The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley Said DJs Called ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” Their ‘Potty Song’

The Righteous Brothers gave the world some of the most iconic music of the 1960s, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” During an interview, The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley said he didn’t think the song would become a hit. He also revealed that DJs loved it and called it their “potty song.”

What The Righteous Brothers thought when they 1st heard ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”

During a 2015 interview with Goldmine, Medley revealed he didn’t expect “You’ve Got That Lovin’ Feelin'” to be a hit after hearing the finished take. “There were three or four things about it that went against the grain, but those negatives ended up becoming a real plus,” he said. “We weren’t sure if it was a hit.”

Medley revealed Bobby Hatfield, the other member of The Righteous Brothers, had a similar reaction to the track. “I can remember Bobby and I listening to it the first couple of times and thinking, ‘Man, what a shame. Wouldn’t it be great if this was a hit?'” he recalled. Medley laughed at how wrong they were.

Bill Medley said the song was considered long in 1965

Medley said the song was exceptionally long for the time. “You gotta remember, this was back in 1965, and every record had to be about 2 minutes and 20 seconds,” he said. “Even though Phil Spector listed the time of the record as 3 minutes and 50 seconds, ‘Lovin’ Feelin” was over 4 minutes, so it was long.” In actuality, The Righteous Brother’s version of the song is three minutes and 45 seconds long.

Medley revealed why DJs liked “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” “Disc jockeys loved it; they called it their ‘potty song,’ and because it was [so] long they were able to take a ‘potty break,'” Medley recalled. “It was a very unusual record.”

How fans in the United States and the United Kingdom reacted to The Righteous Brothers’ ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” became The Righteous Brothers’ first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. It was No. 1 for two of its 16 weeks on the chart. The Righteous Brothers released “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” on the album of the same name. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was The Righteous Brothers’ most successful album in the United States. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 67 weeks. 

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” was popular in the United Kingdom as well. According to The Official Charts Company, the song reached No. 1 in the U.K. for two of its 17 weeks on the chart. Meanwhile, the tune appeared on the album The Very Best of The Righteous Brothers. The Very Best of The Righteous Brothers reached No. 11 in the U.K., remaining on the chart for 17 weeks.

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” is a classic hit — and it gave many DJs the opportunity to relieve themselves.