1 of The Righteous Brothers Reacted to Elvis Presley’s ‘Unchained Melody’
“Unchained Melody” has been covered by many artists from many genres. Two of the most famous versions of the song are The Righteous Brothers’ and Elvis Presley‘s. During an interview, The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley discussed what he thought of Elvis’ covers of “Unchained Melody” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”
What Bill Medley thought of Elvis Presley’s ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”
In a 2015 interview with Goldmine, Medley said he became a close friend of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. “He came to a few places to see us perform,” he said. “Every time George Klein (Memphis Mafia member) and some of the guys would be in town, he’d come see us. Elvis was a big fan of The Righteous Brothers from the get-go with ‘Little Latin Lupe Lu’ and ‘My Babe.'”
Medley discussed what he thought of Elvis’ cover of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” “His version of ‘Lovin’ Feelin'” was always one of my favorites,” Medley said. “I thought Hall & Oates did a great job, and it was a hit, but Elvis’ felt a little more like ours.”
Bill Medley said the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was imitating another singer when he sang ‘Unchained Melody’
Medley also revealed his feelings about Elvis’ “Unchained Melody.” “With ‘Unchained Melody,’ he killed it,” he said. “He stopped the show and said he had to do it.”
Medley said Elvis’ version of “Unchained Melody” wasn’t based on The Righteous Brothers’ recording. “‘Unchained Melody’ was Elvis’ favorite song, but not by The Righteous Brothers; his favorite version was by Roy Hamilton,” he added. “Roy Hamilton was one of our favorites, too. Elvis and I had so much in common. But to be entirely truthful, he really was doing Roy Hamilton on ‘Unchained Melody,’ and he did an unbelievable job.”
The way the world reacted to The Righteous Brothers’ ‘Unchained Melody’ and Elvis Presley’s version
The Righteous Brothers’ version of “Unchained Melody” became a hit in the United States twice. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965, staying on the chart for 32 weeks. Following the release of the 1990 film Ghost, which used “Unchained Melody,” the song peaked at No. 19 and remained on the chart for 25 weeks.
On the other hand, Elvis’ version of “Unchained Melody” did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, it reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, lasting on the chart for 11 weeks. One of Elvis’ live performances of the song became one of the most well-known moments of his later career. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s rendition of the song appeared in the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis. Even if it wasn’t a hit, Medley was impressed by Elvis’ “Unchained Melody.”
