I recently wrote an article about the origins of the song “Unchained Melody” and the various iterations that have stamped its place in pop culture and music history over the years. From its original place on the soundtrack of the 1955 prison movie “Unchained,” to the Righteous Brothers making it a massive hit again a decade later, to Elvis taking it on a decade after them, to its resurgence onto the charts when it was featured in the 1990 movie “Ghost,” and so on and so forth.
The song has some sort of protection from feeling played out or tarnished, no matter how many times it’s been covered or played. It’s become an artifact in a sense that rings an emotional bell in listeners as much today as it did 70 years ago.
I may sound like a broken record bringing this all up again, but I mention it here because I came across a rendition unlike any I’ve heard before. In 2018, a singer named Jonathan Antoine performed it at the Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks, CA, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and he smashed it. An absolutely remarkable performance.
Jonathan has such an interestingly beautiful and powerful vocal ability that is hard to describe. It’s somewhere between the power and control of Luciano Pavarotti and the soulful warmth and resonance of a singer like Jackie Wilson. An interesting, borderline odd, amalgamation of styles, but it makes sense when you hear him sing this song specifically.
He’s backed by a pianist, harpist, and a seven-piece string section, so it’s not a minimal band, but they don’t overplay or crowd the song in any way. The piano and harp pluck through the arpeggiated chord progression, and the strings fill the little bit of space left by them and Jonathan to create this ethereal string melody, which is both haunting and tear-inducing.
Although I’m far from an expert, I get the feeling that Jonathan is taking note from Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers’ version because the embellished, drawn-out, or higher notes mirror those that Bobby made famous fifty years before. Though he follows the general structure and feel of the Righteous Brothers’ version of the song, he makes it his own with his deep, controlled, and soulful voice. It almost feels as though the song is emanating from his being as a whole and not just from his throat. His vibrato makes the air in the room waver, and the low register of his range feels like an embrace.
Not to mention his calming stage presence, which contrasts with the sound he creates. The dynamics he chooses make those big notes and moments stand out. From the first note he lets out, the audience lets out a huge cheer; he exudes a content, happy demeanor throughout the rest of the performance.
The entire song is a gradual build, both in his vocal performance and in the band’s instrumentation. By the time we get to that final famous “are you still mine?” all of the emotion that fills the listener’s chest is about to burst, waiting to see if he will hit the falsetto on “I need…” Boy howdy, the guy doesn’t disappoint. I personally was not expecting such a powerful and unwavering high note from this big fella, who had been singing in a low baritone throughout the entire lead-up.
The crowd is in an uproar, sounding like a storm pounding on the roof. Thunderous applause and whistling from all directions for the rest of the song, which also tugs at my heart just enough for me to feel the tears build up behind my eyes. It’s really a magical performance of the song, and it makes complete sense that it would have over 13 million plays on YouTube. I’d expect many of those to be people coming back to listen to the song over and over.
Jonathan Antoine’s channel is filled with videos from live shows over the years, and the plethora of genres and song styles is baffling. Everything from John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” to the operatic Theme from The Godfather, or Parla Piu Piano as it’s actually titled. Do yourself a favor and spend some time familiarizing yourself with him because you never know when you may need a little emotive pick-me-up in the form of song.