THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSIC SONG UNCHAINED MELODY

"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North used the music as a theme for the little-known prison film Unchained (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack.

It has since become a standard and one of the most often recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages. Elvis sings it here. Sam Cooke Here

In 1955, three versions of the song (by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, and Roy Hamilton) charted in the Billboard Top 10 in the United States, and four versions (by Al Hibbler, Les Baxter, Jimmy Young, and Liberace) appeared in the Top 20 in the United Kingdom simultaneously, an unbeaten record for any song.

UNCHAINED MELODY LYRICS

Oh, my love, my darling

I've hungered for your touch

A long, lonely time

Time goes by so slowly

And time can do so much

Are you still mine?

I need your love

I need your love

God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow

To the sea, to the sea

To the open arms of the sea

Lonely rivers sigh

"Wait for me, wait for me"

I'll be coming home, wait for me

Oh, my love, my darling

I've hungered, for your touch

A long, lonely time

Time goes by so slowly

And time can do so much

Are you still mine?

I need your love

I need your love

The Bobby Hatfield solo version obtained a second round of popularity when it was featured in the hit film Ghost (1990). In 2004, it finished at number 27 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

In 1954, North was contracted to compose the score for the prison film Unchained (released in 1955). North composed and recorded the score, and then was asked to write a song based upon the movie's theme.

North asked Hy Zaret to write the lyrics, but Zaret initially declined, saying he was too busy painting his house. North was able to convince him to take the job, and together they wrote "Unchained Melody."  Zaret refused the producer's request to include the word "unchained" in his lyrics.

The song eventually became known as the "Unchained Melody" even though the song does not actually include the word "unchained". Instead, Zaret chose to focus on someone who pines for a lover he has not seen in a "long, lonely time". Read More

  

TOP STARS WHO PLAYED IN LAS VEGAS

A lot of people who visit Las Vegas do so because they want to partake of the gambling on offer in this casino hot spot. They are often attracted by the film and television portrayals of these casinos, which depict them as dangerous, exciting and glamorous, but they are not all that the city has to offer. In particular, Vegas is a music city, with many of the top musicians in the world choosing to perform there.

It was during the 1950's and 1960's that Las Vegas truly developed its reputation for hosting major music stars. During the 1950's, flamboyant stars like Liberace made the city their own, but it was the arrival of the Rat Pack during the early part of the following decade that made history.

Combining crooning jazz and easy listening tunes with banter, the Rat Pack packed crowds in at casino/hotel resorts such as the Sands and the Riviera. The leader of the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, became particularly associated with Las Vegas and continued to perform there throughout the rest of his career.

Vegas continued to be a hugely popular place for big stars to perform in as well, with the likes of Tom Jones making their debuts there during the 1970's and helping to establish the reputation of the resort for adult-oriented, easy listening music.

While this is the kind of music that many still associate with Las Vegas – and indeed singers of that type like Celine Dion and Elton John still perform lavish concerts at venues like the Colosseum in Caesars Palace, drawing crowds of thousands – Vegas has also attracted more edgy, experimental musicians during the last decade or so. One notable example of this was the late funk-pop star Prince, who took to the stage of the Rio towards of the end of 2006.

His residency there proved an enormous success and featured collaborations with the likes of Chaka Khan, with his presence helping to give the Vegas music scene a hipper image. The likes of Jennifer Lopez have followed in his wake, as she set up home at the Planet Hollywood complex there, proving that Vegas is not just for older music fans. Indeed the current era is seeing cutting edge dance acts like Afrojack choosing to perform there – as this DJ performed a successful set to packed crowds at the Wynn Las Vegas.

The next few months will see stars ranging from older singers like Rod Stewart, to younger ones such as Keith Sweat taking to stages in Las Vegas, proving that it is truly a musical center.