Mary Hopkin | Those Were The Days | Karaoke

Karaoke track, with lyrics, made from the original artists audio, with backing vocals if possible. Mary Hopkin – Those Were the Days (1968) 💿 Album: Post Card 📅 Released: 1968 ✍️ Written by: Gene Raskin — based on the Russian song Dorogoi dlinnoyu by Boris Fomin and Konstantin Podrevsky 🎛️ Produced by: Paul McCartney 📖 About the Song: “Those Were the Days” became Mary Hopkin's signature song and one of the biggest hits released by Apple Records. The English lyrics, adapted by Gene Raskin, look back nostalgically on youth, friendship and a carefree past, giving the song its bittersweet sense of looking back on happier times. 🎻 Musical Style: The recording has a distinctive Eastern European folk influence, built around acoustic instrumentation and prominent balalaika, giving it a sound quite different from contemporary British pop. Mary's clear, delicate vocal contrasts with the increasingly celebratory arrangement. 📈 Chart Success: “Those Were the Days” reached No. 1 in the UK, where it became the second biggest-selling single of 1968. It also reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in numerous countries around the world. 🎬 Cultural Impact: The song was particularly significant because it was the first major release on Apple Records, the record label established by The Beatles. Paul McCartney took a personal interest in Hopkin's recording and produced it, helping turn the previously unknown Welsh singer into an international star. 🎧 Legacy: “Those Were the Days” remains one of the defining recordings of the late 1960s. Its nostalgic lyrics, unusual folk arrangement and Mary's distinctive voice have made it an enduring classic, while the connection with Apple Records gives it an important place in Beatles history. 💡 Did You Know? Mary Hopkin had been discovered by Twiggy, who saw her perform on the Welsh television talent programme Opportunity Knocks. Hopkin subsequently appeared on The David Frost Show, where she caught Paul McCartney's attention. She was signed to Apple Records in 1968, becoming one of the label's first major artists. #MaryHopkin #ThoseWereTheDays #AppleRecords #PaulMcCartney #TheBeatles #60sMusic #1968Music