Young was born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire. The son of a baker and a dressmaker, he attended East Dean Grammar School. After his parents divorced in 1939, he left for South Wales to work as an electrician. Young later joined the RAF staying until 1949 and attaining the rank of sergeant PT Instructor.
Young was signed to the then new label Polygon Records in 1950, alongside Petula Clark. He released numerous records on the label, all conducted by Ron Goodwin, the biggest seller of which was "Too Young" (1951), a big sheet music seller at the time. It was a cover of Nat King Cole's American recording. There were also two duets with Petula Clark that year, "Mariandl" and "Broken Heart".
In 1952, he signed a recording contract with Decca. Young enjoyed Top 10 successes with "Eternally", "Chain Gang" and "More" (with which he surpassed Perry Como's American original in the British Singles Chart listings). His most successful year as a recording artist was 1955, when "Unchained Melody" (from the film Unchained) and "The Man from Laramie" (from the film of the same name) were successive releases and both number one hits.
After a period with Radio Luxembourg, Young joined the BBC as one of the first disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, presenting the weekday mid-morning show from 1967 to 1973.[4] In 1973 he joined BBC Radio 2, where he presented a regular programme (which he referred to as 'The JY Prog'), until his retirement from broadcasting at the end of 2002.
He developed a popular approach to current affairs and regularly interviewed Margaret Thatcher while she was prime minister. He broadcast from around the world, including several live shows from Moscow, the first in 1977, and interviewed every British prime minister from 1964 to 2010. His theme music was "Town Talk" by Ken Woodman & His Piccadilly Brass. BFN ('Bye for now') was one of his catchphrases.
Although he was offered the opportunity to present a weekend current affairs programme, he turned it down. His radio slot was taken over by the former Newsnight presenter, Jeremy Vine. Shortly after leaving the BBC, Young wrote a newspaper column attacking his former employer for instances of "brutality", and making clear that it had not been his idea to leave.
Young returned to BBC Radio 2 in 2011 with a special one-hour programme in celebration of his 90th birthday. Sir Jimmy Young at 90, broadcast on 20 September 2011, heard him in conversation with his friend and former sparring partner Ken Bruce, looking back over his career. In March 2012 Young returned to presenting on BBC Radio 2 after over nine years when he joined Desmond Carrington on a weekly show entitled Icons of the 50s. Young received an OBE in 1979, a CBE in 1993, and, at the beginning of 2002, he was knighted for services to broadcasting.
Young continued to write a weekly column for the Sunday Express newspaper until he retired from this role in November 2014.
Discography
"Too Young" – (1951)
"Faith Can Move Mountains" – (1953) – UK Number 11
"Eternally" – (1953, music by Charles Chaplin, words by Geoff Parsons) – UK Number 8
"Unchained Melody" – (1955) – UK Number 1 (with Bob Sharples and His Music, Decca: F10502)
"The Man from Laramie" – (1954) – UK Number 1 (with Bob Sharples and His Music, Decca: F10597)
"Someone on Your Mind" – (1955) – UK Number 13
"Chain Gang" – (1956) – UK Number 9
"Wayward Wind" – (1956) – UK Number 27
"Rich Man Poor Man" – (1956) – UK Number 25
"More" – (1956) – UK Number 4
"Round and Round" – (1957) – UK Number 30 (with the Mike Sammes Singers)
"Miss You" – (1963) – UK Number 15
"Unchained Melody" (re-recording) – (1964) – UK Number 43 (with the Mike Sammes Singers)
According to a family spokesperson, Young died "peacefully at home" in the afternoon of 7 November 2016, with his wife Alicia by his side.
Unchained Melody
Jimmy Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home, wait for me
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me
The lyrics to Jimmy Young's rendition of Unchained Melody are a plea for reconnection with a lost love. The opening lines "Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch," express a deep longing and yearning for the intimacy and comfort that only a partner can provide. The singer then notes that it has been a "long, lonely time" since they were last together. The slow passage of "time" is a recurring theme throughout the song, as the singer reflects on how it has affected his relationship. He wonders if his love is still his, and implores them to send their love his way. The chorus repeats this sentiment, with the singer acknowledging that he needs and craves his partner's affection.
The second verse introduces the metaphor of a lonely river flowing to the sea, using it as a symbol for the singer's journey back to his love. He asks the river to "wait for me," indicating that he is on his way. The final repetition of the chorus underscores the simple and powerful message at the heart of the song: "I need your love, God speed your love to me."
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my love, my darling
The singer expresses his intense love for someone who means a lot to him
I've hungered for your touch
The singer yearns for physical intimacy with the person he loves
A long, lonely time
The singer has been alone for a long time, without the presence of his loved one
Time goes by so slowly
The singer feels that time moves slowly when he is away from the person he loves
And time can do so much
The singer acknowledges that time has the power to change things and make a difference in his life
Are you still mine
The singer is uncertain if his significant other still belongs to him or if they have moved on
I need your love, I need your love
The singer reiterates his need for the love of the person he is singing to
God speed your love to me
The singer prays for his significant other's love to reach him as soon as possible
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
The singer compares himself to a lonely river that always flows towards the vastness of the sea
To the open arms of the sea
The singer sees the vastness of the sea as an open embrace that welcomes him
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me
The lonely river sighs and hopes that it will be reunited with the sea, just as the singer hopes to be reunited with his loved one
I'll be coming home, wait for me
The singer promises that he will be coming back to his loved one and asks them to wait for him
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNCHAINED MELODY PUB LLC
Written by: Alex North, Hyman Zaret
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nape jack
Great version, beautiful music arrangement , thanks!
Michael G. Golden
Terrific vocal. by this singer. Just discovered today as he had a hit here.
Henry Mclaren
rip Jimmy a true legend
Kate King
I absolutely love this song ❤️
philip norris
Me too, Kate.
David Walker
This version dates from a time when the whole market wasn’t open to us. We made the most of what we had and in many cases it was equal to the best.
Patricia Peebles
So many memories in this song.
Alan Fox
Jimmy young, righteous brothers, Robson and Jerome, and Gareth gates all had a number one with it.
Catherine Bosley
'What's the recipe today Jim?' Still miss him on the radio.
Stephen Hewitt
magic song and I can remember JY used to sing out of the corner of his mouth. Anf]d to think this song came from a boxing movie!!