Unchained Medley Will Replace the Hop With His Own Music City : Clubs: Righteous Brother has bought out partner, Bobby Hatfield, in amicable deal. Country music will be added to venue’s playlist.

The Righteous Brothers’ Hop will end its eight-year run Sunday night, then reopen Aug. 27 with a new name and a new musical format.

The name will be Bill Medley’s Music City. The new ingredient in the format is country music, which will share time about equally on the club’s bandstand and turntable with the rock oldies that were the Hop’s hallmark. Medley said in a recent phone interview that he has bought out the minority share in the Hop that was owned by Bobby Hatfield, his longtime singing partner in the Righteous Brothers.

Live music will be curtailed under the new country and oldies format, as the club, at 18774 Brookhurst St., seeks to get in on the popular country-dance phenomenon with six nights of disc jockeys spinning records.

Monday nights will be given to live shows featuring area bands, with occasional concerts by Medley, and possibly the Righteous Brothers. Medley said he also plans to present occasional Monday night showcases by touring country bands. Lately, under the all-oldies format, the Hop has featured live music three nights a week, according to the club’s manager, Butch Rillera.

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Sunday’s Hop finale will feature a Bill Medley solo concert. The club will then close for a nine-day remodeling project that will triple the size of the dance floor and modify the decor to reflect country as well as rock ‘n’ roll themes.

“I’m not going to put up saddles and horses. I want it to still feel like the Hop felt,” Medley said. “I don’t want to mess up the good vibe it’s got going, because the Hop is still very successful.”

But Medley said business has dropped off over the past two years, and Rillera said that many Hop regulars were finding their way to such country dance venues as the Cowboy Boogie Co. in Anaheim and the recently opened Denim & Diamonds in Huntington Beach. Like those clubs, Music City will feature free country dance lessons nightly. The club will not feature old-line country by George Jones, Buck Owens and their cohorts, but the sort of “new country” that has won a large audience for Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus and other contemporary acts.

“A lot of people who were into ‘50s and ‘60s music are into the new country music,” Medley said. “It’s very reminiscent (of rock oldies styles) and it’s emotionally pretty much the same.

“I wish I would have done this about a year ago, because the competition wasn’t there,” he added. “On the other hand, the market (for country music) is really healthy, and if we run a good club and give them what they want, we should do fine. If we don’t, there’s a lot of other places to go.”

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Medley said the fact that he and Hatfield are no longer partners in a nightclub shouldn’t be taken as a sign of friction within the famous Righteous Brothers’ partnership, which in the ‘60s generated 10 Top 40 hits, including the standards “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” and “Unchained Melody.” The duo continues to book about four months of performing engagements per year.

“I’m sure people are going to say, ‘They got in a fight,’ or whatever, and that’s not the case at all,” Medley said.

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Hatfield, in a separate phone interview, said he decided to sell his interest partly because he isn’t a big country music fan. (Medley, on the other hand, has periodically dipped into country music in his solo recording career). Hatfield also wants to devote more time to other interests, including putting out a solo album, branching into comedy writing, and developing a music publishing and production company.

Medley “asked me if I wanted to come along (as a partner in Music City), and I told him, ‘I don’t think so,’ ” Hatfield said. “There’s no problem; everything is smooth. He’s always had the majority interest, and I’ve been along for the ride.” Before becoming the Hop, the club had operated for four years as Medley’s, featuring varied musical styles.

Hatfield said he would be open to performing at Music City both as a solo act and with Medley.

Live bands booked to play at Music City in September are Next of Kin (Sept. 7), Western Union (Sept. 14), American Made (Sept. 21) and Night Riders (Sept. 28).