Alone (Heart song)



"Alone" is a song composed by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. It first appeared via Steinberg and Kelly's 1983 pet project, I-Ten, on Taking a Cold Look. It was later recorded by Valerie Stevenson and John Stamos in their roles as Lisa Copley and Gino Minelli, on the original soundtrack of the CBS sitcom Dreams in 1984. American rock band Heart made it a number-one US and Canadian hit in 1987. Twenty years later, Celine Dion recorded it for her album Taking Chances.

Heart version
Heart released the song as the first single from their ninth studio album, Bad Animals, in May 1987. Their version is a power ballad that begins with a piano line and a subdued vocal from Ann Wilson before exploding into an amplified hard rock and synth-led chorus. The song has been covered numerous times on American Idol. According to a Songfacts interview with Steinberg, Kelly (an experienced session singer) provided the high harmony parts on the record. "Alone" is Heart's biggest hit, spending three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 that July. It ranked No. 2 on the Billboard Year-End Top Pop Singles of 1987, behind "Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles. It is also their most successful single in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, so far as the band's only ever song to peak inside the UK Top 5; it is also one out of three UK Top 10 singles by the band. The song was also a huge global hit, reaching No. 1 in Canada, the top five in Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland, the top ten in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands as well as the top twenty in Germany. The song's popular video featured the band in a synched live performance. An "unplugged" version of the song later appeared on Heart's 1995 album The Road Home. An extended version of "Alone" clocking in at 5:30 was released in Japan as the B-side to Heart's third single from Bad Animals, "There's the Girl". This "Long Version" is exclusive to this 3" mini-CD single, and not found on any other release.

Celine Dion version
Celine Dion covered "Alone" for her tenth English-language studio album Taking Chances (2007). It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom, while "Eyes on Me" was released as the second single in the United Kingdom instead. "Alone" was produced by Ben Moody, ex-member of Evanescence. The version received mixed reviews from music critics, who thought that the cover was too similar with the original, considering it a dull and carbon-copy version.

Background and release
Dion covered "Alone" for her tenth English studio album Taking Chances (2007). The version was produced by Ben Moody, former member of rock band Evanescence. Dion's version features tinkling pianos and enveloping strings. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom. The digital single release in the UK on May 5, 2008 was coincided with the British leg of the Taking Chances World Tour. In October 2008, "Alone" was included on the European version of My Love: Essential Collection. A live version was included in the Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert CD/DVD.

Critical reception
Music critics were divided on "Alone." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic picked the song as one of the best tracks on Taking Chances, and wrote that "Celine attempts to snatch Heart's 'Alone' from Carrie Underwood and cribs from Kelly Clarkson's operatic rock, two blatant thieveries that, when combined with the quartet of explicit changeups, gives Taking Chances a vaguely desperate vibe, as if Celine needs to prove that she still reigns supreme among all divas." Sarah Rodman wrote for The Boston Globe that "Enlisting former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody adds little; in fact, the carbon-copy arrangement doesn't pack as much windswept melodramatic punch as Dion's own 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now.' Great vocal, terrific melody, a fine rendition, but 'Alone' is already indelibly stamped by Heart's Ann Wilson." Toronto Star editor Ashante Infantry called this song "sentimental, cringe-worthy diva track." Chuck Taylor of Billboard called it "a rowdy cover." Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone gave the song a negative review, writing: "That's nothing compared to Dion shrieking the ten millionth version of Heart's 'Alone' (mad pitchy, dog!), produced by ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody – Amy Lee, meet the fugliest bullet you ever dodged."

Commercial performance
The song debuted on November 24, 2007 at No. 85 on the UK Singles Chart. It spent two weeks on the chart. After selling 12,535 copies, it entered the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at No. 24 and Canadian Hot 100 at No. 57. It entered the Swedish Singles Chart, due to strong digital sales, and peaked at No. 52.

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 8, 2008. Dion promoted "Alone" at that time in France, performing it on Star Academy. On November 23, 2007, she went to the American talkshow The View to perform "Taking Chances" as well as "Alone." Dion performed the song during most dates of her Taking Chances World Tour; the performance was included in the Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert CD/DVD.

Formats and track listings
UK digital single
 * 1) "Alone" – 3:23