You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (1964)

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Download MP3s from Amazon.com:

• Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (MP3)
• Daryl Hall and John Oates - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (MP3)

By: The Righteous Brothers, consisting of baritone Bill Medley (born William Thomas Medley September 19, 1940 in Los Angeles, California) and tenor Bobby Hatfield (born Robert Lee Hatfield August 10, 1940 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, died of a heart attack November 5, 2003 in Kalamazoo, Michigan).

Medley and Hatfield met while attending California State University, Long Beach, and began singing as a duo in 1962. They got their name when an African-American Marine shouted out, "That was righteous, brothers!" at the end of a show.

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was the Righteous Brothers' first single for Phil Spector's label, Philles Records. Spector bought out their contract from Moonglow Records (with whom they had the regional hit "Little Latin Lupe Lu".)

After songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote the song, Spector played his production of it for Mann over the phone. Hearing Medley's low voice, Mann said, "Phil, you have it on the wrong speed!" Hatfield was also puzzled. He asked, "What do I do while he's singing the entire first verse?" Spector replied, "You can go directly to the bank."

The recording sessions included Glen Campbell on rhythm guitar.

Phil Spector put the time on the single as 3:05 so that radio stations would play it. The actual length is 3:45, but stations at the time rarely played songs much longer than 3 minutes. It took radio station program directors a while to figure out why their playlists were running long, but by then the song was a hit.

The Rolling Stones' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, took out ads in British newspapers saying that the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was the greatest record ever made:

"This advert is not for commercial gain, it is taken as something that must be said about the great new PHIL SPECTOR Record, THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS singing "YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING". Already in the American Top Ten, this is Spector's greatest production, the last word in Tomorrow's sound Today, exposing the overall mediocrity of the Music Industry.
Signed, Andrew Oldham"

According to BMI's Top 100 Songs of the Century (based on American radio and television airplay,) "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" ranked #1. It has been played more than eight million times.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the song at #34 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chart position: #1 (US), #2 (US R&B), #1 (UK).

Billboard Magazine ranked it the #5 biggest single of 1965.

It was preceded at #1 in the US by "Downtown" (Petula Clark) and succeeded by "This Diamond Ring" (Gary Lewis & the Playboys).

It was preceded at #1 in the UK by "Go Now" (The Moody Blues) and succeeded by "Tired of Waiting for You" (The Kinks).

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is the only song to enter the UK Top 10 three different times: 1965, 1969 and 1990. It was also Phil Spector's first #1 UK hit.

The Top Ten Songs: February 13, 1965 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (Righteous Brothers) 
2. "Downtown" (Petula Clark)
3. "This Diamond Ring" (Gary Lewis and the Playboys)
4. "The Name Game" (Shirley Ellis)
5. "My Girl" (Temptations)
6. "Hold What You've Got" (Joe Tex)
7. "All Day And All Of The Night" (Kinks)
8. "Shake" (Sam Cooke)
9. "The Jolly Green Giant" (Kingsmen)
10. "I Go To Pieces" (Peter and Gordon)

Written by: Barry Mann (born Barry Iberman on February 9, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York,) Cynthia Weil, and Phil Spector.

Mann had a Top 10 hit in 1961 with his novelty song "Who Put The Bomp". 

Mann and Weil are two of the most prolific hit songwriters in the history of pop music, writing/co-writing such songs as "Blame It on the Bossa Nova", "Kicks", "On Broadway", "I Love How You Love Me", "I Just Can't Help Believing", "Patches", "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration", "Rock and Roll Lullaby", "Sometimes When We Touch", "Just Once", "Somewhere Down The Road", "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" and "Somewhere Out There".

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was inspired by "Baby I Need Your Loving" by the Four Tops.

Also by: Daryl Hall and John Oates, whose version reached #12 (US) in 1980.

Download MP3s from Amazon.com:

• Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (MP3)
• Daryl Hall and John Oates - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (MP3)

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