How The Righteous Brothers Snuck a B-Side Past Their Producer Into Pop History Back in 1965

It’s one of the most well-known ballads of the 60s era. And to strengthen its case as an absolute classic, the recording came back and turned into a hit again decades after its initial release.

All that is even more impressive when you consider we’re talking about a B-side. In case you didn’t realize, the Righteous Brothers version of “Unchained Melody” was snuck out by the duo, in part to shake free from their overbearing producer.

Spector’s Watchful Eye

The Righteous Brothers’ vocal blend established the duo as one of the top pop acts of the 60s. Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield each possessed a powerful voice on their own, quite distinct from each other. When those voices came together, magic ensured.

But the duo couldn’t get by on their vocals alone. They needed outstanding songs, which they generally received from Brill Building pros, à la Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil delivering “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”.

And, of course, those early hits by the duo wouldn’t have been the same without the production genius of Phil Spector. His so-called “Wall Of Sound” approach made those romantic laments majestic. Since the Righteous Brothers recorded for Spector’s label, he was intimately involved in just about every aspect of the duo’s career. “Unchained Melody” helped shift the balance of power.

B-Side Brilliance

Spector tended to keep his hands off the B-sides and album cuts that weren’t chosen as singles by the duo. He focused his attention on the A-sides, which is where he exerted his producer’s influence. In 1965, the duo recorded “Hung On You” as the A-side of an intended single.

Left to their own devices, Medley and Hatfield went with “Unchained Melody” as the B-side, with Hatfield taking lead vocal, allegedly after winning a coin flip between the two men. Medley took over the producing chores on the song, which was a decade old and had already been a big pop hit in the 50s on a few separate occasions.

Medley explained to Songfacts how Hatfield delivered the stunning high vocal run toward the song’s end but still wanted to do more:

“So I punched that in, and he left. He said, ‘No, I can do it better.’ And I said, ‘No, you can’t.’ (Laughs) And I think it’s a big part of the song.”

A “Melody” for the Ages

None of this would have mattered much if the song had simply remained anonymous as a B-side. But DJs flipped the record and immediately realized that “Unchained Melody” was a much more powerful track. They started playing it on the radio with regularity while ignoring the A-side.

This allegedly infuriated Spector, perhaps because he had no stake in “Unchained Melody”. After the song became a hit, his name started appearing in the credits of subsequent pressings as the producer. But by all accounts, he had little to do with anything surrounding the recording of the song.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Righteous Brothers soon left behind Spector and moved on to another label. “Unchained Melody” proved they didn’t need a mastermind behind their music. All they needed were those two amazing voices.

(Photo by Stanley Bielecki/ASP/Getty Images)