𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗞𝗜𝗡 - 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 1968

"Those Were the Days" is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who put a new English lyric to the Russian romance song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu" [ru] ("Дорогой длинною", literally "By the long road"), composed by Boris Fomin (1900–1948) with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. It deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism. It also deals with tavern activities, which include drinking, singing and dancing.

Mary Hopkin's 1968 debut single of "Those Were the Days", which was produced by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, became a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and on the Canadian RPM Magazine charts. The song also reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. It was number one in the first edition of the foreign singles sales chart launched by the Centre d'Information et de Documentation du Disque.

Georgian singer Tamara Tsereteli (1900–1968) and Russian singer Alexander Vertinsky made what were probably the earliest recordings of the song, in 1925 and in 1926 respectively.

The song appears in the 1953 British/French movie Innocents in Paris, in which it was sung with its original Russian lyrics by the Russian Tzigane chanteuse Ludmila Lopato. Mary Hopkin's 1968 recording of it with Gene Raskin's lyric was a chart-topping hit in much of the Northern Hemisphere. On most recordings of the song, Raskin is credited as the sole writer, even though he wrote only the later English lyrics (which are not an English translation of the Russian lyrics) and not the music.

In the early 1960s Raskin, with his wife Francesca, played folk music around Greenwich Village in New York, including White Horse Tavern. Raskin, who had grown up hearing the song, wrote with his wife, new English lyrics to the old Russian music and then copyrighted both music and lyrics in his own name. The Limeliters subsequently released a recording of the song on their 1962 LP Folk Matinee. The Raskins were international performers and had played London's "Blue Angel" every year, always closing their show with the song. Paul McCartney frequented the club and being quite taken with the song he attempted to get several singers or groups (including the early Moody Blues) to record it. Failing at that, after the formation of the Beatles' own Apple Records label, McCartney immediately recorded Mary Hopkin performing the song. He later said "I thought it was very catchy, it had something, it was a good treatment of nostalgia... (Hopkin) picked it up very easily, as if she'd known it for years." The song was eventually recorded in over twenty languages and by many different artists, including Gene and Francesca.

Hopkin's recording was produced by Paul McCartney with an arrangement by Richard Hewson and became a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, Hopkin's recording reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 (held out of the top spot for three weeks by "Hey Jude" by The Beatles) and topped the Billboard Easy Listening charts for six weeks. In the Netherlands, it topped the charts for two consecutive weeks. The Russian origin of the melody was accentuated by an instrumentation that was unusual for a top-ten pop record, including balalaika, clarinet, hammered dulcimer or cimbalom, tenor banjo and children's chorus, giving a klezmer feel to the song. Mary Hopkin played acoustic guitar on the recording, and Paul McCartney also played acoustic guitar and possibly percussion. The cimbalom was played by Gilbert Webster.

[Thegreatwellness]

1968 as a child in NYC my teenage aunts would sit on the building stairs and sing this and many songs, there is a call to enjoy being together and remember happy times, amazing song.

[localspecialty]

Born in 1968...I probably haven't heard this in 40 or 50 years. But I remember my dad singing along to this song on the radio. Happy memories of days gone by.

[MoosicandCritters]

I was 7 when this came out. Dad rushed out and bought the 45 vinyl. I still have it. I miss you, Dad. You gave me so much appreciation for good music.

[nathliemajskolv]

It is so sad it took the "Special Operation" for me to hear this song.
Such a beautiful lyric❤
I've had this as my ring tone this last 5-6 month👍♥️
God bless the Russian people and their generosity with sharing their culture and art with rest of us.🙏

[brendahale]

You have a memory like a bear trap. My hands are tapping with the beat.😊

[tarawehry]

I remember that song, I was 8 years old when it came out

[pablohingley]

Stella & Stavros' "The Village" at Grace & Harrison, Richmond, Va. - "Those were the Days" ! 😢

[MjWeidner]

Ah🎉 yes, 1968
I remember it well 🎵
So much great music 🎶🎵 I can't
Believe all the diversity back then!!
And people actually did try to
Get along back then