Friday 20 October 2023
Tune of the Day: Those Were the Days
arranged for flute and piano
Russian composer Boris Fomin's song “By the Long Road” was originally written in 1924, but it was only brought to worldwide fame in the 1960s, after American architect Gene Raskin, whose parents were immigrants from Russia, wrote new English words to a slightly modified version of the melody.
Under the title “Those Were the Days”, it was Welsh singer Mary Hopkin's 1968 debut single, which 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.