| "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve | ||||
| Single bythe Righteous Brothers | ||||
| from the album Soul and Inspiration | ||||
| B-side | "B-Side Blues" | |||
| Released | February 26, 1966 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1965 | |||
| Genre | Pop,blue-eyed soul | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Barry Mann,Cynthia Weil | |||
| Producer(s) | Bill Medley | |||
| The Righteous Brothers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" is a song by the Americanpop duothe Righteous Brothers. It was the group's first hit after leaving their long-time producerPhil Spector. The song was written byBarry Mann andCynthia Weil; the duo also wrote the group's first hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" along with Phil Spector. It is the title track of their album.[1] The single peaked at No. 1 on the USBillboard Hot 100, and reached No. 15 on theUK Singles Chart.Billboard ranked the record as the No. 3 single for 1966.[2]
The song was written byBarry Mann andCynthia Weil, part of theBrill Building pop machine inNew York City.[3] They first began writing it following the success of the Righteous Brothers' first single with Phil Spector, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", which they also wrote. However, the song was not completed, as they thought it sounded too much like "Lovin' Feelin",[4] and Spector chose instead to recordCarole King andGerry Goffin's "Just Once in My Life" as the duo's second single.[5]
After leaving Spector'sPhilles Records in late 1965, the Righteous Brothers moved to the mostlyjazz-orientedVerve label.Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers then asked Mann about the incomplete "Soul and Inspiration" that the songwriters had played for Medley when they first started writing it, and asked them to complete the song. Mann and Weil complied, and the Righteous Brothers then recorded the finished song in late 1965.[4][6]
The song was arranged byJack Nitzsche, who had arranged many of Phil Spector's records,[7] and Medley produced the song in a style like the sound of the group's early hits with Spector. Medley was able to imitate Spector's "Wall of Sound" technique withreverbing pop-orchestration and a soaring female backupchoir. Some of the session musicians from theWrecking Crew, such as keyboard playerDon Randi, pianistMichel Rubini and bassistJimmy Bond, were hired for the recording.[7] Other musicians on this record included Art Munson on guitar, Michael Patterson on piano, Drew Johnson on drums, Bill Baker (who also arranged the song) on sax, Dick Shearer on trombone, and Bill King, Sanford Skinner and Bob Faust on trumpets.[8] It used a string section as well, and there is a spoken section by Bobby Hatfield in the bridge.
The song was released on February 26, 1966,[9] and reached No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100; it stayed at the top for three weeks.[10] This was, however, the end of the duo's peak in popularity. Although they entered the charts with their next single, the religiously-oriented "He" (No. 18 US), before briefly splitting in 1968, they did not crack the top-10 again until reuniting in 1974 with "Rock and Roll Heaven", anode to deceased musicians.[1]
In 1969, the vocal groupthe Blossoms covered the tune with Righteous Brothers member Bill Medley producing.
In 1972, thereggae artist Paddy Corea covered the tune instrumentally for the UK labelTrojan Records. The song is available on the 1995 cover-compilationKeep on Running.[11]
In 1973,Doc Severinsen recorded an instrumental version of this song on his Trumpets & Crumpets & Things album.
In 1978,Donny and Marie Osmond went to No. 38 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 18Easy Listening with their mild pop version.
In 1990, the country music groupthe Oak Ridge Boys recorded a cover version for the soundtrack of the filmMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys. This version peaked at #31 on theBillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks charts.[12]
Bill Medley himself covered the song in 1994 as a duet with fellow Phil Spector clientDarlene Love.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Certifications[edit]
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| Singles |
|
| Albums | |
| Related | |
