“Unchained Melody” is one of my favorite songs of all time. This masterpiece is a 1955 classic by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret who composed it as the score for the prison film ‘Unchained’. The film centered around a man who contemplates either escaping from prison to live life on the run or completing his sentence and returning to his wife and family. That year, the song was nominated for an Oscar and charted on the Billboard Top 10 in the United States and in Britain.

But it was the July 1965 version by the Righteous Brothers, performed as a solo by Bobby Hatfield, that became a jukebox standard for the late 20th century.

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. This version, performed by the duet ‘Inka Gold’, features an unusual harmonic device as the bridge ends on the tonic chord rather than the more usual dominant chord, making it absolutely enchanting.

The video has racked over 3 million views since it was uploaded to Youtube, with comments that range from “mesmerizing” to “unbelievably beautiful”.

Enjoy and share!

Continue Reading