Alone (i-Ten song)
1983 song by i-Ten
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Alone" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who recorded it under the name i-Ten for their 1983 album Taking a Cold Look. It was later recorded by actress Valerie Stevenson and actor John Stamos for the original soundtrack of the CBS sitcom Dreams in 1984. American rock band Heart recorded the song for their 1987 album Bad Animals, and their version reached number one in the US and Canada. In 2007, Celine Dion recorded it for her album Taking Chances. In 2010, Alyssa Reid used the music and lyrics for the chorus of her song "Alone Again".
| "Alone" | |
|---|---|
| Song by i-Ten | |
| from the album Taking a Cold Look | |
| Released | June 1983 |
| Recorded | 1983 |
| Studio | Goodnight L.A. (Van Nuys) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:58 |
| Label | Epic |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers | |
Background
"Alone" is a rock ballad written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who recorded it under the name i-Ten for their 1983 album Taking a Cold Look. It appears as the third track on the album. The release drew little attention, and i-Ten did not record any further albums before disbanding.
Personnel
- Tom Kelly â vocals
- Billy Steinberg â vocals, guitar
- Steve Lukather â guitar
- Alan Pasqua â piano
- Mike Baird â drums
Dreams version
In late 1984, actress Valerie Stevenson and actor John Stamos recorded the song for the CBS sitcom Dreams in their roles as Lisa Copley and Gino Minnelli. It appears in the episode of the same name, in which the band perform the song for Frank and Louise's anniversary party. It is the earliest cover of the song. In the episode, Frank and Gino write a poem and develop it into a song. The episode aired on November 7, 1984. The song was released as a single on the same day, but it did not chart.
Heart version
| "Alone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Heart | ||||
| from the album Bad Animals | ||||
| B-side | "Barracuda" (live) | |||
| Released | May 15, 1987 (Europe) | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Ron Nevison | |||
| Heart singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Alone" on YouTube | ||||
Heart released the song as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Bad Animals, on May 16, 1987. Their recording is a power ballad[1] that opens with a piano introduction and a restrained vocal by Ann Wilson, building into a synth-driven hard-rock chorus. Tom Kelly, the song's co-writer and an experienced session vocalist, provided the high harmony parts on the track.[2]
"Alone" reached number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the US Cash Box Top 100. It peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. Internationally, it topped the chart in Canada, reached the top five in Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland, the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and the top 20 in West Germany. An unplugged version later appeared on Heart's 1995 album The Road Home. An extended 5:30 version was issued on the Japanese 3-inch CD of the album's third single, "There's the Girl".[3]
Cash Box described the track as "a potent, emotion-drenched rock ballad that features Ann Wilson's signature billowing, riveting vocal performance".[4] The song earned Heart a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 30th Annual Grammy Awards.
Music video
The music video, directed by Marty Callner, was released in June 1987. It begins with Ann standing on a balcony singing to Nancy below, echoing the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene. Ann then appears dressed entirely in black, including a veil and gown. The sisters are shown performing the chorus on stage, where Nancy's piano collapses at the first impact of the chorus. During the second verse, Nancy plays a piano placed within a deteriorated set. She is later shown riding a black horse. Ann appears again in the all-black outfit within the broken set, before the video cuts back to the stage performance for the song's climax. As the track fades, Ann and Nancy face each other, followed by a final close-up of Ann before the screen goes dark.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (KMR)[5] | 6 |
| Austria (Ã3 Austria Top 40)[6] | 22 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 8 |
| Canada Retail Singles (The Record)[8][9] | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 1 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[11] | 1 |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[12] | 9 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 6 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[16] | 5 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[18] | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 1 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[20] | 2 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[21] | 3 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[22] | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK)[23] | 18 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (KMR)[24] | 37 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[25] | 62 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] | 11 |
| European Top 100 Singles (Music & Media)[27] | 48 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] | 56 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] | 52 |
| Norway Summer Period (VG-lista)[30] | 9 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] | 18 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[32] | 34 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[33] | 2 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[34] | 9 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[33] | 23 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[35] | Gold | 30,000⡠|
| Canada (Music Canada)[36] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[37] | Gold | 45,000â¡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[38] | Platinum | 30,000â¡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[39] | Platinum | 600,000â¡ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Celine Dion version
| "Alone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Celine Dion | ||||
| from the album Taking Chances | ||||
| Released | May 5, 2008 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 3:23 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Ben Moody | |||
| Celine Dion singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Alone" on YouTube | ||||
Celine Dion recorded "Alone" for her tenth English-language studio album, Taking Chances (2007). It was issued as the second single in Europe and North America, and as the third in the United Kingdom in 2008. Produced by Ben Moody, former member of Evanescence, the recording received generally positive reviews and charted in several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
Background and release
Dion recorded "Alone" in 2007 for her album Taking Chances. The track was produced by Ben Moody, previously of Evanescence.[40] Dion's version includes piano and string arrangements.[40] It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and as the third in the United Kingdom. The UK digital release on May 5, 2008, coincided with the British leg of the Taking Chances World Tour.[41] In October 2008, "Alone" was included on the European edition of My Love: Essential Collection.[42] A live version appears on Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert.[43]
Critical reception
Critical response to "Alone" was generally positive, with several critics praising Dion's vocal performance and the song's melodic strength. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic named it one of the album's standout tracks, noting Dion's energetic approach to Heart's original and the song's prominent stylistic shifts.[44] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe described the performance as a "great vocal, terrific melody, a fine rendition", while observing that the song remains closely associated with Heart's Ann Wilson.[45] Toronto Star editor Ashante Infantry called the track "sentimental", and Chuck Taylor of Billboard described it as "a rowdy cover".[46]
Commercial performance
"Alone" debuted at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart and remained for two weeks.[47] It sold 12,535 copies in the United States, entering the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at number 24 and the Canadian Hot 100 at number 57. It also entered the Swedish Singles Chart due to digital sales, peaking at number 52.[48]
Music video and live performances
The music video was taken from Dion's CBS TV special That's Just the Woman in Me and released on March 15, 2008.[49][50] Dion promoted the song in France on Star Academy. On November 23, 2007, she appeared on The View to perform "Taking Chances" and "Alone".[51] She performed the song during most dates of the Taking Chances World Tour, and the performance appears on Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert.[43]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[63] | Gold | 40,000â¡ |
|
â¡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 12, 2008 | Adult Contemporary radio | Columbia | [64] |
| United Kingdom | May 5, 2008 | Digital download | [65] |