"Those were the days" is a worldwide hit by Mary Hopkin from 1968. Gene Raskin (1909-2004) first wrote an English text to the originally Russian folk song. Paul McCartney heard the song, sung by Gene Raskin and his wife Francesca in a nightclub in 1966. Two years later, Mary Hopkin won a TV talent competition and McCarntney decided to re-produce the song with her. This was the beginning of the great success of "Those were the days", which was covered over 50 times and is still well known today.