Talented Beachgoer Stirs The Soul With His Flawless Rendition Of 'Unchained Melody'

Sep 13, 2023

Before he became a professional singer and a household name in his native country, Mart Hoogkamer was just an aspiring musician with a dream. Born on May 5, 1998, in Leiden, Netherlands, the folk singer’s journey to global recognition would soon take an unexpected turn when his soul-stirring rendition of the classic song "Unchained Melody" graced the sands of a beach in Spain and went viral.

Hoogkamer was on a beach holiday with friends when they started jamming to some music. Relying solely on a JBL Bluetooth speaker for accompaniment, the talented young man started belting out the lyrics to The Righteous Brothers hit, serenading the shores with his pitch-perfect voice. 

Hoogkamer sang harmoniously against the backdrop of crashing waves and golden sands, and his version was nothing short of a masterpiece. His friends filmed his performance, which went viral with over 1.8 million views from all over the world in August 2020.

In 1954, composer Alex North took on the task of creating the score for the film "Unchained" starring Elroy Hirsch. After completing the score, North was asked to craft a song based on the movie's theme. He approached lyricist Hy Zaret to collaborate, who was not fond of the word unchained in the lyrics. Thus, they focused on portraying the longing of someone separated from their lover for a "long, lonely time."

The song made its film debut in a movie centered on a man facing the choice between escaping from prison or serving his sentence and reuniting with his family. Todd Duncan provided the vocals in the film, singing while lying on a bed, accompanied by another prisoner on guitar.

In the 1950s, several artists recorded their versions of "Unchained Melody," but the most iconic version was released by The Righteous Brothers in 1965. During the recording, Bobby Hatfield made a significant change to the song by improvising on the "I need your love" line in the final verse, singing it much higher. 

"Unchained Melody" experienced a resurgence in 1990 after being featured in the film "Ghost" starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. It became the top-selling single of that year, with total sales reaching 1.17 million copies.

Hoogkamer's version catapulted him into the international spotlight. Despite his exceptional vocal talent and some notable hits locally, the Dutch musician had not yet achieved the level of fame he deserved until “Unchained Melody.”

"You can feel the music in your heart, in the sparkle in your eyes, in the emotion of singing it, and in the joy of your smile," someone wrote in the comments of Hoogkamer's viral video. "He sings with his soul."

"Real singing without autotune. Very nicely sung👍🏽🙏🏽," another wrote.

Hoogkamer’s musical journey began in 2008 when he participated in the talent competition "Children Singing with Stars," where he clinched second place. However, it was his appearance on the eighth season of "Holland's Got Talent" in 2016 that marked a turning point in his career. This led to a contract with Sony Music, opening the door to a string of successful singles and collaborations. 

In the summer of 2021, Hoogkamer had his first No. 1 hit with "I'm Going To Swim," topping both the Dutch Top 40 and the Dutch Single Top 100 charts. His continued success solidified his status as a rising star in the Dutch music scene.

Did you like Mart Hoogkamer’s take on a classic hit? Do you know someone who loves “Unchained Melody”? Pass this story along to them and see if the Dutch singer would also leave them stunned and impressed!