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The origins of the melody for “Those Were the Days” are strongly claimed by the Russians, with Russian gypsies considering it their own. The original song’s name is believed to be “Dorogo’ Dlinnoyu,” which translates to “By a long road” or “Along a long way.” Some sources credit its creation to two Russian composers, B. Fomin (music) and K. Podrevsky (lyrics), during the late 19th or early 20th century.
In 1962, Gene Raskin adapted the melody and wrote new English lyrics for it. The song was first popularized in the United States by the folk trio The Limeliters. A few years later, in 1965, Paul McCartney witnessed a performance of the song by Raskin and his wife in a London club. This performance stuck with McCartney, and he recalled it three years later when The Beatles established Apple Records.
In 1968, British model Twiggy contacted McCartney about a talented singer she had seen on the UK television program Opportunity Knocks. The singer was Mary Hopkin, a 17-year-old from Wales who had become a three-time winner on the show. McCartney auditioned Hopkin in London and, impressed by her voice, suggested she record “an American folk song” he remembered: “Those Were the Days.”
Mary Hopkin’s 1968 debut single of “Those Were the Days” was produced by Paul McCartney and featured an arrangement by Richard Hewson. The track became a massive success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart and the Canadian RPM Magazine charts. In the United States, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, held from the top spot only by “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. It also topped the first-ever French National Hit Parade. The song was included on the US release of Hopkin’s debut album, Post Card.
In the UK, Apple Records was introduced to the public with a special boxed set of its first four singles: The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were the Days,” the McCartney-penned TV theme “Thingumybob,” and “Sour Milk Sea,” a track sung by Jackie Lomax and produced by George Harrison.
