Friday, May 14, 2004 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bill Medley carries on without Bobby Hatfield

Singer's look back good enough to forget occasional raggedy singing

Bill Medley performs through Sunday in the Orleans Showroom. Photo by Samantha Clemens.

Bill Medley, meet your new singing partner: Joe Cocker.

The longtime Righteous Brother has two things he must accomplish as a solo act, both hastened by the November death of longtime singing partner Bobby Hatfield. The first task is obvious: Paying proper homage to Hatfield while edging into new territory.

The second is the more discreet one of moving away from the songs Medley could sing at age 24 and finding ones he can sing at age 63. The harsh reality is that a trio of Ray Charles classics are sounding better for Medley's road-weary voice than his own signature song, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. "

At Sunday's end to his first of two weeks at The Orleans, the audience left firmly on Medley's side, no doubt willing to talk up the good parts -- a strong band, smart song choices and engaging commentary -- and to forget the occasional raggedy singing.

But on Monday came the announcement that Medley and the hotel were toning down their original optimism that Medley could play every date that had been reserved for the Righteous Brothers this year. Engagements booked for June and December have been dropped, and the show's advertising has been changed from "A Celebration" of the Righteous Brothers to "Righteous Brother Bill Medley: Relive the Memories."

Medley still plans to return three times this year, and justifiably so. There's no reason to think he won't keep moving further away from the pristine baritone of the Phil Spector era and closer to a new blues album that's more in the vein of Cocker's rough-and-tumble, blue-eyed soul.

With his hoarse speaking voice, the singer blamed allergies and antihistamines that "dried up everything except my sinuses." Most of us can relate to that. But for what it's worth, Medley sounded about the same when I last saw the Righteous Brothers in March 2002.

The obligatory opening and closing renditions of "Lovin' Feelin' " sounded strained and sometimes even out of key. Unfortunate, but not fatal. The tone for the better part of the show was set with a rollicking version of "Little Latin Lupe Lu," an earlier Righteous hit that reminds people the Brothers' pre-Spector days, sounded more like Ray Charles anyway.

The 10-piece band (counting two female backing singers) seemed more vital and involved that it did for the Righteous show two years ago. A large ensemble sometimes can be too big to rock. But the band was more E Street than Vegas as Medley pounded a grand piano for "My Babe" while Hammond B-3 player Lee Ferrell (father of comic star Will Ferrell) stepped up for a saxophone solo.

While many of the songs and even a lot of the jokes carried over from the Righteous set list, the new parts moved the show in the right direction. The Charles medley allowed Medley to sing his way into the basement and out again as "Born to Lose" gave way to "You Don't Know Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You."

"This Will Be the Last Time" was an original from the blues album, slow-building from a keyboard introduction to another roaring sax solo. And a '50s rock medley put Medley back at the piano for an agreeable romp through the signature hits of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis.

The tribute to Hatfield, a reworking of "Unchained Melody" sung to an overhead photo montage, made the song seem fresh and gave it new meaning.

Throughout, Medley enriched the standard patter of a casino show with insights into the Brothers' long career. He talked about "sickly good-looking" singers of the "puppy love" genre such as Fabian and Frankie Avalon. "Everybody had to be real cute, real good-looking. Then, thank God, here came the Rolling Stones."

At one point, Medley singled out a 13-year-old boy and told him, "You can go back to your school and get some credit in your history class."

More truth than jest. Medley got an unsure response when he told the crowd the Righteous Brothers were an opening act for the Beatles (it's true), but this history can make him a credible curator of vintage rock 'n' roll.

When Medley got a strong response to one song, he told the crowd, "That means I got another 10 years out here." And if he rests that voice, there's no reason why he shouldn't.