The Righteous Brothers singing “Unchained Melody” live on The Andy Williams Show in 1965 might just be the most perfect televised performance ever. The duo, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, appeared on the show, first engaging in a bit of cheeky banter with the host, before Hatfield took to the mic and delivered a vocal tour de force that will leave you speechless. They sure don’t make ‘em like that anymore.
The late Hatfield sang the group’s most enduring hit as if his life depended on it. His honeyed tenor is so smooth and his control of his voice is just awe-inspiring to listen to. In a vocal masterclass, Hatfield moves through a lower register section in the opening before building to a thunderous crescendo, which culminates in a gorgeous high falsetto. The performance shows that he is truly a master of his craft.
The Righteous Brothers made their appearance on The Andy Williams Show when “Unchained Melody” was hot in the top 40. The upload attracted 45 million views, which makes it the most popular live performance from The Righteous Brothers on YouTube. Uploader Rbvo digitally restored the audio and video for the vintage performance. He also commented, saying, “I consider this one of the two or three best live vocal performances ever captured on television, and I’m so glad I was able to restore it.”
Fans at home were also blown away by Hatfield’s performance, adding comments such as “This audio should be sent into space so one day our nearest intelligent life can hear the best voice our planet has to offer” and “Imagine you are sitting in that audience not knowing you were witnessing the greatest male performance of a song ever!” The Righteous Brothers could also excel when performing as a duo, as seen when they performed a superb “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” live that same year.
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” was The Righteous Brothers’ biggest hit, with the 1964 single going to number one in the US, UK, and Canada. “Unchained Melody” was another of their biggest chart successes, having gone to number four in the US.
It seems that fans have grown increasingly fond of “Unchained Melody” over the years, as while it wasn’t their biggest hit, it’s become their most popular online. “Unchained Melody” is by far the duo’s most popular track on Spotify, with 525 million streams. This is more than triple the streams that “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” has racked up, which is their second most popular song on the platform.
Enjoy more incredible performances from The Righteous Brothers on their YouTube Channel . Stay updated with the latest news and releases by following their Facebook Page . You can relive their iconic performance of “Unchained Melody” on The Andy Williams Show from 1965 and marvel at the vocal prowess of the late Bobby Hatfield. This beautiful rendition of their most successful hit, presented in its restored audio and video glory, attracted 45 million views, marking it as the duo’s most popular live performance available on YouTube.
