Those Were The Days by Mary Hopkin

Those Were The Days by Mary Hopkin - Songfacts

Those Were The Days
by Mary Hopkin

Album: Post Card (1968)

Charted: 1 2

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Songfacts®:

Not to be confused with the All In The Family theme song, "Those Were The Days" has its origins in a Russian song from the 1920s called "Dorogoi Dlinnoyu" ("The Long Road"), which is typically played on accordion. That song, with music by composer Boris Fomin and lyrics by poet Konstantin Podrevsky (both Russian), tells the story of a journey on a horse-drawn sleigh with the singer seeking music and romance. An American writer of Russian descent named Eugene Raskin put English lyrics to the song, making it the story of a person in a tavern ruminating on the glory days of their youth. He copyrighted the song in 1962 and sometimes performed it with his wife Francesca. A folk trio called The Limeliters recorded it that year.

Paul McCartney heard it at a London club called The Blue Angel, where he saw Raskin and his wife perform it. He sent to America to get a demo of the song and had Mary Hopkin, a singer from Wales, record it after she signed to the Beatles' label, Apple Records. Released as her first single, it was a huge hit, going to #2 in America and on September 25, 1968, taking the top spot in the UK.
Mary Hopkin got her big break when, just after turning 18, she performed on the UK TV talent competition Opportunity Knocks and wowed the audience with her sweet soprano. Registering their approval on a device called a Clapometer, they voted Hopkin the winner by a landslide.

The British model Twiggy saw the show and telephoned Paul McCartney to tell him. He contacted Hopkin, and when he auditioned her for Apple Records, he liked what he heard and signed her. McCartney then produced her first session, recording "Those Were The Days" along with a cover of "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)," which was used as the B-side of the single.
The song has been recorded in many different languages, including one in Finnish by Annikki Tähti in the '50s. Mary Hopkin also recorded versions in Spanish, French, Italian and German.
In America, the single was released simultaneously with the Beatles' "Hey Jude" on August 26, 1968. Along with "Thingumybob" (a TV theme song written by McCartney), and "Sour Milk Sea" (a song sung by Jackie Lomax and written/produced by George Harrison), which were also released that day, these were the first issues on Apple. In the UK, they were all released on August 30.

In America, "Hey Jude" went to #1 on September 28 and stayed for nine weeks. "Those Were The Days" rose to #2 on November 2 and held that position for three weeks.

In the UK, "Hey Jude" went to #1 on September 11 but was bumped by "Those Were The Days" just two weeks later. "Those Were The Days" stayed for six weeks before Joe Cocker's version of the Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends" knocked it from the top.
This song helped Apple Records get off to a very strong start, but the label crumbled as The Beatles broke up. The most successful artists they signed to the label were Badfinger and James Taylor, whose 1969 debut album was on Apple.
Other artists to cover this song include the 5th Dimension, Chet Atkins, Carol Burnett, Max Bygraves, Dexter Gordon, Robert Goulet, Engelbert Humperdinck, Wanda Jackson, Johnny Mathis, Jerry Vale, The Ventures, Bobby Vinton, and John Lennon's first wife, Cynthia. >>
Suggestion credit:
Jerro - New Alexandria, PA
In addition to producing this song, McCartney also played the acoustic guitar.
Mary Hopkin had a few more hits, including "Goodbye" and "Temma Harbour." In 1971, she married David Bowie's producer Tony Visconti; they had two children together. After a hiatus to raise the kids, she released a song called "If You Love Me (I Won't Care)" that went to #32 in the UK, her last chart hit. She and Visconti split in 1981.
Cream released a completely different song called "Those Were The Days" the same year on their album Wheels Of Fire.
Macias Nguema (1924-1979), the despotic president of the African country Equatorial Guinea, reportedly had his opponents put to death while making sure this song played at their executions.

Comments: 23

Dr Moss from LondonWonderful song.
Tom B from 02916Does anyone know what key this song is in? The sheet music that I found has it in the key of C but that can not be correct. I'm trying to find the sheet music but in the correct key. I know, I could transpose it but that's no fun. Thank you!!
Seventhmist from 7th HeavenWhen I hear this song, I harken back to when it came out and think "Those WERE the days..."
Camille from Toronto, OhI agree with Pat from Barry and Steve from Whittier, Ca. Mary Hopkin’ version is the ultimate for this song and worth listening to for the entire 5 minutes. It came on the car stereo yesterday and I was transfixed and could not change the station until I listened to it all. What’s interesting is how young Mary Hopkins was when she recorded the it, yet her voice conveys the sadness and longing for “those days that were” as if she truly were an older woman looking back at a more carefree time of life. Beautiful voice. Those Were The Days has a haunting melody and lyrical content that make it easy to visualize an entire story surrounding the lives of a group of friends, really from any walk of life, hence the song’s popularity; its universal theme helped propel it into a hit.
Anastasia from Moscow, RussiaThe song indeed originates from Russia and was written in 1924 by Boris Fomin (music) and Konstantin Podrevsky (lyrics). It's not Gypsy, though intentionally resembles Russian Gypsies songs that were very popular over here in late 19th-early 20th cent. Famous Russian crooner Alexander Vertinsky was one of the first to record it in 1929. The correct name of the song is 'Dorogoy Dlinnoyu' (not 'Darogoi Dli Mayou', this simply makes no sense in Russian).
Ed Bowie from MarylandThis is a very good song, and i like it. However strangely I think it is extremely scary.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 25, 1969, Mary Hopkin performed "Goodbye" on the CBS-TV network variety program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
At the time the song was at #13 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, and that was also it's peak position on the chart, it spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
And on April 13th, 1969 it peaked at #2 {for 3 non-consecutive weeks} on the United Kingdom's Singles chart; the first week it was at #2, the #1 record was "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker & the Aces, and for it's 2nd & 3rd weeks at #2, it was the Beatles' "Get Back" in the top spot...
Between 1968 and 1972 she had six records on the Hot Top 100 chart; one made the Top 10, "Those Were The Days" at #2* {for 3 weeks} on October 27th, 1968...
Ms. Hopkin celebrated her 67th birthday earlier this month on May 3rd {2017}...
* The three weeks that "Those Were The Days" was at #2, who was at #1 for those three weeks, none other then those pesky Beatles again, this time with "Hey Jude!".
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 27th 1968, Mary Hopkin performed "Those Were the Days" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
And on that very same day the song moved into the #2 spot on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
I guess lightning strikes twice, for also on that same day it peaked at #1 {for 6 weeks} on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
{See next post below}.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 7th 1969, Mary Hopkin performed "Those Were The Days" on the ABC-TV program 'This Is Tom Jones'...
Five months earlier on September 22nd, 1968 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #70; and on October 27th, 1968 it peaked at #2 (for 3 weeks) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 7 of those 14 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
And on the same day that it peaked at #2 on the Top 100 it reached #1 (for 6 weeks) on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
Ms. Hopkin will celebrate her 64th birthday in three months on May 3rd (2014).
Steve from Whittier, CaThis song runs FIVE minuts, and it is every bit worth OF it. My single is a UNDERGROUND records reissue.
Stella from London, United KingdomThe Leningrad Cowboys is actually a Finnish rock band, not Russian. Aki Kaurismaki, a Finnish film director is the person with the original idea contributing music to his short films 'Rocky VI' (1986) 'Thru The Wire' (1987) and they started out as a fictional band in the film 'L. A. Woman' (1988) and in the feature length film 'Leningrad Cowboys Go America' (1989). The founding members are Sakke Jarvenpaa and Mato Valtonen. Kaurismaki directed their video of 'Those Were The Days' in 1992. The Russians were the 70 member Alexandrov Ensemble with whom they sang the Lynyrd Skynyrd song 'Sweet Home Alabama' at the 11th Annual MTV Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in New York in 1994. This performance was watched by an estimated 250 million people.
James from Yucaipa, CaThis is a very nice song by mary hopkin. I have the 1968 single on apple records. 6/23/10.
Ekristheh from Halath, United StatesThis was considered to be part of the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. Fearless Christian anti-rock crusader Dr. David Noebel had some pretty harsh words for poor Miss Hopkin at the time. In his book "The Beatles, a Study in Drugs, Sex and Revolution", he stated that she "almost gave the whole show away" in an interview where she had the unmitigated nerve to state that "everything Russian is fashionable now".
Carole from Dennis, MaThe recording by Susan Lainey in 2003 was used by Nip Tuck in 2005 in the Ellie episode..not sure of the number ..The story is on her website. www.susanlainey.com
Jeff from Liverpool, Englandnot 100% sure but i think it is spelt darogoi dlimmo hope this helps
Mary from Phoenix, AzHi Susan. So, what series are you talking about, because I don't see your name credited on anything on IMDb. In fact, for the soundtrack listing of "Those were the Days"...the only thing listed for anything near 2005 was Naomi's Moring...and it says it was sung by Dolly Parton.
Pat from BarryMary Hopkin's recording of "Those were the days" will in 2008 be 40 years old... It is in my opinion the definitive recording. No one else sings it like she does. Also a wonderful live recording from 1972 was released last year and can be obtained from her own official website maryhopkin.com it is superb.
Jean-louis from Leuven, BelgiumThere is a "russian" cover in english by the Leningrad Cowboys (1992), closing the circle from Russia to the Uk and back to Russia.
Susan Rezendes from New Bedford, MaI am a singer for healthcare facilities around New England. I've been singing this song for about 35 years and people of all ages seem to love it. It is my "magical song" . So much so that I recorded it in 2003 and in Oct 2005, my version was featured on an internationally broadcasted American major television series. Susan Lainey New Bedfor MA USA
Jorge from Mexicali, MexicoI heard this song a long time ago when I was a kid, and stuck to me until I finally tracked it down with the advent of the Web. Very sad and melancholic, but with hope at the end. I love it.
Roman from Saint-petersburg, EuropeCynthia Lennon record this song in 1995.
This record was produced by Chris Norman, ex-leader of british group Smokie, nowadays succesful solo performer
Ken from Houston, TxA Japanese version of this song was used in an animae production whose plot dealt with a future society where people could live forever by transfering themselves into a robotic body. The procedure could not be reversed and those who did it found their new existence lacking in some of the pleasures and sensations we take for granted. There is a scene where this song plays and stirrs up a longing for these beings human pasts.

"Nothing seemed to be the way it used to be" indeed.

Thanks to my son Riki (12) and daughter Mari (9) for bringing this to my attention.
Cathy from Sherwood Park, CanadaActually the original Russian version is Doroga Dlinaya(not sure of spelling in these letters) and it means the long road

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