THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

692-Mary Hopkin-Those Were the Days.

1968-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.40.’Don’t look back in anger, I hear you say.’

‘Those Were the Days’ started out life as a ‘Russian Romance’ song ‘Дорогой длинною,’ literally meaning ‘By the Long Road.’ It was composed by the Russian musician Boris Fomin, (1900-1948) with lyrics by the Russian poet Konstantin Podrevsky (1888-1930.) The earliest recordings of the song were probably made by the Georgian singer Tamara Tsereteli, (1900-1968) in 1925, and also by the Russian singer Alexander Vertinsky (1889-1957) in 1926. In the early 1960’s, the American Folk musician, playwright, and professor of architecture Gene Raskin, (1909-2004) who had grown up listening to different renditions of the song, wrote new English lyrics to the medley, which he slightly changed, and copyrighted both the music and the lyrics in his own name. Gene Raskin, and his wife Francesca played Folk Music around Greenwich Village in New York, and they were also international performers, and played at London’s ‘Blue Angel’ every year, always closing their performance with ”Those Were the Days.’ Paul McCartney, (see also best songs 646-599-456-319-238-218-141-107-80-51-10 and 5) who frequented the ‘Blue Angel’ and had known of the song for sometime, realised it’s hit potential, if he could find the right artist to fit the song. It was the English ‘Supermodel’ ‘Twiggy’ (see also best songs 807) who after watching the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin win the British television talent show ‘Opportunity Knocks,’ who recommended her to McCartney, who then immediately recorded Hopkin at the ‘Abbey Road Studios’ in London. McCartney would later say, ‘I thought it was very catchy, it had something, it was a good treatment of nostalgia. She picked it up very easily, as if she’d known it for years.’

‘Those Were the Days’ songwriting credits are shared between Boris Fomin, and Gene Raskin, with the production being by Paul McCartney, who also played acoustic guitar on the track.’Those Were the Days’ didn’t appear on Mary Hopkin’s debut Album ‘Post Card’ from February 1969 in the UK, although in America and Canada it did, replacing the track ‘Someone to Watch Over Me.’ ‘Those Were the Days’ was arranged by Richard Anthony Hewson, who was born on November 17th, 1943, in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England. Hewson would go on to arrange the Beatles tracks ‘I Me Mine,’ and ‘The Long and Winding Road,’ both from the 1970 Album ‘Let It Be.’ Hewson found chart success as ‘The Rah Band,’ of which he was the sole member, and which took its name from his initials, with three top 40 UK singles, including ‘The Crunch,’ (1977-Number 6) and ‘Clouds Across the Moon,’ (1985-Number 6.)

Mary Hopkin was born on May 3rd, 1950, in Pontardawe, Wales, she was married to the American music producer Tony Visconti (see also best songs 386-302-209 and 118) between 1971-1981, and is credited on some of her recordings as Mary Visconti. Mary Hopkin came to the attention of the British public after winning the ‘ITV’ television talent show ‘Opportunity Knocks’ in 1968, after which she signed with ‘Apple Records.’ In 1970 she represented the UK in the ‘Eurovision Song Contest,’ with the song ‘Knock, Knock Who’s There?’ which finished in second place. Following on from Eurovision, she had her own peak time television series, ‘Mary Hopkin in the Land of …,’ on BBC 1, which ran for six episodes in 1970. After marrying Tony Visconti, she semi retired from recording until 1976, in order to have a family, although she contributed backing vocals to many other artists songs, including David Bowie’s 1977 released Album ‘Low.’ The discography of Mary Hopkin includes 10 studio Albums released between 1969-2023, and 25 singles between 1968-2014, there are also seven official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In the UK, six of her singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Those Were the Days’ reaching Number 1, while in America on Billboard, she has had three top 40 hits, with ‘Those Were the Days’ peaking the highest at Number 2.

‘Those Were the Days’ was held off the top spot in America by the Paul McCartney penned Beatles song ‘Hey Jude,’ which was released on August 26-1968, with both songs being issued within four days of each other, on the newly set up ‘Apple Records’ label which was owned by the Beatles. ‘Those Were the Days’ (August 30-1968) is considered the first ever official hit on ‘Apple,’ as ‘Hey Jude’ had been given a ‘Parlophone Records’ catalogue number.

The original lyrics for ‘Those Were the Days’ tells the story of a journey on a horse-drawn sleigh, with the narrator seeking music and romance, while the re-written lyrics tell of someone looking back on their life, and realising that they have failed to achieve what they hoped they would, back in their youth.

‘Once upon a time there was a tavern, where we used to raise a glass or two. Remember how we laughed away the hours, think of all the great things we would do. Those were the days, my friend.’