Alone Again Or (song)

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“Alone Again Or”
Single by Love
from the album Forever Changes
B-side "A House Is Not A Motel" (USA)
"Bummer In The Summer" (elsewhere)
Released January 1968
Format 7"
Recorded Los Angeles, June-September 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock, baroque pop
Length 2:49 (edited single version)
Label Elektra
EK 45629 (USA)
EKSN 45024 (UK)
Writer(s) Bryan MacLean
Producer Bruce Botnick and Arthur Lee

"Alone Again Or" is a song originally recorded in 1967 by Love, the psychedelic folk-rock proto-punk band from Los Angeles, USA. It was written by band member Bryan MacLean. It was the opening track on the classic album Forever Changes, and was also released as a single in the USA, UK, Australia, France and Holland.[1] Love's version ranked #436 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Versions have subsequently been recorded by an eclectic variety of bands and singers including The Damned (1987), UFO (1977), Sarah Brightman (1990), Chris Pérez Band (1999), Calexico (2004), and Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs (2006). Two demo versions by MacLean himself were released in 1997 on his album Ifyoubelievein.

Contents

[edit] Original recording by Love

Bryan MacLean originally wrote the song, then simply called "Alone Again", in 1965 for Love's debut album. However, he did not complete it until the recording of Forever Changes in summer 1967. The song was inspired by his memory of waiting for a girlfriend, and the melody drew on Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije Suite.[2] The essence of the song is the contrast between the positivity of the tune and the bleakness of the lyrics, with the chorus "And I will be alone again tonight, my dear."[3]

For the recording session, arranger David Angel worked with MacLean, and they added a string section and a horn part for a mariachi band who co-producer Bruce Botnick had recently used on a Tijuana Brass album. MacLean later said "That was the happiest I ever was with anything we ever did as a band - the orchestral arrangement of that song."[2] However, Botnick, with co-producer and band leader Arthur Lee, remixed the track to bring Lee's own harmony vocal to the forefront of the song, at least partly on the grounds that MacLean's own vocal lead was too weak.[2] Lee also added to the mystery of the song by changing the title to "Alone Again Or".

Released as a single at the beginning of 1968, "Alone Again Or" reached # 99 on the US Billboard pop charts. Over the years it has become regarded as a classic of the era, being ranked #436 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

[edit] Single by The Damned

“Alone Again Or”
“Alone Again Or” cover
Single by The Damned
from the album Anything
B-side "In Dulce Decorum (Live)"
Released April 6, 1987
Format CD, 7", 12"
Recorded Denmark; Hammersmith 1986
Genre Psychedelic Rock
Length 3:38
Label MCA
GRIM 7
Producer Jon Kelly
The Damned singles chronology
"Gigolo"
(1987)		 "Alone Again Or"
(1987)		 "In Dulce Decorum"
(1987)

"Alone Again Or" was a single released by The Damned in 1987. They recorded it as an acknowledgement of one of their influences, Love. Boosted by multi-format releases (including the band's first CD single, which included the first release of their version of "Eloise" on this format) and a surreal video helmed by Gerard de Thame, the single peaked at #27 - The Damned's final Top 40 hit to date. The UK B-side "In Dulce Decorum" was recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon on November 12, 1986.

MCA also issued the single in the USA, their first single to be issued in the territory since "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" in 1981. This release added the studio version of "In Dulce Decorum" in place of the live version on the UK release.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Alone Again Or" (MacLean) - 3:38
  2. "In Dulce Decorum (Live)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)

Bonus Tracks on 12" single: -

  1. "Alone Again Or (Mixed Again)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)
  2. "Psychomania (Live)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)
"Psychomania" was recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon on November 12, 1986.

Bonus Tracks on CD single: -

  1. "Eloise" (Ryan) - 5:07
  2. "Psychomania (Live)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)

[edit] Production credits

[edit] References

  1. ^ Love Singles
  2. ^ a b c Barney Hoskyns, Arthur Lee - Alone Again Or, 2001, ISBN 1-84195-085-5
  3. ^ Alone Again Or@Everything2.com

[edit] External links

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The Damned
Dave Vanian · Captain Sensible · Stu West · Monty Oxy Moron · Pinch
Brian James · Rat Scabies · Lu Edmunds · Algy Ward · Paul Gray · Roman Jugg · Bryn Merrick · Kris Dollimore · Alan Lee Shaw · Moose · Patricia Morrison
Studio albums
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