The first words that come up when the subject is The Righteous Brothers are usually “blue-eyed soul.” While songs such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and “Soul and Inspiration” relied on the balance between the masculine assurance in Bill Medley’s baritone and Bobby Hatfield’s soaring, shiver-and-shout tenor to stir emotion, a deep dig into their catalog reveals rivers of rock flowing through their salt-of-the-earth soul.
Fans who come to Harrah’s to catch Medley and Bucky Heard, who inherited Hatfield’s side of the scale three years ago, get a taste of blue-eyed rocking early in the set when the band launches into “Little Latin Lupe Lu.” Both singers shout in unison during the rousing Moonglow Records number, which reached No. 49 in 1963 and was the last rung on The Righteous Brothers’ climb to success before “Lovin’ Feelin’” made the original duo superstars.
Both Medley and Hatfield sang with bands on Southern California’s early ’60s live circuit before the two vocalists teamed up. Legend has it that one African-American fan was so enthusiastic after hearing their harmonies that he exclaimed, “That was righteous, brothers!”
Legend or not, The Righteous Brothers packed substantial soul power into their dynamic performances. It can be witnessed in the black-and-white footage from their early days when Medley had to project his baritone above the cacophony of screaming fans, and in the current shows when he and Heard open the sets with their horn-driven cover of “Hold On, I’m Coming.”
Producer Phil Spector thought they were righteous, too, and co-wrote “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” for them in 1964. With Spector’s “wall of sound” production behind them, the duo had a masterpiece on their hands that went to No. 1 in February 1965 and remains the best showcase of their strengths. The Righteous Brothers had more hits for Spector’s Philles Records that year, including “Just Once in My Life” and “Unchained Melody,” and recorded “Ebb Tide” for the producer before leaving Philles for a lucrative contract with Verve/MGM.
The Brothers separated in 1968, but would reunite and record again in subsequent years. Hatfield passed away in 2003, living long enough to be inducted with Medley into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His death was a shattering blow to Medley, but around the same time he met a young tenor that would become a good friend. Heard could hit Hatfield’s high notes and his voice blended with Medley’s, well, righteously.
Hatfield toured with a replacement for Medley in the early ’70s, but it wasn’t until 2016 that Medley felt enough time had elapsed since Hatfield’s passing that The Righteous Brothers could be on marquees again. They play all the hits onstage at Harrah’s, with Heard taking a solo turn on Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” Medley’s righteous daughter McKenna Maples joins him for “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” but it’s when The Righteous Brothers tear up their Moonglow track “Ko Ko Joe” that audiences get transported back to when rock and soul had closer relations.
Harrah’s, 6 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., $49-$125 plus tax and fee. 702.777.2782
