DESCRIPTION:
From '' Leave The Reggae To Us ''
Label: Mercury -- SRM-1-1054
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1975

Tracklist
A1 Dream Lover
A2 Stand For Our Rights
A3 Jamaica Rum
A4 Sky High
A5 Wily
A6 Only Love Can Win
B1 Mango Rock
B2 Unchained Melody
B3 Hold On To Your Happiness
B4 Wappadusa
B5 Some Dark City

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"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret.
With Todd Duncan singing the vocals, the song was nominated for an Oscar in 1955, but the Best-Song award went to the hit song "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing".
It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages.

In 1955, North used the music as a theme for the prison film Unchained, hence the name. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. Les Baxter, released an instrumental version which reached #2. Then song recordings were released by Al Hibbler reaching #3 on the Billboard charts, Jimmy Young which hit #1 in the United Kingdom, and Roy Hamilton reaching #1 on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. Hundreds of other recordings followed.

It was the July 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers that became a jukebox standard for the late 20th century, regaining massive popularity when used in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost. It will also be featured as a musical number in the upcoming GHOST The Musical.

Early versions

Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. Les Baxter released an instrumental version which reached #2. Al Hibbler followed close behind with a vocal version that reached #3 on the Billboard charts. He was followed soon after by Jimmy Young, whose version hit #1 on the British charts. Roy Hamilton's version reached number one on the R&B Best Sellers list and #6 on the pop chart. June Valli took it to #29. Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps recorded it for their second album in 1956. It is also probably the most unusual cover version, as the bridge was omitted. Harry Belafonte sang it at the 1956 Academy Awards where it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song of 1955. In 1963, an uptempo, doo-wop version hit the regional charts (eastern U.S.) by Vito & the Salutations, eventually becoming part of the soundtrack for Goodfellas in 1990. Perry Como recorded the song in 1955, and English jazz musician Cliff Townshend of The Squadronaires also released a popular version in 1956.

Other versions

One early cover was by teen idol Ricky Nelson, whose version was issued in 1958 on the album Ricky Nelson.

Gisele Mackenzie covered the song on her 1958 solo album for RCA Victor, Gisele (LPM/LSP-1790).

The Supremes covered the song for their album I Hear A Symphony, released in 1966.

Roy Orbison recorded a version of it for his album Many Moods, released in May 1969.

On June 21, 1977, just six weeks before his death, Elvis Presley performed "Unchained Melody" for what would be his last television appearance, "Elvis In Concert." However, the recording that was ultimately released as a single and included on the Moody Blue album (the last released while he was alive) was from an earlier appearance at Ann Arbor, Michigan, featuring him on piano, as was invariably the case when Presley sang the song in concert.

In 1981, a live version of the band Heart peaked at #83 on the Billboard Top 100.

In 1986, Leo Sayer released a version of the song with a contemporary re-working of the "wall of sound".

U2 also covered the song as a B-side to their 1989 single, "All I Want Is You".

In 1995, the song was performed by Robson Green and Jerome Flynn in the UK drama series Soldier Soldier.

Sarah McLachlan

Cyndi Lauper was nominated for a 2005 Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition Accompanying a Vocal" for her interpretation of the song, which appears on the At Last album.
In 2006, singer Barry Manilow covered the song on his album Greatest Songs of the Fifties.
The Smashing Pumpkins also released a cover of the song in their Live Smashing Pumpkins album series.

Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox recorded a version in 2007 as Atlas Sound and gave it away on his blog.

Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge performed the song in concert as a tribute to Bobby Hatfield, and it appeared on their 2008 "Greatest Hits Live" CD.

Gareth Gates recorded a cover version of the song as his first release following his appearance on Pop Idol in the United Kingdom. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on its first week of release.

Clay Aiken recorded the song on his 2010 album Tried and True.

The Pop Opera group, Amici Forever recorded the song in Italian, under the title, 'Senza Catene'.

Joni Mitchell incorporated the chorus and parts of the melody in 'Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody'.

Constantine Maroulis during a guest performance on American Idol on April 7, 2011.