Alone Again Or (song)
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fixing genre capitalization mistakes per [[Wikipedia:MUSTARD#Capitalization|WP:MUSTARD]] -> [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_(capital_letters)#Musical_genres|MOS:CAPS]] + cleanup.
{{Infobox Single
| Name = Alone Again Or
| Cover =
| Artist = [[Love (band)|Love]]
| from Album = [[Forever Changes]]
| B-side = <small>"A House Is Not A Motel" (USA)<br/>"Bummer In The Summer" (elsewhere)</small>
| Released = January 1968
| Format = [[Gramophone record|7"]]
| Recorded = [[Los Angeles]], June-September [[1967]]
| Genre = [[Psychedelic rock]], [[baroque pop]]
| Length = 2:49 (edited single version)
| Label = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]<br/><small>EK 45629 (USA)<br/>EKSN 45024 (UK)</small>
| Writer = [[Bryan MacLean]]
| Producer = [[Bruce Botnick]] and [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee]]
| Chart position = #99 (USA)
| Last single =
| This single =
| Next single =
}}
'''"Alone Again Or"''' is a song originally recorded in 1967 by [[Love (band)|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.<ref>[http://love.torbenskott.dk/singles.asp#ForeignSingles Love Singles<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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 (band)|UFO]] (1977), [[Sarah Brightman]] (1990), [[Chris Pérez]] Band (1999), [[Calexico]] (2004), and [[Under the Covers, Vol. 1|Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs]] (2006). Two demo versions by MacLean himself were released in 1997 on his album ''Ifyoubelievein''.
==Original recording by Love==
Bryan MacLean originally wrote the song, then simply called "Alone Again", in 1965 for Love's [[Love (Love album)|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 Kijé (Prokofiev)|Lieutenant Kije Suite]]''.<ref name=hoskyns>[[Barney Hoskyns]], ''Arthur Lee - Alone Again Or'', 2001, ISBN 1-84195-085-5</ref> 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."''<ref>[http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Alone%20Again%20Or Alone Again Or@Everything2.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
For the recording session, arranger [[David Angel (musician)|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."''<ref name=hoskyns /> However, Botnick, with co-producer and band leader [[Arthur Lee (musician)|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.<ref name=hoskyns /> 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 (magazine)|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.
==Single by The Damned==
{{Infobox Single
| Name = Alone Again Or
| Cover = Damned_AloneAgainOr.jpg
| Artist = [[The Damned]]
| from Album = [[Anything (The Damned album)|Anything]]
| B-side = "In Dulce Decorum (Live)"
| Released = [[April 6]], [[1987]]
| Format = [[CD single|CD]], [[Gramophone record|7"]], [[12-inch single|12"]]
| Recorded = [[Denmark]]; [[Hammersmith]] [[1986]]
| Genre = [[Psychedelic rock]]
| Length = 3:38
| Label = [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]]<br/><small>GRIM 7</small>
| Producer = [[Jon Kelly]]
| Chart position = * #27 [[UK Singles Chart|U.K.]]
| Last single = "[[Gigolo (song)|Gigolo]]"<br/>(1987)
| This single = "Alone Again Or"<br/>(1987)
| Next single = "[[In Dulce Decorum]]"<br/>(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 [[Compact Disc|CD]] single, which included the first release of their version of "[[Eloise (Paul Ryan song)|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.
[[Music Corporation of America|MCA]] also issued the single in the [[USA]], their first single to be issued in the territory since "[[Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (song)|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.
===Track listing===
# "Alone Again Or" ([[Bryan MacLean|MacLean]]) - 3:38
# "In Dulce Decorum (Live)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)
Bonus Tracks on 12" single: -
# "Alone Again Or (Mixed Again)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)
# "Psychomania (Live)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)
:"Psychomania" was recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon on November 12, 1986.
Bonus Tracks on CD single: -
# "[[Eloise (Paul Ryan song)|Eloise]]" ([[Paul Ryan (singer)|Ryan]]) - 5:07
# "Psychomania (Live)" (Jugg, Scabies, Vanian, Merrick)
===Production credits===
* '''[[Record producer|Producer]]''':
** [[Jon Kelly]]
* '''[[Musician]]s''':
** [[Dave Vanian]]: [[Singer|Vocals]]
** [[Roman Jugg]]: [[Guitar]]
** [[Rat Scabies]]: [[Drum]]s
** [[Bryn Merrick]]: [[Bass guitar|Bass]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Alone%20Again%20Or Critical appraisal of Love's version, with lyrics]
{{The Damned}}
[[Category:1968 singles]]
[[Category:1987 singles]]