"Unchained Melody" is the timeless classic created by Alex North and Hy Zaret in 1954. Alex North had been hired to score an obscure film entitled "Unchained." He completed the recording of the score, and then was asked by the movie studio to create a song based upon the film score's theme. North contacted his old Army acquaintance Hy Zaret and asked if Zaret was available to write the lyric, with two caveats: 1) He couldn't change a single note of the melody, as it had already been recorded; and 2) He had to complete the task within four days. Zaret initially declined, informing North he was busy painting his house. However, when Zaret learned that the film was about an experimental honor prison, he agreed to take on the task, and the rest is history.
With more than 1500 recordings in multiple languages, "Unchained Melody" is #5 on the BBC's list of the Ten Richest Songs. It has won Towering Song Awards repeatedly, has been on the charts countless times, and remains popular among all ages.
Artists including The Righteous Brothers, Elvis Presley, Leann Rimes, Les Baxter, Ricky Nelson, Susan Boyle, Barry Manilow, The Drifters, Vito and the Salutations, Manhattan Transfer, Robson and Jerome, U2, Sarah McLachlan, The Boston Pops, Bing Crosby, and countless others have had success with their various interpretations of "Unchained Melody."
In 1990, the film "Ghost" firmly placed "Unchained Melody" in the cultural zeitgeist of the entire world, and the song's popularity appears to be growing with each new generation.
"Ghost The Musical" has once again introduced "Unchained Melody" to new audiences around the world.
"Unchained Melody" can be performed by a solo guitar or a full orchestra, as a sentimental ballad or a raucous rock track, in English or any other language, and it always comes across as the masterpiece it is.