Bill Medley - Righteous Brothers
Bill Medley is a seminal figure in the history of American music. He is perhaps best known as half of the unmistakable duo, The Righteous Brothers. The Righteous Brothers' raw emotional R&B sound not only created the genre "Blue-Eyed Soul", but the very term was coined specifically for them.
Medley formed a local group called The Paramours, and was introduced to Hatfield, who led The Variations. But one night they put their voices together, and the result was magic.
“We just started singin’ these rhythm & blues duets and it was just absolutely instant,” Medley recalls. “Never had to rehearse it. He knew ‘em, I knew ‘em—‘I’ll sing this note, you sing on top,’ and that was it. The instant we sang together, it was like one voice.”
Combining the density of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" production with Bill Medley's deep, rich, powerful baritone created a totally original sound that still resonates today. BMI ranked "YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING" as having had more television and radio airplay than any other song in history!
Their dramatic exchanges from different registers scaled unparallel heights for a pop single. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” ran for close to four minutes, which was unheard of for a pop single at the time.
After a string of hits, The Righteous Brothers parted ways from Phil Spector and went to try their hand at producing themselves at Verve Records. The first single for their new label was “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration,” which Medley masterly produced. The song topped the charts for three weeks- one week longer than “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. In 1974 the duo resumed their hit-making ways with the prophetic “Rock and Roll Heaven.”
In 1987, Medley scored another monumental hit with "(I'VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE," from the film Dirty Dancing. The song earned an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and was named Video of The Year. The soundtrack went on to sell 14 million copies and once again put Medley at the top of the Billboard Charts.
In 1990, the Righteous Brothers’ classic version of “Unchained Melody,” appeared in the hit film Ghost and ran all the way up the Billboard charts, which introduced yet another new generation to the works of The Righteous Brothers.
In 2003, The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Three #1, Seven Top 10 & Thirteen Billboard Top 40 Hits including:
Hit songs include:
"YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN'"
(three time chart topper)
"(I'VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE"
"(YOU'RE MY) SOUL AND INSPIRATION"
"EBB TIDE"
"ROCK & ROLL HEAVEN"
"UNCHAINED MELODY"
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