JIMMY YOUNG – "Unchained Melody"

I have to say that JY wasn’t the only BBC radio DJ to make number one. DLT and Stewpot both appeared on the Crowd’s heart-rending “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in 1985.

The Goons’ version was far and away the best.

Considering that at its core it’s a pretty damned good song it’s fascinating trying to decide which version I loathe the most. (The winner is generally the one featuring the chap who was quite good playing a minor role in early Casualty and should have stayed there.)

The best version is of course by the Righteous Brothers and I’ll scratch out the eyes of anybody who says different.

Whereas the Goons play it like elderly (or impossibly youthful apropos Bluebottle) Shoreditch High Street buskers and their version repeatedly caves in on itself. “Ineedyourloveineedyourlove/Godspeedyourlovegodspeedyourlove/Ying tong ying tong iddle I po/I played me ukelele ’til the ship went down.” Eventually the drumkit collapses (“Play them traps!”) and they don’t know how to finish the song (Bluebottle’s disgruntled “I’m goin’ home…”).

I have this on CD – it’s on one of the EMI Memories Are Made Of This V/A compilation 2CD sets, but it’s not the reason I bought it (if you must know, “Ma He’s Making Eyes At Me” by the Johnny Otis Show which is otherwise evasive to find on CD).

My mum’s got the Liberace version!

Wall-E? It’s OK but not as good as Dark Side Of The Moon-E

(cymbal crash)

It’ll be ’58 if Sir Cliff has his way, which legally he may well do; apparently the European Court has said yes, the rights should be extended.

Another recent Acrobat issue well worth getting: Pig Iron, Washboards, Freight Trains And Kazoos – The UK Skiffle Boom 1954-7 (note the copyright subtext in that title), four CDs and 120 fascinating tracks from everyone who was anyone in the skiffle game, with the Vipers, Johnny Duncan, young Alexis Korner, Bob Cort, Dickie Bishop etc. all getting as much space as Lonnie. Sleevenote’s a bit biased though (histories tend to take the Donegan/Barber side or the Colyer side and this one comes down on the latter).

DJP, do you know how far down the line Cliff is? I’m guessing if he’s trying to keep 1958 under private ownership it’s pretty much settled. I’d really like to know.

And, back to the matter in hand, I assume Sir Jimmy is too dignified to tamper with the law in the name of avarice.

Light enetertainment watch: A lot of appearances now missing;

DES O’CONNOR ON STAGE: with Jimmy Young, Tony Blackburn, Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen (1969)

THE GOLDEN SHOT: with Bob Monkhouse, Jimmy Young, Bob Monkhouse, The Mixtures, Yutte Stensgaard, Anne Aston (1971)

SIX-FIVE SPECIAL: with Bill Maynard, Jimmy Young, Cy Laurie, Boscoe Holder & Sheila Clarke, Ricky James, Larry Adler and the Teenagers (1957)

SUNDAY NIGHT AT BLACKPOOL–MEET THE STARS: with Alfred Marks, The Deep River Boys, Jimmy Young (1957)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with The Temperance Seven, Ronnie Hilton, Danny Williams, Michael Hill, Chas McDevitt & Shirley Douglas, The Vernons Girls, The Springfields, Jimmy Young (1961)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Billy Fury, Joe ‘Mr Piano’ Henderson, Terry Lightfoot’s New Orleans Jazzmen, The Viscounts, Jim Dale, Julie Grant, Jonny Burnette, Jimmy Young (1962)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Cliff Richard, Mark Wynter, Joyce Blair, Terry Scott, The Tornados, Neil Christian, The Monty Sunshine Band, Lionel Blair, Jimmy Young (1962)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Russ Conway, The Shadows, Danny Williams, Bob Wallis and his Storyville Jazzmen, Russ Hamilton, Susan Singer, Terry Young, Jimmy Young (1962)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Brenda Lee, Ronnie Carroll, Mike Sarne, Julie Grant, Sounds Incorporated, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Tony Holland, Jimmy Young (1963)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Shirley Bassey, Gerry And The Pacemakers, The Kaye Sisters, Jimmy Young, Philip Lowrie, The Dakotas, Keith Powell and the Valets, Dave Berry, Janice Nicholls (1963)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, The Beatles, Petula Clark, The Countrymen, Al Saxon, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, Heinz Briihl, The Guv’nors, Jimmy Young (1963)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, The Beatles, Terry Lightfoot and his New Orleans Jazzmen, The Bruisers, Beryl Marsden, The Jeridales, Rey Anton, Ben Richmond, Jimmy Young (1963)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Millicent Martin, Kenny Lynch, Jimmy Young (Guest Disc Jockey), Manfred Mann, Al Saxon, Patsy Ann Noble, The Viscounts, Tommy Bruce And The Bruisers, Dave Berry (1964)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Sandie Shaw, Brian Poole, Unit Four Plus Two, Jimmy Young, Barry Mason (1966)

The surviving apperances are later;

2 G’S AND THE POP PEOPLE: with Lulu, Jimmy Young, The Bee Gees, Larry Grayson (1972)

GIVE US A CLUE: with Michael Aspel, Una Stubbs (Team Captain), Barbara Windsor, Jenny Hanley, Joan Higton, Jimmy Young, George Layton, Barry Townsend (1979)

LOOKS FAMILIAR: with Jimmy Young, Pearl Hackney, Reg Varney, Robert Muller (1974)

THE MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOW: with Trevor Eve, Wayne Sleep, Jimmy Young (1982)

RUSSELL HARTY PLUS: with Asha Puthli, Sybil Thorndike, Jimmy Young (1973)

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MILL: with Jimmy Young, Michel Legrand (1979)

WOGAN: with Johnny Dumfries, Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Andrew Ridgeley, The Style Council, Googie Withers, Jimmy Young (1986)

But did Sir Jim ever SING on TV in later years? Mind you, he was making records quite regularly until 1967.

He was quite a good singer really, and very popular – but unlike, say, David Whitfield, doesn’t seem to have any *fans* these days. As wichita would tell us, JY shifted a lot of records in the pre-chart days of 1951, with “Too Young” (a probable #1).

All the 50s versions of “Unchained Melody” are fairly disappointing. JY’s is ok really… especially since he was due to have his appendix out hours after the recording (and in terrific pain, apparently).

(And the copyright law thing: I agree with wichitalineman – they won’t let the Fabs go PD.)

Yes the goons give the song a good good kicking,… (it’s as if they knew)

(I bought this when it came out as a CD single, it’s credited to Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers if you want to find it)

Re 19: Roy Hamilton! Not disappointing! The Righteous Brothers followed their hit version in 1965 with Ebb Tide because, said Phil Spector, that’s what Roy Hamilton had done. Roy gets a big thumbs up as a forerunner of modern pop in my forthcoming book. It’s called The Bumper Book Of Pop until I can think of a better title.

re19: I see that the David Whitfield Society have raised the £40,000 they need for their statue of him in Hull which is to be erected shortly. Can’t really see the same happening in Jimmy Young’s hometown – at least not for his singing.

So, how many of those box sets exist?

I take it that Elvis’ RCA Victor recordings weren’t included in the box sets? e.g. According to the Amazon listing 1956 includes Hound Dog but not Heartbreak Hotel – apart from the Stan Freberg version. I note that Stan is still with us, but presumably not covering bunny-embargoed current material.

“Heartbreak Hotel” is on there; disc 3, track 15.

And orf we jolly well go, says Jimmy.

I had the pleasure of working with JY a few times back in the dim distant, and I can confirm what a delightful guy he was IRL, as well as on air.

He was the grand old man, and I was one of a succession of gormless youths passing through his studio, but he was invariably charming and engaged, and always sympathetic to my many cock-ups.

He was also razor sharp on current events. He wore his intelligence lightly, but he was probably the most perceptive and thoughtful radio or TV presenter I have ever met.

RIP

I only found out today that there are two versions of this – apparently Jimmy re-recorded the song in the early Sixties, and it’s that version that’s spread like mislabelled pondweed across YouTube and (presumably) Napster or whatever early-Noughties file sharing service Tom used to compile these prehistoric entries, which makes me wonder if the right version was reviewed here – I only heard the other one today and it sounds quite different (though still duff).

I agree it sounds strange to hear this in such a different arrangement, as The Righteous Brothers’ version has become standard. And ‘porridgey’ sounds pretty apt as an adjective. I might go as high as 3/10 though. As a kid, I loathed Jimmy Young on long Radio 2-based car journeys, as his inevitable appearance at midday meant two hours of Talking. Seriously. With some bland musical interludes. I’m sure he was a lovely chap, nonetheless.