Forty-five years is the total duration of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ on US radio and television in the twentieth century alone. Over the past century, the song has been played more than eight million times, which surpasses the achievements of Yesterday by The Beatles. To date, this figure has more than doubled.
Over the years, the track performed by The Righteous Brothers hit the top ten of the British chart three times. In addition, versions of other performers rose high in the charts.
What captivated the listeners composition of Cynthia Weil (Cynthia Weil) and Barry Mann (Barry Mann), recorded under the guidance of the legendary producer Phil Spector (Phil Spector)?
The history of creation and the meaning of the song You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling
In 1964, Phil Spector watched The Righteous Brothers perform at a San Francisco concert and suggested that the duo release a record on his Philles Records label. The musicians gave the go-ahead and became the first white performers with whom the famous producer signed a contract.
Spektor invited the spouses Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to write a song for them. Inspired by the then popular track Baby I Need Your Loving by The Four Tops, the authors decided to write a ballad about love. First, Barry composed the melody, and then together they created the text of the future hit. Spector helped them with the music for the break and ending.
When they introduced You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ to The Righteous Brothers, the band members had mixed feelings. Bill Medley remembers:
We just thought, “Wow, what a good song for The Everly Brothers.” But it didn’t seem to work for us. They sang it much higher than we did, so they kept lowering it and lowering it and lowering it, and Phil slowed it down to that great rhythm that ended up being.
SongFacts.com
Song recording
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was recorded at Studio A at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles.
It was one of the first songs in which Phil Spector used his famous “wall of sound” (Wall of Sound). The track cost $35,000 to make, but the recording was so unusual that the producer asked three critics to share their impressions of the track.
Barry Mann said they should change speed. Publisher Don Kirshner suggested a different title. Disc jockey Murray Kaufman, known as Murray the K., was convinced that the bass part should be moved closer to the beginning.
Their opinions made Spector nervous:
Co-writer, co-publisher and America’s top DJ all killed me. When the record came out, I didn’t sleep for a week. I became very ill: I had spasms in the colon, I had an ulcer.
Telegraph Magazine, 2003
As it turned out, Phil had no reason to doubt the success of the track.
Release and achievements
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was released as a single in November 1964. It topped the charts in the US, Canada and the UK. The composition also reached the top ten of the British hit parade in 1969 and 1990.
In those years, video clips were not shot in the modern concept of this format. Check out the next music video You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – The Righteous Brothers.
The song is included in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. According to BMI, it was the most played on American radio and television in the twentieth century. It is also in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.
Cover versions
The song You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ has been recorded by dozens of famous artists. Cancel the most successful covers.
In 1965, Cilla Black’s version rose to number two on the British charts.
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by Dionne Warwick peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was recorded in 1971 by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Their version peaked at number 30 on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart.
A cover of “Long” by John Baldry (Long John Baldry) conquered the second line of the Australian chart.
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by Hall and Oates peaked at number twelfth on the Billboard Hot 100.
Public interest in the song revived in the eighties, when it was included in the soundtrack of the film “Top Gun” (Top Gun). Let’s remember how You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ Tom Cruise’s hero and his friends sang.
Interesting Facts
- The track is almost four minutes long. Offering it to radio stations, Phil Spector said that it lasts just over three minutes. Otherwise, the channels did not want to put the composition.
- In The Entertainer, Billy Joel alludes to You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ with the line “If you want a hit, you gotta fit it, so it was cut to 3:05”.
- It is the only song in history to have been in the top 10 of the UK chart three times.
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ Lyrics
You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips
And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips
You’re trying hard not to show it
But baby, baby I know it
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, woh
Now there’s no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you
And now you’re starting to criticize little things I do
It makes me just feel like crying
‘Cause baby, something beautiful’s dyin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, woh
Baby, baby, I’d get down on my knees for you
If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah
We had a love, a love, a love you don’t find everyday
So don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t let it slip away
Baby, baby, baby, baby
I run you please, please, please, please
I need your love, need your love
I need your love, I need your love
So bring it on back, so bring it on back
Bring it on back, bring it on back
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
‘Cause it’s gone, gone, gone
And I can’t go on, woh
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
Bring back that lovin’ feelin’
‘Cause it’s gone, gone, gone
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ Lyrics
You don’t close your eyes anymore when I kiss you on the lips
And in the touch of your fingers there is no former tenderness left.
You try hard not to show it
But baby, baby, I get it.
You don’t feel that love anymore
You don’t feel that love.
You don’t feel that love anymore
She is no more, no, no.
There’s no look in your eyes when I hold out my arms to you
And you start criticizing me over little things.
I just want to cry
‘Cause baby, something beautiful is dying.
You don’t feel that love anymore
You don’t feel that love.
You don’t feel that love anymore
She is no more, no, no.
Baby, baby, I’d get on my knees for you
If you just loved me like you used to.
We had love, love, love that you don’t get every day.
So don’t let it, don’t let it, don’t let it, don’t let it slip away.
Baby, baby, baby, baby
I’m begging you, please, please, please, please
I need your love, I need your love
I need your love, I need your love.
So bring her back, so bring her back
Bring her back, bring her back
Feel that love again
Feel that love.
Feel that love again
‘Cause she’s gone, no, no
And I can’t do that.
Feel that love again
Feel that love.
Feel that love again
‘Cause she’s gone, no, no
Song Quotes
We had no idea if it would be a hit. It was too slow, too long, and came out right in the midst of the Beatles and the British Invasion boom.
Bill Medley, Rolling Stone
Your song is the greatest record of all time. I was ready to leave the music business, but she inspired me to write again.
Brian Wilson’s message to The Righteous Brothers
