# How The Righteous Brothers Snuck a B-Side Past Their Producer Into Pop History Back in 1965

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-the-righteous-brothers-snuck-a-b-side-past-their-producer-into-pop-history-back-in-1965/
- Published: 2026-08-14T15:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-14T15:13:48+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/how-the-righteous-brothers-snuck-a-b-side-past-their-producer-into-pop-history-back-in-1965/
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- A B-side became the Righteous Brothers’ defining hit.
- Bill Medley produced the recording without Phil Spector’s direct involvement.
- DJs promoted “Unchained Melody” over its intended A-side.

## Summary

The Righteous Brothers’ 1965 recording of “Unchained Melody” became an enduring hit despite being issued as the B-side to “Hung On You”. The article says the duo used the less closely supervised B-side process to work outside producer Phil Spector’s control, with Bill Medley producing and Bobby Hatfield delivering the lead vocal; its success helped demonstrate their independence from Spector.

Radio DJs reportedly preferred “Unchained Melody” and played it instead of the intended A-side, turning the older song into a major hit. Hatfield won the lead-vocal role by an alleged coin toss, while Medley retained a high vocal passage Hatfield wanted to re-record; Spector was later credited on some pressings despite reportedly having little involvement. The song returned to the charts decades later, reinforcing its status as a classic ballad.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.