyBry on Oct 22, 2003 23:57:32 GMT -5
Even Gareth Gates recorded a version of this song! But I can't stand the guy, so I won't even go there. You wanna hear a bad version of "Unchained Melody"? Check out Justin Guarini's version... it's horrible! I think that Gareth Gates's version is the second best version, behind the Righteous Brothers' version. |
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Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Oct 23, 2003 8:38:14 GMT -5
I think they're all horrible! One of the most overrated songs of all time! People should leave it where it is, in the past, and never cover it anymore!
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George Tropicana
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Post by George Tropicana on Dec 16, 2003 13:32:09 GMT -5
I think that Gareth Gates's version is the second best version, behind the Righteous Brothers' version. I like his version too. Very sexy! I also like LeAnn Rimes'.. I heard it on the radio a couple times. |
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Hervard
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Post by Hervard on Dec 16, 2003 13:36:57 GMT -5
Actually, there were two versions of "Unchained Melody" charting in 1990. I believe the one on Verve records was out of print, or didn't have many copies available and they didn't want to re-release it, so the Righteous Brothers re-recorded the song, on Curb records, and while all airplay points went to the original, the new version got the sales points. As a result, this hurt the song's performance on the Hot 100. While the original went to number three on the R&R charts, which of course reflect airplay, it only charted in the Top 20 of the Billboard chart, as did the new version (which went nowhere on R&R). However, for the year end survey, the producers of AT40 combined the points of both songs as one, and the song appeared in the year end Top 40, about where it would have been if they re-released the Verve version of the song.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2003 13:57:45 GMT -5
I think they're all horrible! One of the most overrated songs of all time! People should leave it where it is, in the past, and never cover it anymore!   |
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jond7699
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Post by jond7699 on Dec 16, 2003 15:22:34 GMT -5
I really love this song. One of the best songs ever recorded imo. LeAnn's version wasn't too bad but it couldn't touch the Righteous Bros. I have to agree with Keith3000 , Justin's version is awful and this is coming from one of his biggest supporters. I think his version was the worst song on his debut
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Post by reception on Dec 16, 2003 17:05:50 GMT -5
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johnnywest
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Post by johnnywest on Dec 25, 2003 23:21:27 GMT -5
Yeah, the song reminds me of when I heard it on AT40. On at least one occassion, Shadoe skipped over one of the versions because they were so close together on the chart. That's the only time I ever remember AT40 skipping over a song.
Furthermore, the new version had a strange chart run on AT40. I remember one week when it tumbled a long way to #40, then inched back up to #39, then slipped to #40 again. Although that's commonplace these days, songs didn't usually behave quite as akward before the Soundscan Era.
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Hervard
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Post by Hervard on Dec 26, 2003 15:19:21 GMT -5
Well, keep in mind that songs that were fueled exclusively by sales and little or no airplay tended to have rather weird chart runs like that.
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giovannina
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Post by giovannina on Oct 18, 2006 4:01:38 GMT -5
Probably the reason the only version of UM ever to hit #1 on the main charts was the instrumental Les Baxter recording (from the soundtrack of the 1955 movie "Unchained") was that a whole slew of artists released recordings of it in 1955. Al Hibbler's was probably the most popular of the vocal versions, but Roy Hamilton, Liberace, June Valli, and others also charted with it then. I agree that the Bobby Hatfield version (I don't think Bill Medley actually sings on it, even though it's listed as "The Righteous Brothers) is "the definitive version." Another recent version that I think is pretty bad is Barry Manilow's. (Not to mention the way Kellie Pickler murdered the song on American Idol 5) I loved the way Clay Aiken sang it (though shortened and speeded up for time considerations) on AI2, but I think it's good that he didn't cover the song on any of his albums (after AI2) because it does seem like everybody and his brothers and sisters have recorded this song. More about the history of Unchained Melody here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unchained_Melody |
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cartman2002
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Post by cartman2002 on May 2, 2007 23:07:10 GMT -5
Unchained Melody reached #4 on the Hot 100 in 1965 and #13 in 1990 while the new version got to #19 on the Hot 100 the same year
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Post by joker on May 3, 2007 14:16:21 GMT -5
It's definitely a classic... despite all the remakes, none of them can top the original. Yep, a classic indeed. The Righteous Brothers' '65 version is nice... I don't care for any of the covers that have come out since. |
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johnm1120
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Post by johnm1120 on May 4, 2007 1:30:01 GMT -5
I don't care how much of a classic this song is. It's boring beyond words.
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Post by unicorns on Jun 24, 2007 15:33:34 GMT -5
^ Agreed.
But there is a version of this song that I DO love a lot - Heart's version from 1980. Ann Wilson sings it soooo beautifully OMGZ.
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WotUNeed
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Post by WotUNeed on Jun 25, 2007 5:38:49 GMT -5
I could go without hearing this again happily.
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Post by tico on Jun 25, 2007 9:08:59 GMT -5
A song I never really did like.
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B-Boy
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Post by B-Boy on Aug 23, 2011 17:56:24 GMT -5
I like it. It always remind me of the movie Ghost.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2011 14:08:00 GMT -5
It's a classic song, but I'm not a massive fan. I much prefer songs like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Ebb Tide".
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esoteric76
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Post by esoteric76 on Aug 25, 2011 15:35:30 GMT -5
Another recent version that I think is pretty bad is Barry Manilow's. (Not to mention the way Kellie Pickler murdered the song on American Idol 5) I loved the way Clay Aiken sang it (though shortened and speeded up for time considerations) on AI2, but I think it's good that he didn't cover the song on any of his albums (after AI2) because it does seem like everybody and his brothers and sisters have recorded this song. Barry Manilow's is by far the worst, using modulations every 30 seconds to avoid the high note and try to make the song interesting. But it's truly one of the worst recordings he's done. Interesting about Clay and Justin's versions. Justin sang it live on AI since it was his single, and either the week before or after, Clay sang it as well and slayed it. The stars definitely did not align for Justin. Gaaaaah. |
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Unhinged
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Post by Unhinged on Feb 10, 2017 22:53:08 GMT -5
One of the best songs ever. The vocal on this is unbieveable.
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Post by Live Your Life on Feb 11, 2017 11:35:26 GMT -5
Classic.
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Dreams
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Post by Dreams on Feb 11, 2017 13:32:11 GMT -5
Gorgeous. I love doo-wop ballads. I'd always been familiar with the melody, but only truly loved the song a few years ago when I watched Ghost (I'm a sucker for that film!).
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leonagwen
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Post by leonagwen on May 10, 2018 18:29:36 GMT -5
One of my top 5 love songs of all time.
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Ernesto
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Post by Ernesto on Oct 20, 2020 9:50:55 GMT -5
Powerful, desperately romantic, and magical. I absolutely love Bobby Hatfield's voice on this song. Nothing can top the Righteous Brothers' 1965 version. What I find shocking is that it wasn't a No.1 hit, that No.4 peak feels mad.
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