Lyricists of You’ve lost That Loving Feeling and their significance

This article discusses the lyricists of the song You’ve lost That Loving Feeling and their significance. It explores the background of the songwriters and their inspiration for creating the song. The article also delves into the style of the performing artists and the classification of the song under the rock and roll category.

Running Head: MUSIC
Music
Student’s Name
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Author’s Note

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1. Question 1
1.1 Lyricists of You’ve lost That Loving Feeling and their significance
The song is written by Phil Specter, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. This song was being
played over television as well as radio in America more than any contemporary song in the
twentieth century. Until 2000 since the time when the song was released, the song received over
8 million plays over various platforms, other than the online platform. This play record not only
includes the version of the Righteous Brothers, but all the versions of the song that had been
recorded since that time.
Before singing the sing with Specter, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil had few
compositions of their own which were considered to be hit. However, taking inspiration from the
song Baby I need Your Loving, the duo was inspired to come up with a song that spoke of
desperately rekindling a lost love. Many of the critics say that what the song writers had cmpsed
was actually the story of their own lives (Bodenner 2016).
1.2 Style of the performing artists
The song You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin was recorded by The Righteous Brothers in the
year 1964 and Phil Specter produced the song. Some of the critics like Bodenner (2016),
consider this song to be an ultimate expression as well as illustration of the “Wall of Sound” kind
of recording. It has also won the acclaim of being one of the best song records of all times and a
demonstration of the ultimate pop record culture. This original version of the song presented by
the Righteous Brothers had been considered as a critical commercial success. After the release of
the song in the year 1964, the song became the number one hit in USA and UK in the February,
1965. When Hatfield as well as Medley went for the song recording of the song after two weeks

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of the composition of the song, the instrumental tracks that were supposed to accompany the
vocals were already recorded. The two would repeat the recording of the vocals as many times as
it took Specter to be satisfied. The same process was continued with every other verse of the
song also. The whole recording was completed in 39 takes as well as a total time of more than 8
hours was taken in order to record the song.
1.3 Classification of the song under rock and roll category
Assessments of the music composers as well as writers were highly positive in this
context. Nick Logan had considered the song could have been an ultimate rock and roll version
of a ballad. In fact Richard Williams who had written the biography of Phil Specter also
considered the typical flow of lyrics with punch beats were very clear and in perfect harmony
which in turn allowed him to comment on this song as one of the purest compositions of rock
and roll music. In fact, Charlie Gillet had also commented in his book: The Sound of the city:
The rise of rock and roll to be one of the most sequential songs of the rock and roll genre.
Analyzing the critical comments of Gillet, itcan be well understood that the ebb and flow of
passionate lyrics is what grabbed his attention in this song.
2. Question 2
2.1 Social/Political context
The song As Nasty as They Wanna Be can be considered as one of the best versions of
the legal obscene songs that were in vogue at that time. The main factors are that Uncle Luke had
never perceived that he would have to go to the jail after the jail after the release of the song.
However, he was also the only artist of the time to take the fight up to the Supreme Court in
order to gain the sanction for the release of the song (Johnson 2016). It is this fight against the

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constrictive social structure that he was able to break with that first song. There were two
principal factors that need analysis in context of analyzing the social aspects of the song. The
first is that this is the first song of the 90s genre that have been that introduced a primitive
version of rap in this song. However, people could perceive the rap part of the song as fast
flowing lyrics, only. In fact the lyrical freedom that the singers of today like Eminem, Lil Wayne
or Rick Ross enjoys got the first kick from the initiative of this song only (Rimer 1990).
2.2 Musical Influences
The song was legally obscene but emerged as the biggest seller of the time. The lawsuit
that was filed against the song could not subdue the case that it was delivered by popular demand
of the audience. In fact, the imagery as well as the cover of the record version came under a big
controversy. However, the song release was followed the arrest of 3 members of the band who
had created it. Few of the newspapers like The Nation, City Paper and Parents Music released the
song lyrics. Te lyrics seemed offending because the poetic liberty was not available to the artists
of that time. However, it is the zest of breaking the shackles of the generic subjugation of the
paper that forced the band to create music that is essentially a picturization of an intrinsic
prospect of the personal world that is to be counted as a liberalization of expressions of lust as an
object of art.
2.3 Influences that motivated the style of the song
The explicit and edited versions of the song were released at a time when the band was
escalating a new trend in music. The only aim of the song was to reflect passion as an essential
element of the song (Campbell 2014). Nevertheless, the inspiration of song can be drawn to the

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fact of extreme obligation of the society towards adultery. The edited version of the song: As
Clean as you wanna be is a version that mimics the face of the society.

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References
Bodenner, C. 2016. You’ve lost That Loving Feeling. Retrieved on 7th May 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/06/track-of-the-day-youve-lost-that-lovin-feelin/485897/
Johnson, B. 2016. 7 Ways the World Went Crazy With ‘As Nasty As They Wanna Be’.
Retrieved on 7th May 2019. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/7-
ways-the-world-went-crazy-with-as-nasty-as-they-wanna-be-87013/
Rimer, S. 1990. Obscenity or Art? Trial on Rap Lyrics Opens. Retrieved on 7th May 2019.
Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/17/us/obscenity-or-art-trial-on-rap-lyrics-
opens.html
Campbell, L. 2014. Today's Rappers Owe Everything to As Nasty As They Wanna Be.
MiamiNewTimes. Retrieved on 7th May 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/todays-rappers-owe-everything-to-as-nasty-as-they-
wanna-be-6543806