Hy Zaret Has Died

[Pete Dube]

Hy Zaret, who wrote the words to Unchained Melody, died Monday aged 99. RIP.

[tcb4]

RIP
Great song and elvis' swan song you know when !

[likethebike]

Thanks for posting that Pete. It's very sad another link to history is gone. "Unchained Melody" is one of the classic songs. I wrote before that I must have a dozen different people doing it. Any of the obits list any of his other titles?

[ColinB]

Thanks for posting that Pete. It's very sad another link to history is gone. "Unchained Melody" is one of the classic songs. I wrote before that I must have a dozen different people doing it. Any of the obits list any of his other titles?

It's really sad news.

From The Independent [in part]:

Hyman Harry Zaritsky was born into a family of Russian immigrants in New York in 1907; his father sold clothes for a living. Hy Zaritsky, who officially shortened his name to Zaret in 1934, attended both university and law school. He was set to practise law, but in 1935 wrote a song, "Dedicated To You", with Saul Chaplin and Sammy Cahn which became a standard, with key versions sung by the Mills Brothers, Sammy Davis, Nat "King" Cole and Ray Charles.

During the 1940s, Zaret wrote several successful songs, among them "There I Go" for Vaughn Monroe and "My Sister and I" for Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with Bob Eberly. In 1945, he wrote an optimistic song about a hobo down on his luck, "One Meat Ball", which became a staple part of Josh White's repertoire as well as later being recorded by Ry Cooder. His wartime song about the French Resistance, "The Partisan", was recorded by Leonard Cohen in 1969. He also wrote "So Long for a While", the theme song for the top US radio show Your Hit Parade, which continued to be used when it transferred to television.

In 1955, four versions of "Unchained Melody" made the US charts - for Les Baxter and his Orchestra (reaching No 1), Al Hibbler (No 3), Roy Hamilton (No 6) and June Valli (No 29) - and the song's success as a standard was assured. The publishers would not allow a hilarious pastiche by Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan to be released, but it eventually made The Peter Sellers Collection in 1990. There was a whispered rock'n'roll treatment from Gene Vincent (1957) and a frantic doo-wop version from Vito and the Salutations (1963). Elvis Presley loved Roy Hamilton's recording of the song and, in 1977, he took to playing it himself on stage with his own piano accompaniment.

"Unchained Melody" was recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1965, whose recording was revived for the pottery-in-motion scene in Ghost in 1990. In one of the most erotic moments to be found in a mainstream film, Demi Moore's pottery wheel collapses as she is distracted by Patrick Swayze, and many people rushed out to buy the music that accompanied it.

[KiwiAlan]

Thanks for posting that Pete. It's very sad another link to history is gone. "Unchained Melody" is one of the classic songs. I wrote before that I must have a dozen different people doing it. Any of the obits list any of his other titles?

His compositions as listed by ASCAP :-

1 . AMERICAN HYMN
(Title Code: 310040489)
2 . ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AT THE MOVIES
(Title Code: 310055786)
3 . APRON STRINGS
(Title Code: 310059728)
4 . ATOM AND EVIL
(Title Code: 310075344)
5 . BALLADS FOR THE AGE OF SCIENCE
(Title Code: 320328918)
6 . BATH IS A WONDERFUL ETC
(Title Code: 320020900)
7 . BE BRAVE BELOVED
(Title Code: 320023069)
8 . BEEP BEEP HERE COMES THE SA
(Title Code: 320122710)
9 . BETTER SCHOOLS BUILD BETTER
(Title Code: 320041898)
10 . BETTER SCHOOLS FR LITTLE SO
(Title Code: 320041905)
11 . BROWN SKINNED COW
(Title Code: 320094804)
12 . CALLING ALL HEARTS
(Title Code: 330006756)
13 . CANCION RUSA (KATUSHA)
(Title Code: 030044836)
14 . CHECK UP SONG
(Title Code: 330041502)
15 . CHICKEN BLUES
(Title Code: 330045222)
16 . CHRISTMAS ROSES
(Title Code: 330056434)
17 . CLOSE YOUR EYES AND ETC
(Title Code: 330066932)
18 . COFFEE BOILS OVER THE
(Title Code: 330070561)
19 . COLUMBUS SAID SI SI SIGNOR
(Title Code: 330073540)
20 . COMES ELECTION DAY
(Title Code: 330080265)
21 . CONSTELLATION JIG
(Title Code: 330205380)
22 . COUNTING THE DAYS
(Title Code: 330100939)
23 . DANGER SIGNALS
(Title Code: 340009529)
24 . DEDICATED TO YOU
(Title Code: 340023656)
25 . DO ANIMALS TALK TO ONE ETC
(Title Code: 340041949)
26 . DOLL WITH THE SAWDUST HEART
(Title Code: 340048200)
27 . DON T CROSS IN THE MIDDLE
(Title Code: 340101115)
28 . DON T PRESS YOUR LUCK
(Title Code: 340055434)
29 . DREAM AFFAIR
(Title Code: 340075789)
30 . EARLY DISCOVERY EARLY TREAT
(Title Code: 350001893)
31 . EARTH GOES AROUND THE SUN T
(Title Code: 350051571)
32 . FACE OF THE EARTH IS CHANGING
(Title Code: 360117240)
33 . FEET OF CLAY
(Title Code: 360015823)
34 . FLIES KEEP A BUZZIN
(Title Code: 360034259)
35 . FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
(Title Code: 360058046)
36 . FRICTION
(Title Code: 360116072)
37 . FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS
(Title Code: 360060266)
38 . GOT A LETTER FROM MY KID TO
(Title Code: 370047735)
39 . GREAT ASSEMBLY LINE
(Title Code: 370053406)
40 . HOME OF MY OWN A
(Title Code: 380064224)
41 . HONEYFOGLIN TIME
(Title Code: 380067007)
42 . HOW DO THE SEEDS OF ETC
(Title Code: 380080993)
43 . HOW DOES A COW MAKE MILK
(Title Code: 380081509)
44 . HOW DOES RADAR WORK
(Title Code: 380081572)
45 . HOW DOES TELEVISION WORK
(Title Code: 380081590)
46 . HOW MANY COLORS ARE IN ETC
(Title Code: 380083132)
47 . HOW S YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
(Title Code: 380083972)
48 . I M GOING TO VOTE
(Title Code: 390049455)
49 . I M NOT AFRAID
(Title Code: 390055206)
50 . I M PROUD TO BE ME
(Title Code: 390056545)
51 . I NEVER HEARD YOU SAY
(Title Code: 390064152)
52 . I SEE A LAND
(Title Code: 390501054)
53 . I SPOKE TO JEFFERSON AT ETC
(Title Code: 390069371)
54 . I VE GOT A CHURCH ETC
(Title Code: 390073839)
55 . I WANT TO LIVE IN A ETC
(Title Code: 390080769)
56 . I WOKE UP CRYING
(Title Code: 390086094)
57 . INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RIGHT
(Title Code: 090014907)
58 . ISRAEL S FREEDOM BALLAD
(Title Code: 390146966)
59 . IT ALL COMES BACK TO ME NOW
(Title Code: 390147563)
60 . IT COULD BE A WONDERFUL ETC
(Title Code: 390147992)
61 . IT S A SCIENTIFIC FACT
(Title Code: 390152388)
62 . IT S DIMES TIME MARCH OF DI
(Title Code: 390191130)
63 . JENNY WAS ONLY JAY WALKING
(Title Code: 400008513)
64 . JIM WAS A RECKLESS DRIVER
(Title Code: 400013169)
65 . JOHNNY WAS A GENTLEMAN
(Title Code: 400018100)
66 . KATUSCHA
(Title Code: 110000669)
67 . KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD
(Title Code: 410005739)
68 . KITTY WAS PRETTY
(Title Code: 410015415)
69 . LASS WITH THE DELICATE AIR
(Title Code: 420008226)
70 . LET S GET TOGETHER
(Title Code: 420024977)
71 . LISTEN TO THE GREEN ETC
(Title Code: 420043992)
72 . LONELY LITTLE MUSIC BOX THE
(Title Code: 420065398)
73 . LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE
(Title Code: 420118223)
74 . M A T C H
(Title Code: 430141170)
75 . MARRIED MOVED OR COME ETC
(Title Code: 430033608)
76 . MARSEILLAISE
(Title Code: 130006910)
77 . MENTAL HEALTH MAMBO
(Title Code: 430051955)
78 . MENTAL HEALTH TOAST
(Title Code: 430051964)
79 . MERRY LITTLE MERMAID
(Title Code: 430054292)
80 . METAMORPHOSIS
(Title Code: 430149832)
81 . MOLECULES MOLECULES
(Title Code: 430078098)
82 . MONKEYS HAVE NO TAILS IN ET
(Title Code: 430081968)
83 . MOTION MOTION EVERYWHERE
(Title Code: 430224376)
84 . MOUNTAINS CAN BE MOVED
(Title Code: 430097380)
85 . MY LILY AND MY ROSE
(Title Code: 430122904)
86 . MY SISTER AND I
(Title Code: 430132671)
87 . NO OTHER ARMS NO OTHER LIPS
(Title Code: 440029354)
88 . NOW WE KNOW SERIES
(Title Code: 440045087)
89 . OH PLEASE BE CAREFUL
(Title Code: 450012094)
90 . OH THE FLIES KEEP A BUZZIN
(Title Code: 450012736)
91 . OL COMMODORE GRAY
(Title Code: 450015680)
92 . OLD FOLKS AT HOME
(Title Code: 150013053)
93 . ON THIS DAY
(Title Code: 450032483)
94 . ONE MEAT BALL
(Title Code: 450038692)
95 . ONE WAS A SAILOR
(Title Code: 450042061)
96 . OOM TIDI BOOM BOOM
(Title Code: 450046138)
97 . PATRICK HENRY AND THE ETC
(Title Code: 460017650)
98 . PLANET MINUET
(Title Code: 460146154)
99 . RADIO FREE EUROPE
(Title Code: 480073221)
100 . RECKLESS AND ROMANTIC
(Title Code: 480010735)
101 . REGISTER INFORM ETC
(Title Code: 480016079)
102 . RING THE BELL FOR ETC
(Title Code: 480032435)
103 . ROBIN SINGS A
(Title Code: 480037556)
104 . ROUND THE WORLD POLKA
(Title Code: 480056160)
105 . SAGGY BAGGY ELEPHANT
(Title Code: 490003448)
106 . SANTA S LAUGHING SONG
(Title Code: 490012385)
107 . SEE YOU AT THE POLLS
(Title Code: 490030016)
108 . SENZA CATENE
(Title Code: 490357478)
109 . SLOWLY
(Title Code: 490762664)
110 . SO LONG FOR A WHILE
(Title Code: 490089160)
111 . SO YOURE THE ONE
(Title Code: 490091611)
112 . SOLDIERS OF GOD
(Title Code: 490094556)
113 . SONG OF LIBERATION THE
(Title Code: 490109601)
114 . SONG OF THE ARMY NURSE CORP
(Title Code: 490110573)
115 . SONG OF THE FRENCH PARTISAN
(Title Code: 490111312)
116 . SONG OF THE WAC
(Title Code: 490113212)
117 . TAKE IT EASY CAN T YOU ETC
(Title Code: 500004042)
118 . THATS MY AFFAIR
(Title Code: 500041609)
119 . THERE I GO
(Title Code: 500047078)
120 . THERE WAS A MAN WHO ETC
(Title Code: 500053150)
121 . THERE WERE THIRTEEN ETC
(Title Code: 500053338)
122 . THREE LITTLE SHOTS
(Title Code: 500072602)
123 . TO BE LOVED BY YOU
(Title Code: 500088122)
124 . TOO HAPPY FOR WORDS
(Title Code: 500098488)
125 . TRAIN OF LOVE
(Title Code: 500108298)
126 . TRAVELING BROADENS ONE
(Title Code: 500110669)
127 . U N ALPHABET SONG
(Title Code: 510000241)
128 . U N CHARTER SONG
(Title Code: 510000269)
129 . UNCHAINED MELODY
(Title Code: 510002614)
130 . UP A LADDER
(Title Code: 510009288)
131 . VICTORY BEGINS AT HOME
(Title Code: 520012022)
132 . WE ARE THE VOCAL PARENTS
(Title Code: 530018945)
133 . WE KNOW THE WORLD IS ROUND
(Title Code: 530020254)
134 . WE RE BUILDING A ETC
(Title Code: 530021931)
135 . WE RE HAPPY TO REPORT
(Title Code: 530022323)
136 . WE RE HAPPY TO REPORT
(Title Code: 530022332)
137 . WE VE GOT A SCHOOL FR LITTL
(Title Code: 530024214)
138 . WELL INFORMED VOTER
(Title Code: 530029737)
139 . WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF A FLO
(Title Code: 530127309)
140 . WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF A TRE
(Title Code: 530191365)
141 . WHAT FOODS SHOULD WE ETC
(Title Code: 530038941)
142 . WHAT IS A SHOOTING STAR
(Title Code: 530185989)
143 . WHAT IS AN ATOM
(Title Code: 530040483)
144 . WHAT IS AN INSECT
(Title Code: 530192775)
145 . WHAT IS GRAVITY
(Title Code: 530118533)
146 . WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE
(Title Code: 530040812)
147 . WHAT IS THE MILKY WAY
(Title Code: 530185970)
148 . WHAT MAKES A GOOD AMERICAN
(Title Code: 530041473)
149 . WHAT MAKES THE LIGHTNING
(Title Code: 530120379)
150 . WHAT MAKES THE WEATHER
(Title Code: 530041704)
151 . WHAT MAKES THE WHEELS ETC
(Title Code: 530041713)
152 . WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT
(Title Code: 530042052)
153 . WHAT S IN THE OCEAN
(Title Code: 530187656)
154 . WHAT S INSIDE OUR EARTH
(Title Code: 530042678)
155 . WHERE DOES THE SUN GO ETC
(Title Code: 530065886)
156 . WHISTLIN FOR A WIND
(Title Code: 530073439)
157 . WHO S AFRAID OF THUNDER
(Title Code: 530122644)
158 . WHY ARE BANANAS PICKED ETC
(Title Code: 530082296)
159 . WHY ARE STARS OF ETC
(Title Code: 530082303)
160 . WHY CAN T I SEE IN THE DARK
(Title Code: 530082607)
161 . WHY CAN T WE SEE IN THE DAR
(Title Code: 530132240)
162 . WHY DO LEAVES CHANGE ETC
(Title Code: 530084132)
163 . WHY DO THE STARS TWINKLE
(Title Code: 530084169)
164 . WHY DOES A BEE BZZZ
(Title Code: 530084570)
165 . WHY DOES THE SUN SHINE
(Title Code: 530517567)
166 . WHY DOES THE SUNSHINE
(Title Code: 530186013)
167 . WHY DOES THE WIND BLOW
(Title Code: 530187870)
168 . WHY GO UP THERE
(Title Code: 530186997)
169 . WHY IS IT HOT IN THE SUMMER
(Title Code: 530125543)
170 . WHY IS IT RAINING RAINDROPS
(Title Code: 530185710)
171 . WOMAN IS A FIVE LETTER WORD
(Title Code: 530102835)
172 . YO TE AMO OH BABY
(Title Code: 550006849)
173 . YOU CAN HAVE THE ETC
(Title Code: 550012832)
174 . YOU CANT HOLD MEMORY IN ETC
(Title Code: 550015179)
175 . YOU LL NEVER GET AWAY
(Title Code: 550022161)
176 . YOU RE ONLY YOUNG ONCE
(Title Code: 550029155)
177 . YOUNG AND WARM AND ETC
(Title Code: 550036727)
178 . ZOOM A LITTLE ZOOM
(Title Code: 560002502)

Don't panic Colin...it's a different Apron Strings!

[KiwiAlan]

And to gild the lily ASCAP list the following performers of Unchained Melody:-


Performers:
101 STRINGS
ALAIMO S
AMOBROSE T
ARNOLD E
ATKINS C
BARRIE D
BAXTER L
BAXTER L
BELAFONTE H
BENSON G
BETTERS H
BILLY VAUGHN ORCH
BLACKWELLS
BLUE HAZE
BLUEBELLS
BRASS RING
BRIARCLIFF STRINGS
BROWN R
BROWNS
BRYANT A
BRYANT R
BUSH J
CALLOWAY C
CATALINAS
CLAIRE M
CLIFFORD BUZZ
CONNIFF R
COOKE S
CORNELL C
COSMOPOLITAN STRINGS
CRAMER F
CRAMER F
CREW CUTS
DAY B
DAY J
DE MARCO A
DEE L
DODDS MALCOLM
DOUGLAS J/LIVING STRINGS
EDDY D
ELLIS F
EXOTIC GUITARS
FERRANTE AND TEICHER
FIDENCO N
FISHER E
FRANK DE VOL ORCH
GARY J
GARY J
GEEZINSLAW BROS
GIBSON G
GIRAUD Y
GLENN OSSER ORCH
GOLD MARTY
GRANAHAN G
GREELEY G
GREEN A
GREYHOUND
HAMILTON R
HEART
HECKSHER E/FAIRMONT ORCH
HENLEY F
HIBBLER A
HOLLYWOOD GUITARS
HOLMES L
HOLMES LEROY
HORNE L
HOUSTON D
IFIELD F
J BROWN/TRAILWINDERS
J DOUGLAS ORCH
JEFFERSON R
JENNINGS W
JONES E
KAEMPFERT B
KELLER J
KOSTELANETZ A
LA LUPE
LABELLE P/BLUEBELLS
LAST J
LAWRENCE WELK ORCH
LENNON J
LES BAXTER ORCH
LETTERMEN
LETTERMEN
LIBERACE
LIVING STRINGS
LOMBARDO G
LOS ADMIRADORES
LOS CUATRO HNOS SILVA ORCH
LOS HERMANOS CARRION
LOS INDIOS TABAJERAS
LOVETT L/PLAYBOYS
LYNNE G
MAC KENZIE G
MANHATTAN TRANSFER
MANTOVANI
MARTIN B ORCH
MARTINO A
MARY KAYE TRIO
MAUI SURFERS
MC INTYRE H
MEINERT M
MERRI GAIL
MIKE SAMMES SGRS
MILLION DOLLAR VIOLINS
MITCHELL J
MONRO M
NASH J
NELSON W
NORMAN LUBOFF CHOIR
NORMAN LUBOFF CHOIR
NORTH A/ZARET H
ORBISON R
OSMOND D
PARIS CONNECTION
PETERSON R
PITNEY G
PLATTERS
POWELL C
PRESLEY E
PRICE G
PRYSOCK A
PRYSOCK A
PRYSOCK A
R MANDELL ORCH
R WILLIAMS ORCH
RAMOS R
RANDOLPH B
RICH C
RICHARD C
RIGHTEOUS BROS
ROBBINS M
ROGER J
RONALD T
SANDRO
SANDS T
SARIDIS S
SIMMONS JIMMY
SMITH J H
SNOW H/ATKINS C
SONNY AND CHER
SPECTOR P
STAMPLEY J
STUDIO MUSICIANS
STYLISTICS
SUPREMES
SWEET INSPIRATION
THREE SUNS
TILLIS M
TODD D
TREMBLAY R
TWITTY C
TWITTY C
VALE J
VALE J
VALLI J
VAUGHAN B
VINCENT G
VINTON B
VITO AND THE SALUTATIONS
WAGNER D/KINDRED SOUL
WAKELY J
WARWICK D
WHITMAN S
WHITMAN S
WILKERSON J
WILLIAMS R
YOUNG J

[ColinB]

I know this isn't the time or place for flippancy.

But................

Anyone fancy doing The Mental Health Mambo ?

That one must have slipped by me !

[likethebike]

Thanks for the lists and the obit. I think it's safe to say that nothing else in Zaret's oeuvre matched "Unchained Melody" although "Dedicated to You" is a fine number. It's like he composed a lot of songs to order in his career.