Photo: Roy Avers for Getty

Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield (left) and Phil Spector (right) at Gold Star Studios in 1965; Photo: Getty


5,000 more pairs of boots were sent to Vietnam while MLK was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his Civil Rights efforts, the Beatles invaded and Bob Dylan got ’em high for the first time — another year in tumultuous 60’s America spinning right round like a record.

That includes the world’s most maddening producer, Phil Spector, laying down what some say as his pinnacle “Wall of Sound” recording with a pair of friends from Orange County calling themselves The Righteous Brothers, who together with Spector’s immaculate recording techniques, landed themselves on the Billboard charts on this December day in 1964 with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

Written by husband-and-wife songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Wells, and recorded with Spector’s infamous right-hand session men, The Wrecking Crew, the Righteous Brothers come in beautifully off-kilter high and low, horns and bells on blast, choir back up vocals layered on it all, for a full pop-womb experience in remembering to never lose that love and feeling.

“You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.” Sound familiar? That sucks. The Righteous Brothers and America thought so too. Sing with them.