Unchain My Heart (song)
| "Unchain My Heart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ray Charles | ||||
| from the album Ray Charles Greatest Hits | ||||
| B-side | "But on the Other Hand Baby" | |||
| Released | November 1961 | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | ABC-Paramount | |||
| Songwriters | Robert Sharp Jr., Teddy Powell | |||
| Ray Charles singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Unchain My Heart" is a song written by Bobby Sharp and recorded first in 1961 by Ray Charles[1] and in 1963 by Trini Lopez[2] and later by many others. Sharp sold the song to Teddy Powell for $50.[1] Powell demanded half the songwriting credit. Sharp later successfully fought for the rights to his song. In 1987, he was also able to renew the copyright for his publishing company, B. Sharp Music.[1]
The song was a hit for Charles when released as a single in late 1961. Accompanied by his backup singers the Raelettes, Charles sang about wanting to be free from a woman who won't let him go, with his band's longtime saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman soloing on the instrumental interlude. The song reached number nine on the pop singles chart, number one on the R&B singles chart and was the working title of Charles' 2004 biopic Ray.[3]
Charts
[edit]Ray Charles version
[edit]| Chart (1961–1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| ERROR in "Wallonia Tip": Invalid position: N/A. Expected number 1–200 or dash (–). | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 9 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
Joe Cocker version
[edit]| Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 17 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 40 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[8] | 18 |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[9] | 17 |
| France (SNEP)[10] | 25 |
| Greece (IFPI)[11] | 2 |
| Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[12] | 20 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] | 26 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] | 27 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 15 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 46 |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[17] | 11 |
| West Germany (GfK)[18] | 33 |
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[19] | 44 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[20] | 17 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[21] | 18 |
Cover versions
[edit]- In 1963, doo-wop band the Rivingtons covered "Unchain My Heart" on their Doin' the Bird LP.[22]
- Trini Lopez covered it on his debut album, Trini Lopez at PJ's.[23]
- In 1963, Bijele Strijele, a Yugoslav rock band from Zagreb released a cover named "Mrzim taj dan" (I Hate That Day).
- The track was further popularized by Joe Cocker when he named his 1987 album after the song.[24] His version of the song was re-released in 1992 and reached number 17 in the UK. In Australia, the Howard government used Cocker's version to promote the television advertisements for the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2000.
- Another a cappella group, the Bobs, recorded a version in 1994.
- George Williams released a version on his Shades album in 2002.[25]
- Hugh Laurie recorded a version in 2012 in the Ocean Way Studios.[26] It appeared as a bonus track on his album Didn't It Rain.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Selvin, Joel (19 April 2004). "Bobby Sharp's forsaken catalog of songs became 'Unchained' by twist of fate". SFGATE. Hearst. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ "Unchain My Heart by Trini Lopez". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ "Hollywood Preps Slew Of Music-Star Biographies". Billboard. February 28, 2004. p. 20. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ "Ray Charles Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Ray Charles Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 8671". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 48. December 5, 1987. p. 15.
- ^ "Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Top 3 in Europe". Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 39.
- ^ "European Playlist Reports: RAI - Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 41. 17 October 1987. p. 17.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 28/11/1987 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. December 5, 1987. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts (West Germany)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 30. July 25, 1992. p. 13.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart on 18/7/1992 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. August 1, 1992. p. 14. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ "Unchain My Heart by The Rivingtons". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ "PASSINGS: Michael Parrish, Bobby Sharp". Los Angeles Times. 14 February 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
- ^ Billboard
- ^ Perciaccante, Mike (30 September 2012). "Hugh Laurie & The Copper Bottom Band". All About Jazz. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
External links
[edit]- Bobby Sharp's Web site at the Wayback Machine (archived March 7, 2016)
- Bobby Sharps obituary - LA Times
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Posthumous studio creations | |
| Live albums | |
| Notable compilations | |
| Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles | |
| Other Billboard Charts #1 singles | |
| Grammy Awarded Works (not included above) | |
| See also | |
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