TERRY GROSS: So were you writing the song on assignment? Were you writing it for The Righteous Brothers?
BARRY MANN: Yes.
CYNTHIA WEIL: When we wrote the song, they weren’t that crazy about it (laughter).
GROSS: Really?
MANN: Well, when I sang it – I loved The Everly Brothers at the time, and I sounded like The Everly Brothers. So when I sang it to Bill and Bobby, they said, you know, it sounds really good, very good for The Everly Brothers. And another thing that happened is that at the time, you know, the records that they had been putting out, they both sang together, and this one, Bill Medley had the lead. So Bobby said, well, what am I going to do while he sings? And I think Phil Spector says, well, you’ll be walking to the bank.
-Legendary songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with Fresh Air’s Terry Gross, in 2000.
Get the Longreads Weekly Email