Artist: Todd Duncan
Author: Alex North/Hy Zaret
Year: 1955
Vocal version in black & white film Unchained, shot on location in the Chino prison in California. Nominated for an Oscar. There's this persistent but unfounded rumour Hy Zaret wrote these lyrics in 1936 as a nameless poem for his girlfriend under the name William Stirret, while his real name was Hyman Zaritsky.
Covers:
Al Hibbler [blind black singer, later a notorious civil rights movement activist, n°1 R&B; released simultaneously with the Les Baxter instrumental]
Les Baxter [n°1 US; as instrumental; also from that film]
Roy Hamilton [n°1 R&B]
Jimmy Young [n°1 UK]
Esterella [as Heden En Verleden]
Goons [parody]
Mouloudji [als Les Enchaînés]
Righteous Brothers [reissue in 1990 in film Ghost; n°1 UK & NL]
César et les Romains [as Mon seul amour]
David Garrick [hit NL]
Elvis Presley [top 10 C&W]
Will Tura [as Oh My Love]
Joni Mitchell [mixed in Chinese Café]
Christian Delagrange [as Vivre seul]
Robson & Jerome [n°1 UK in medley with There'll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs Of Dover]
LeAnn Rimes [top 3 C&W]
Sven Wang [on Chinese violin]
Gareth Gates [fourth time n°1 UK; winner talent contest Pop Idol]
Il Divo [as Senza Catene]
Alex North scored a few Hollywood superproductions like Anthony & Cleopatra and Spartacus, Hy Zaret also wrote One Meat Ball (see there). When asked to score the film Unchained, they logically came up with Unchained Melody. Todd Duncan sang it in the film, but some twenty versions on some twenty different labels competed for suppremacy on the charts. Big winner in America was the semi-instrumental version by Les Baxter on Capitol. One year later this bandleader had a second n°1 with The Poor People Of Paris, a (bad) translation of Edith Piaf's La Goualante du pauvre Jean. Poor People indeed means something else than Poor John.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)