Bill Medley's Blue-Eyed, 'Unchained' Soul

This program was originally broadcast on October 19, 2015.

Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley on that lovin’ feelin’, touring with the Beatles and his life in music.

Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield were the Righteous Brothers. In the 1960s, they brought out some of the biggest pop hits in history. Unchained Melody. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. Some of the most-played songs in the history of recording. And their songs came back. In soundtracks of "Top Gun" and "Ghost." In "Dirty Dancing." Year after year, still with a hold on popular culture. Something deep in our minds. This hour On Point, we’ll talk with Bill Medley about those songs, his life, and the Righteous Brothers.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Bill Medley, singer, songwriter and producer. Half of the famous R&B group, the Righteous Brothers. Author of the new memoir, "The Time of My Life: A Righteous Brother's Memoir." (@BillMedleyMusic)

Tim Riley, music critic and assistant professor of journalism at Emerson College. Author of the books "Lennon: Man, Myth, Music," "Tell Me Why," and "Fever," among others. (@triley60)

The Atlantic: How ‘Unchained Melody’ Broke Free — "The song—first released 60 years ago, in 1955—has a history that, like its eponymous tune, ebbs and flows at unpredictable intervals. The song that has served as a backdrop for dances and weddings was born as a soundtrack of a more conventional variety. It’s named 'Unchained Melody' not because it concerns itself with the various freedoms and captivations of romantic love, but because it was written, originally, for a movie about life in prison."

Rolling Stone: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Righteous Brothers — "The very inspiration for the phrase 'blue-eyed soul,' the Southern California-raised Righteous Brothers might have looked like members of the Beach Boys, but when their voices first hit the airwaves listeners thought they were black. That's because the sandy-haired rock & rollers learned to sing by listening to the likes of Little Richard, Bobby Bland, Fats Domino and Ray Charles."

The Wall Street Journal: The Song That Conquered Radio -- "Forty-eight years ago this summer, songwriting spouses Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann wrote 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' with Phil Spector. Today, the song is No. 1 on BMI's list of most-played songs on radio and TV since the royalty-collection agency's founding in 1939."

https://www.scribd.com/doc/285427686/Excerpt-from-The-Time-of-My-Life-By-Bill-Medley

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