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Not Alone Any More

January 22, 2023

"Not Alone Any More" is a song by the British–American supergroup the Traveling Wilburys from their 1988 album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. It was sung by Roy Orbison and serves as his main contribution to the album. The song was written mainly by Jeff Lynne, although all five members of the Wilburys are credited as songwriters.

"Not Alone Any More"
Song by the Traveling Wilburys
from the album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
Released18 October 1988
RecordedMay–June 1988
GenreRock
Length3:24
LabelWilbury
Songwriter(s)Traveling Wilburys
Producer(s)Otis Wilbury, Nelson Wilbury

A longtime admirer of Orbison, Lynne wrote "Not Alone Any More" as a vehicle for the singer's operatic vocal style. The song's lyrical theme of loneliness similarly recalls Orbison's dark ballads of the early 1960s. On release, the song was much admired by music critics. With the commercial success of the Wilburys, and the recognition afforded Orbison following his death in December 1988, it marked his full return from the career downturn he had experienced since the mid 1960s.

Background

It was just a thrill, really, to write a song with Roy Orbison. It was an ambition that I'd always had and it came true, which was great.[1]

– Jeff Lynne, 1990

George Harrison and Jeff Lynne first discussed the idea for the Traveling Wilburys in early 1987 when they were recording Harrison's album Cloud Nine. Lynne chose Roy Orbison as a potential bandmate, while Harrison's first choice was Bob Dylan.[2][3] Later that year, Lynne began working in Los Angeles on Orbison's album Mystery Girl.[4] As a result of this collaboration, Orbison, whom Harrison had befriended during a 1963 Beatles tour,[5] joined Harrison, Lynne, Dylan and Tom Petty at the April 1988 recording session for "Handle with Care".[6] The latter was intended as a B-side for Harrison's next single but instead led to the formation of the Wilburys and the decision to record an album together.[7][8] Mo Ostin, the record company executive who encouraged Harrison to form the group, later said that, while there was mutual admiration among all the participants, "Roy Orbison was somebody they all idolized ... it was Roy who gave the project that special glow from rock 'n' roll's early formative years."[9]

The band allocated ten days for writing and initial recording of the remaining songs for the album, due to the restrictions imposed by Dylan preparing to relaunch his live act[10] and by Orbison's touring schedule.[11][nb 1] The songs were written quickly, with all the members as creative equals,[15] and often working from an initial idea by one member.[16][17] Lynne recalled that the writing and recording of each song was completed in a single day,[18] which would usually end with Orbison regaling his bandmates with stories about Elvis Presley and Sun Records,[19] where Orbison had begun his recording career in 1956.[20] Although he contributed the least as a writer,[21] Orbison described the collaborative process as one in which "there was no ego involved ... everyone would be throwing something in here and something in there."[22] His principal contribution as a singer was on "Not Alone Any More".[21]

Harrison said that they had considerable difficulty writing a song that suited Orbison, given that his best songs from the 1960s contained unusual elements in their composition and structure.[23] Initially, "Not Alone Any More" was "simple beyond belief", according to Lynne, and had just three chords.[23] In its completed form, the song was written mainly by Lynne.[17][24] Petty recalled in 2012: "['Not Alone Any More'] was really Jeff and Roy's song. I mean, we all contributed a little bit, but in the end, they had the handle on that one ... the rest of us kind of backed off and let them go."[25]

Composition and lyrics

The composition is in the key of D major, with its verses using a chord pattern comprising D, B minor, F♯ minor, G and A. In the four-bar instrumental passage that opens the song, however, which is then repeated as a link between the first two verses, the D chord is followed by a change to C. The time signature throughout is 4/4, played to a moderate beat.[26]

The lyrics evoke the forlorn romantic style typical of Orbison's work.[27] According to Orbison biographer Ellis Amburn: "['Not Alone Any More'] is a variation on the theme of his old songs, such as 'Blue Angel'. A sensitive lover offers a woman sympathy for her heartbreak and suffering, thinking that this will make her love him. She, however, has found herself another man, and she's no longer in need of a shoulder to cry on."[28] In music critic Jim Beviglia's interpretation:

The lyrics are straightforward and simple, the tale of a guy whose negligence cost him true love and whose ignorance won't let him believe she might ever find someone new until it's too late. The song is framed around his remembrances of her former predictions, every one of which comes true in the worst possible way for him. 'You always said that I'd be back again,' he begins. 'That I'd come running to you in the end.' And then: 'You always said that I would know someday / Just how it feels when your love walks away.' Yet even when he admits his part in her leaving, he can't comprehend that she's gone: 'I let you down, I let you go / I lost you, how was I to know.' When the narrator admits, 'I never could see past yesterday,' in the final verse, he is at least finally seeing the error of his ways, although that can provide him no consolation.[29]

Recording

 
Orbison performing in New York in 1987

The Traveling Wilburys recorded the basic track for "Not Alone Any More" between 7 and 16 May 1988[30] at a makeshift studio in David A. Stewart's house in Los Angeles.[17] Set up in the kitchen, the five band members typically played acoustic guitars,[15] accompanied by a drum machine.[31] Orbison recorded his vocal in a room in the house allocated for the band's vocals.[15][32] The group were in awe of Orbison's prowess as a singer.[33] Lynne recalled of the sessions: "Everybody just sat there going, 'Wow, it's Roy Orbison!'... Even though he's become your pal and you're hanging out and having a laugh and going to dinner, as soon as he gets behind that [mic] and he's doing his business, suddenly it's shudder time."[34] Lynne biographer John Van der Kiste describes "Not Alone Any More" as a "soaring ballad" and "a perfect showcase for Roy's unmistakable vocal".[17]

As the group's producers, Harrison and Lynne completed the album during the second round of sessions, held at Harrison's Friar Park studio in Henley in England.[30][35] Up to this time, the two of them, and Petty also,[25] were unimpressed with the track;[36] Lynne said "it was driving me nuts 'cause it wasn't really doing Roy justice."[23][nb 2] According to Lynne, he returned to the studio one night, accompanied by Harrison's engineer, Richard Dodd,[23] and overdubbed new guitar chords played on a Fender Telecaster.[37] In the process, Lynne removed the previously recorded guitar parts,[23] leaving just Orbison's vocal and the drum backing.[25] He later said that while the melody remained unchanged, "suddenly the tune jumped into life and Roy's singing had much more meaning to it."[23] When the others arrived, "[they] heard it as this new thing – as the same tune with different chords – and they all loved it."[37][nb 3]

According to the recording notes, Lynne added guitar, bass guitar and a backing vocal on 23 May, and tom-toms were overdubbed during a session with drummer Jim Keltner on 16 June.[39][nb 4] In author Alan Clayson's description, the production represented a "do-it-yourself" version of Orbison hits such as "Running Scared" and "It's Over",[21] from the singer's years as a Monument Records artist in the early 1960s.[42][nb 5] Clayson says that, whereas those earlier recordings featured dramatic orchestral arrangements and "wailing chorale", the effect was achieved on "Not Alone Any More" through the inclusion of "chugging guitars, Jeff's one-finger, crash-diving fairground organ, some staccato sha-la-la-las and a secondary riff of unison piano and guitar".[21] Beviglia also comments on the effectiveness of an arrangement that features "a churning rhythm section, [Lynne] and Harrison's aching backing vocals, and a downward spiraling synthesizer riff that mirrors the crash and burn of the protagonist", saying that it "leaves enough space for Orbison to work his melancholy magic". Beviglia concludes of Orbison's performance on the song: "As he repeats the closing word 'anymore', drums come crashing down around him, just as the narrator's word crumbles at his feet. But Orbison keeps going higher and higher, projecting infinite sorrow and anguish."[29]

Release and reception

I put everything I had into the project. But the other guys had visions of what I should sound like or what I should sing, and things like that, so we didn't question each other – we just went right ahead.[44]

– Roy Orbison, 1988

Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 was released on 18 October 1988[45] with "Not Alone Any More" sequenced as the final track on side one of the LP and cassette.[46] Keen to maintain the group identity, the songs were credited to all five band members,[17] although the allocation of each composition's publishing rights reflected its principal composer.[21] In the case of "Not Alone Any More", the song was assigned to Lynne's publishing company, Shard End Music.[47] When promoting the album, the band furthered the Wilburys' fictional history created by Derek Taylor, and adapted into a liner note essay by Michael Palin,[48] whereby they were a band of musician brothers, the five sons of the philandering Charles Truscott Wilbury.[49] Orbison adopted the pseudonym Lefty Wilbury in honour of his musical hero Lefty Frizzell.[50][51] He said in one interview: "Some people say Daddy was a cad and a bounder, but I remember him as a Baptist minister."[52]

The album was a commercial and critical success,[48][53] and confirmed Orbison's comeback from relative obscurity since the mid 1960s.[54][55] Author Peter Lehman describes Orbison's inclusion in a band with Dylan and Harrison as arguably the "turning point" in his return to mainstream popularity.[56] In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, David Wild described "Not Alone Any More" as "Totally boss" and added: "[The song] is a gorgeous pop ballad on which Roy Orbison – assisted by some wonderful backing vocals from Harrison and Lynne – hurts as good as he ever has. It proves that Orbison has lost none of his tremendous vocal prowess, and makes one eager to hear Orbison's upcoming solo album."[57]

 
An exhibit dedicated to Orbison in the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. A popular choice on US radio, "Not Alone Any More" served as Orbison's final song before his death in December 1988.

Petty recalled that Orbison was delighted with Vol. 1's reception, particularly following the news that it had been certified platinum for US sales of 1 million.[35][58] Orbison's death on 6 December, from a heart attack,[59] created further interest in the Wilburys' album.[60] The release of Mystery Girl, led by the single "You Got It", an Orbison–Lynne–Petty collaboration, followed in January 1989[61] and became Orbison's most successful album.[62]

"Not Alone Any More" received heavy rotation on US radio, although it was not issued as a single.[63] Writing in 2002, music critic Greg Kot described the song as "a prototypical Orbison ballad" and a highlight of an album that "serves as a fitting final showcase for rock legend Orbison".[64] In Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums of the Eighties" feature, the magazine's editors said: "The five half-brothers of the Wilbury family were hokey but hip, and their individual strengths complemented one another perfectly. There was Orbison (Lefty Wilbury), whose haunting, dynamic vocals are enshrined on the operatic 'Not Alone Any More,' and who reclaimed his former glory only to pass away shortly after the album became a huge hit."[19]

Having been out of print since 1996, Vol. 1 was reissued as part of the 2007 box set The Traveling Wilburys Collection, the vinyl release of which included alternate vocal takes of "Not Alone Any More".[65] Reviewing the box set for Uncut that year, Bud Scoppa described the song as Orbison's "last rock aria" and a performance in which he "absolutely blows the roof off".[66] In his article on the song for American Songwriter in October 2015, Jim Beviglia wrote that Orbison's voice was "perhaps the [Wilburys'] ultimate secret weapon" and the collaboration only fully succeeded through Lynne creating "a stratospheric weeper on the level of Orbison classics like 'Crying' and 'It's Over'". Beviglia concluded by saying that when Orbison died at the age of 52, "he went out at the peak of his powers with 'Not Alone Anymore'" and his legacy remains "greatly [enhanced] by this tear-stained triumph".[29]

Jeff Burger, writing for The Morton Report in 2016, highlighted the song and "Handle with Care" as Vol. 1's fun-filled "ear candy" that "profit from Orbison's inimitable soaring vocals, Harrison's trademark guitar, and Lynne's production".[67] Petty credited Lynne with making Orbison "feel comfortable with recording again" through their collaborations on Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 and Mystery Girl, and in doing so, he "completely revitalised [Orbison's] career".[68] Petty said of "Not Alone Any More": "[Lynne] completely re-wrote the song around this lead vocal that was down there. And wrote this incredible song, you know, and it's now one of my favorite ones on the album. And there's nobody [else] that could do that."[25]

In September 2016, Legacy Recordings included both "Handle with Care" and "Not Alone Any More" on its Orbison compilation album The Ultimate Collection.[69] Guitarist Adrian Belew covered "Not Alone Any More" on his 1990 album Young Lions.[70] In 2009, Lucy Walsh contributed a recording of the song to the Orbison tribute album Under the Covers.

Notes

  1. ^ Dylan's tour, beginning on 18 June,[12] became the start of his Never Ending Tour.[13] Orbison said he rued having to depart for his US concerts and "couldn't wait to get back" and complete the Wilburys' album.[14]
  2. ^ Petty recalled that "No one was really happy with it" and they were considering writing a new song for Orbison.[25]
  3. ^ Lynne denied that he rewrote the song. He told disc jockey Roger Scott in early 1989: "It was everybody's song ... I didn't really [re]write the tune, I just changed the chords ... the whole chords under his voice. Left his tune the same."[38]
  4. ^ Final recording and mixing for Mystery Girl was also carried out at Friar Park.[40] Along with Petty's Full Moon Fever and Lynne's Armchair Theatre, Orbison's album was one of several projects to feature multiple members of the Wilburys.[40][41]
  5. ^ Orbison's most successful period, this also included "Only the Lonely" and "Crying" among chart hits that, in Rolling Stone's description, established his "brooding-loner persona".[43]

References

  1. ^ Smax 2007, event occurs between 13:20 and 13:24.
  2. ^ Van der Kiste 2015, p. 112.
  3. ^ Mojo staff (4 November 2015). "Jeff Lynne: 'Bob Dylan Wanted To Call Us Roy & The Boys'". Mojo. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  4. ^ Van der Kiste 2015, pp. 116, 120.
  5. ^ Clayson 2003, pp. 128, 418.
  6. ^ Van der Kiste 2015, pp. 112–13.
  7. ^ Zanes 2007, pp. 157–58.
  8. ^ Sounes 2001, p. 384.
  9. ^ Ostin, Mo (2007). "The History of the Traveling Wilburys: Introduction". The Traveling Wilburys Collection (CD booklet). Traveling Wilburys. The Wilbury Record Co. pp. 2–3.
  10. ^ Heylin 2011, p. 626.
  11. ^ Huntley 2006, p. 220.
  12. ^ Sounes 2001, pp. 385–86.
  13. ^ Larkin 2011, p. 849.
  14. ^ Smax 2007, event occurs between 18:14 and 18:21.
  15. ^ a b c Zanes 2007, p. 164.
  16. ^ Zollo 2005, pp. 127–28.
  17. ^ a b c d e Van der Kiste 2015, p. 113.
  18. ^ Marszalek, Julian (9 October 2012). "Roll Over Beethoven: Jeff Lynne's Favourite Albums". The Quietus. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  19. ^ a b Rolling Stone staff (2016) [16 November 1989]. "100 Best Albums of the Eighties: 67. Traveling Wilburys, 'Traveling Wilburys Volume 1'". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  20. ^ Amburn 1990, pp. 42–43.
  21. ^ a b c d e Clayson 2003, p. 422.
  22. ^ Heylin 2011, pp. 625–26.
  23. ^ a b c d e f Traveling Wilburys 2009.
  24. ^ Madinger & Easter 2000, pp. 475, 476.
  25. ^ a b c d e Atkins, Martyn (dir.) (2012). Mr Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO (DVD). James Pluta (producer). BBC Four.
  26. ^ The Traveling Wilburys (2008). The Traveling Wilburys Collection (Piano/Vocal/Guitar). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-1-4234-3326-2.
  27. ^ Huntley 2006, p. 222.
  28. ^ Amburn 1990, p. 220.
  29. ^ a b c Beviglia, Jim (18 October 2015). "Lyric of the Week: The Traveling Wilburys 'Not Alone Anymore'". American Songwriter. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  30. ^ a b Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 475.
  31. ^ Smax 2007, event occurs between 3:40 and 4:08.
  32. ^ Zollo 2005, p. 122.
  33. ^ Lehman 2010, p. 162.
  34. ^ Clayson 1989, p. 208.
  35. ^ a b Zimmer, Dave (5 May 1989). "Tom Petty: Once In A Full Moon". BAM. Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  36. ^ Guttenbacher, Haines & von Petersdorff 1996.
  37. ^ a b Smax 2007, event occurs between 14:50 and 15:12.
  38. ^ Roger Scott (presenter) (1989). Saturday Sequence (radio interview). BBC Radio 1.
  39. ^ "The Traveling Wilburys – Limited Edition Book" > "The Manuscript [gallery images 1 & 3]". Genesis Publications. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  40. ^ a b Clayson 2003, pp. 422–23.
  41. ^ Huntley 2006, p. 224.
  42. ^ Larkin 2011, pp. 1987–88.
  43. ^ Romanowski & George-Warren 1995, pp. 729, 730.
  44. ^ Smax 2007, event occurs between 16:05 and 16:18.
  45. ^ Badman 2001, p. 414.
  46. ^ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 637.
  47. ^ "Vol. 1 credits". The Traveling Wilburys Collection (CD booklet). Traveling Wilburys. The Wilbury Record Co. 2007. p. 11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  48. ^ a b Van der Kiste 2015, p. 115.
  49. ^ Clayson 2003, p. 421.
  50. ^ Clayson 1989, pp. 206–07.
  51. ^ Zollo 2005, p. 124.
  52. ^ Amburn 1990, p. 221.
  53. ^ Larkin 2011, p. 1994.
  54. ^ Romanowski & George-Warren 1995, pp. 729–30, 1014.
  55. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Roy Orbison". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  56. ^ Lehman 2010, pp. 161–62.
  57. ^ Wild, David (18 October 1988). "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1". Rolling Stone. p. 80. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  58. ^ Smax 2007, event occurs between 20:57 and 21:09.
  59. ^ Badman 2001, p. 416.
  60. ^ Clayson 2003, p. 423.
  61. ^ Larkin 2011, pp. 1989–90.
  62. ^ Romanowski & George-Warren 1995, p. 730.
  63. ^ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 476.
  64. ^ The Editors of Rolling Stone 2002, p. 190.
  65. ^ Knopper, Steve (19 April 2007). "Traveling Wilburys to Reissue Two Albums". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  66. ^ Scoppa, Bud (6 June 2007). "The Traveling Wilburys – Volumes 1 and 3". Uncut. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  67. ^ Burger, Jeff (15 July 2016). "Album Review: The Traveling Wilburys – The Traveling Wilburys Collection". The Morton Report. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  68. ^ Van der Kiste 2015, p. 116.
  69. ^ Legacy Recordings press release (12 September 2016). "'The Ultimate Collection' Marks The First-Ever Anthology of Roy Orbison". legacyrecordings.com. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  70. ^ Connolly, Dave. "Adrian Belew Young Lions". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 September 2018.

Sources

  • Amburn, Ellis (1990). Dark Star: The Roy Orbison Story. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8184-0518-X.
  • Badman, Keith (2001). The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-8307-6.
  • Clayson, Alan (1989). Only the Lonely: Roy Orbison's Life and Legacy. London: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-03961-1.
  • Clayson, Alan (2003). George Harrison. London: Sanctuary. ISBN 1-86074-489-3.
  • The Editors of Rolling Stone (2002). Harrison. New York, NY: Rolling Stone Press. ISBN 978-0-7432-3581-5.
  • Guttenbacher, Patrik; Haines, Marc; von Petersdorff, Alexander (1996). Unexpected Messages: The Story of The Electric Light Orchestra, The Move, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, Bev Bevan. FTM. ISBN 9783000006425.
  • Heylin, Clinton (2011). Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades (20th Anniversary ed.). London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-27240-2.
  • Huntley, Elliot J. (2006). Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles. Toronto, ON: Guernica Editions. ISBN 1-55071-197-0.
  • Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  • Lehman, Peter (2010). Roy Orbison: The Invention of an Alternative Rock Masculinity. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-439903896.
  • Madinger, Chip; Easter, Mark (2000). Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium. Chesterfield, MO: 44.1 Productions. ISBN 0-615-11724-4.
  • Romanowski, Patricia; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1995). The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York, NY: Fireside/Rolling Stone Press. ISBN 0-684-81044-1.
  • Smax, Willy (dir.) (2007). The True History of the Traveling Wilburys (DVD). Traveling Wilburys; Willy Smax and Olivia Harrison (producers). Wilbury Record Co.
  • Sounes, Howard (2001). Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan. London: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-60125-5.
  • Traveling Wilburys (2009). The Traveling Wilburys. Guildford, UK: Genesis Publications. ISBN 978-1-905662159.
  • Van der Kiste, John (2015). Jeff Lynne: The Electric Light Orchestra, Before and After. Stroud, UK: Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1-78155-492-0.
  • Zanes, Warren, ed. (2007). Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-6201-1.
  • Zollo, Paul (2005). Conversations with Tom Petty. New York, NY: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-815-8.

January 22, 2023
alone, more, song, british, american, supergroup, traveling, wilburys, from, their, 1988, album, traveling, wilburys, sung, orbison, serves, main, contribution, album, song, written, mainly, jeff, lynne, although, five, members, wilburys, credited, songwriters. Not Alone Any More is a song by the British American supergroup the Traveling Wilburys from their 1988 album Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 It was sung by Roy Orbison and serves as his main contribution to the album The song was written mainly by Jeff Lynne although all five members of the Wilburys are credited as songwriters Not Alone Any More Song by the Traveling Wilburysfrom the album Traveling Wilburys Vol 1Released18 October 1988RecordedMay June 1988GenreRockLength3 24LabelWilburySongwriter s Traveling WilburysProducer s Otis Wilbury Nelson WilburyA longtime admirer of Orbison Lynne wrote Not Alone Any More as a vehicle for the singer s operatic vocal style The song s lyrical theme of loneliness similarly recalls Orbison s dark ballads of the early 1960s On release the song was much admired by music critics With the commercial success of the Wilburys and the recognition afforded Orbison following his death in December 1988 it marked his full return from the career downturn he had experienced since the mid 1960s Contents 1 Background 2 Composition and lyrics 3 Recording 4 Release and reception 5 Notes 6 References 7 SourcesBackground EditIt was just a thrill really to write a song with Roy Orbison It was an ambition that I d always had and it came true which was great 1 Jeff Lynne 1990 George Harrison and Jeff Lynne first discussed the idea for the Traveling Wilburys in early 1987 when they were recording Harrison s album Cloud Nine Lynne chose Roy Orbison as a potential bandmate while Harrison s first choice was Bob Dylan 2 3 Later that year Lynne began working in Los Angeles on Orbison s album Mystery Girl 4 As a result of this collaboration Orbison whom Harrison had befriended during a 1963 Beatles tour 5 joined Harrison Lynne Dylan and Tom Petty at the April 1988 recording session for Handle with Care 6 The latter was intended as a B side for Harrison s next single but instead led to the formation of the Wilburys and the decision to record an album together 7 8 Mo Ostin the record company executive who encouraged Harrison to form the group later said that while there was mutual admiration among all the participants Roy Orbison was somebody they all idolized it was Roy who gave the project that special glow from rock n roll s early formative years 9 The band allocated ten days for writing and initial recording of the remaining songs for the album due to the restrictions imposed by Dylan preparing to relaunch his live act 10 and by Orbison s touring schedule 11 nb 1 The songs were written quickly with all the members as creative equals 15 and often working from an initial idea by one member 16 17 Lynne recalled that the writing and recording of each song was completed in a single day 18 which would usually end with Orbison regaling his bandmates with stories about Elvis Presley and Sun Records 19 where Orbison had begun his recording career in 1956 20 Although he contributed the least as a writer 21 Orbison described the collaborative process as one in which there was no ego involved everyone would be throwing something in here and something in there 22 His principal contribution as a singer was on Not Alone Any More 21 Harrison said that they had considerable difficulty writing a song that suited Orbison given that his best songs from the 1960s contained unusual elements in their composition and structure 23 Initially Not Alone Any More was simple beyond belief according to Lynne and had just three chords 23 In its completed form the song was written mainly by Lynne 17 24 Petty recalled in 2012 Not Alone Any More was really Jeff and Roy s song I mean we all contributed a little bit but in the end they had the handle on that one the rest of us kind of backed off and let them go 25 Composition and lyrics EditThe composition is in the key of D major with its verses using a chord pattern comprising D B minor F minor G and A In the four bar instrumental passage that opens the song however which is then repeated as a link between the first two verses the D chord is followed by a change to C The time signature throughout is 4 4 played to a moderate beat 26 The lyrics evoke the forlorn romantic style typical of Orbison s work 27 According to Orbison biographer Ellis Amburn Not Alone Any More is a variation on the theme of his old songs such as Blue Angel A sensitive lover offers a woman sympathy for her heartbreak and suffering thinking that this will make her love him She however has found herself another man and she s no longer in need of a shoulder to cry on 28 In music critic Jim Beviglia s interpretation The lyrics are straightforward and simple the tale of a guy whose negligence cost him true love and whose ignorance won t let him believe she might ever find someone new until it s too late The song is framed around his remembrances of her former predictions every one of which comes true in the worst possible way for him You always said that I d be back again he begins That I d come running to you in the end And then You always said that I would know someday Just how it feels when your love walks away Yet even when he admits his part in her leaving he can t comprehend that she s gone I let you down I let you go I lost you how was I to know When the narrator admits I never could see past yesterday in the final verse he is at least finally seeing the error of his ways although that can provide him no consolation 29 Recording Edit Orbison performing in New York in 1987 The Traveling Wilburys recorded the basic track for Not Alone Any More between 7 and 16 May 1988 30 at a makeshift studio in David A Stewart s house in Los Angeles 17 Set up in the kitchen the five band members typically played acoustic guitars 15 accompanied by a drum machine 31 Orbison recorded his vocal in a room in the house allocated for the band s vocals 15 32 The group were in awe of Orbison s prowess as a singer 33 Lynne recalled of the sessions Everybody just sat there going Wow it s Roy Orbison Even though he s become your pal and you re hanging out and having a laugh and going to dinner as soon as he gets behind that mic and he s doing his business suddenly it s shudder time 34 Lynne biographer John Van der Kiste describes Not Alone Any More as a soaring ballad and a perfect showcase for Roy s unmistakable vocal 17 As the group s producers Harrison and Lynne completed the album during the second round of sessions held at Harrison s Friar Park studio in Henley in England 30 35 Up to this time the two of them and Petty also 25 were unimpressed with the track 36 Lynne said it was driving me nuts cause it wasn t really doing Roy justice 23 nb 2 According to Lynne he returned to the studio one night accompanied by Harrison s engineer Richard Dodd 23 and overdubbed new guitar chords played on a Fender Telecaster 37 In the process Lynne removed the previously recorded guitar parts 23 leaving just Orbison s vocal and the drum backing 25 He later said that while the melody remained unchanged suddenly the tune jumped into life and Roy s singing had much more meaning to it 23 When the others arrived they heard it as this new thing as the same tune with different chords and they all loved it 37 nb 3 According to the recording notes Lynne added guitar bass guitar and a backing vocal on 23 May and tom toms were overdubbed during a session with drummer Jim Keltner on 16 June 39 nb 4 In author Alan Clayson s description the production represented a do it yourself version of Orbison hits such as Running Scared and It s Over 21 from the singer s years as a Monument Records artist in the early 1960s 42 nb 5 Clayson says that whereas those earlier recordings featured dramatic orchestral arrangements and wailing chorale the effect was achieved on Not Alone Any More through the inclusion of chugging guitars Jeff s one finger crash diving fairground organ some staccato sha la la las and a secondary riff of unison piano and guitar 21 Beviglia also comments on the effectiveness of an arrangement that features a churning rhythm section Lynne and Harrison s aching backing vocals and a downward spiraling synthesizer riff that mirrors the crash and burn of the protagonist saying that it leaves enough space for Orbison to work his melancholy magic Beviglia concludes of Orbison s performance on the song As he repeats the closing word anymore drums come crashing down around him just as the narrator s word crumbles at his feet But Orbison keeps going higher and higher projecting infinite sorrow and anguish 29 Release and reception EditI put everything I had into the project But the other guys had visions of what I should sound like or what I should sing and things like that so we didn t question each other we just went right ahead 44 Roy Orbison 1988 Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 was released on 18 October 1988 45 with Not Alone Any More sequenced as the final track on side one of the LP and cassette 46 Keen to maintain the group identity the songs were credited to all five band members 17 although the allocation of each composition s publishing rights reflected its principal composer 21 In the case of Not Alone Any More the song was assigned to Lynne s publishing company Shard End Music 47 When promoting the album the band furthered the Wilburys fictional history created by Derek Taylor and adapted into a liner note essay by Michael Palin 48 whereby they were a band of musician brothers the five sons of the philandering Charles Truscott Wilbury 49 Orbison adopted the pseudonym Lefty Wilbury in honour of his musical hero Lefty Frizzell 50 51 He said in one interview Some people say Daddy was a cad and a bounder but I remember him as a Baptist minister 52 The album was a commercial and critical success 48 53 and confirmed Orbison s comeback from relative obscurity since the mid 1960s 54 55 Author Peter Lehman describes Orbison s inclusion in a band with Dylan and Harrison as arguably the turning point in his return to mainstream popularity 56 In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone David Wild described Not Alone Any More as Totally boss and added The song is a gorgeous pop ballad on which Roy Orbison assisted by some wonderful backing vocals from Harrison and Lynne hurts as good as he ever has It proves that Orbison has lost none of his tremendous vocal prowess and makes one eager to hear Orbison s upcoming solo album 57 An exhibit dedicated to Orbison in the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix A popular choice on US radio Not Alone Any More served as Orbison s final song before his death in December 1988 Petty recalled that Orbison was delighted with Vol 1 s reception particularly following the news that it had been certified platinum for US sales of 1 million 35 58 Orbison s death on 6 December from a heart attack 59 created further interest in the Wilburys album 60 The release of Mystery Girl led by the single You Got It an Orbison Lynne Petty collaboration followed in January 1989 61 and became Orbison s most successful album 62 Not Alone Any More received heavy rotation on US radio although it was not issued as a single 63 Writing in 2002 music critic Greg Kot described the song as a prototypical Orbison ballad and a highlight of an album that serves as a fitting final showcase for rock legend Orbison 64 In Rolling Stone s 100 Best Albums of the Eighties feature the magazine s editors said The five half brothers of the Wilbury family were hokey but hip and their individual strengths complemented one another perfectly There was Orbison Lefty Wilbury whose haunting dynamic vocals are enshrined on the operatic Not Alone Any More and who reclaimed his former glory only to pass away shortly after the album became a huge hit 19 Having been out of print since 1996 Vol 1 was reissued as part of the 2007 box set The Traveling Wilburys Collection the vinyl release of which included alternate vocal takes of Not Alone Any More 65 Reviewing the box set for Uncut that year Bud Scoppa described the song as Orbison s last rock aria and a performance in which he absolutely blows the roof off 66 In his article on the song for American Songwriter in October 2015 Jim Beviglia wrote that Orbison s voice was perhaps the Wilburys ultimate secret weapon and the collaboration only fully succeeded through Lynne creating a stratospheric weeper on the level of Orbison classics like Crying and It s Over Beviglia concluded by saying that when Orbison died at the age of 52 he went out at the peak of his powers with Not Alone Anymore and his legacy remains greatly enhanced by this tear stained triumph 29 Jeff Burger writing for The Morton Report in 2016 highlighted the song and Handle with Care as Vol 1 s fun filled ear candy that profit from Orbison s inimitable soaring vocals Harrison s trademark guitar and Lynne s production 67 Petty credited Lynne with making Orbison feel comfortable with recording again through their collaborations on Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 and Mystery Girl and in doing so he completely revitalised Orbison s career 68 Petty said of Not Alone Any More Lynne completely re wrote the song around this lead vocal that was down there And wrote this incredible song you know and it s now one of my favorite ones on the album And there s nobody else that could do that 25 In September 2016 Legacy Recordings included both Handle with Care and Not Alone Any More on its Orbison compilation album The Ultimate Collection 69 Guitarist Adrian Belew covered Not Alone Any More on his 1990 album Young Lions 70 In 2009 Lucy Walsh contributed a recording of the song to the Orbison tribute album Under the Covers Notes Edit Dylan s tour beginning on 18 June 12 became the start of his Never Ending Tour 13 Orbison said he rued having to depart for his US concerts and couldn t wait to get back and complete the Wilburys album 14 Petty recalled that No one was really happy with it and they were considering writing a new song for Orbison 25 Lynne denied that he rewrote the song He told disc jockey Roger Scott in early 1989 It was everybody s song I didn t really re write the tune I just changed the chords the whole chords under his voice Left his tune the same 38 Final recording and mixing for Mystery Girl was also carried out at Friar Park 40 Along with Petty s Full Moon Fever and Lynne s Armchair Theatre Orbison s album was one of several projects to feature multiple members of the Wilburys 40 41 Orbison s most successful period this also included Only the Lonely and Crying among chart hits that in Rolling Stone s description established his brooding loner persona 43 References Edit Smax 2007 event occurs between 13 20 and 13 24 Van der Kiste 2015 p 112 Mojo staff 4 November 2015 Jeff Lynne Bob Dylan Wanted To Call Us Roy amp The Boys Mojo Retrieved 5 September 2018 Van der Kiste 2015 pp 116 120 Clayson 2003 pp 128 418 Van der Kiste 2015 pp 112 13 Zanes 2007 pp 157 58 Sounes 2001 p 384 Ostin Mo 2007 The History of the Traveling Wilburys Introduction The Traveling Wilburys Collection CD booklet Traveling Wilburys The Wilbury Record Co pp 2 3 Heylin 2011 p 626 Huntley 2006 p 220 Sounes 2001 pp 385 86 Larkin 2011 p 849 Smax 2007 event occurs between 18 14 and 18 21 a b c Zanes 2007 p 164 Zollo 2005 pp 127 28 a b c d e Van der Kiste 2015 p 113 Marszalek Julian 9 October 2012 Roll Over Beethoven Jeff Lynne s Favourite Albums The Quietus Retrieved 10 September 2018 a b Rolling Stone staff 2016 16 November 1989 100 Best Albums of the Eighties 67 Traveling Wilburys Traveling Wilburys Volume 1 rollingstone com Retrieved 6 September 2018 Amburn 1990 pp 42 43 a b c d e Clayson 2003 p 422 Heylin 2011 pp 625 26 a b c d e f Traveling Wilburys 2009 Madinger amp Easter 2000 pp 475 476 a b c d e Atkins Martyn dir 2012 Mr Blue Sky The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO DVD James Pluta producer BBC Four The Traveling Wilburys 2008 The Traveling Wilburys Collection Piano Vocal Guitar Milwaukee WI Hal Leonard pp 57 60 ISBN 978 1 4234 3326 2 Huntley 2006 p 222 Amburn 1990 p 220 a b c Beviglia Jim 18 October 2015 Lyric of the Week The Traveling Wilburys Not Alone Anymore American Songwriter Retrieved 8 September 2018 a b Madinger amp Easter 2000 p 475 Smax 2007 event occurs between 3 40 and 4 08 Zollo 2005 p 122 Lehman 2010 p 162 Clayson 1989 p 208 a b Zimmer Dave 5 May 1989 Tom Petty Once In A Full Moon BAM Available at Rock s Backpages subscription required Guttenbacher Haines amp von Petersdorff 1996 a b Smax 2007 event occurs between 14 50 and 15 12 Roger Scott presenter 1989 Saturday Sequence radio interview BBC Radio 1 The Traveling Wilburys Limited Edition Book gt The Manuscript gallery images 1 amp 3 Genesis Publications Retrieved 5 September 2018 a b Clayson 2003 pp 422 23 Huntley 2006 p 224 Larkin 2011 pp 1987 88 Romanowski amp George Warren 1995 pp 729 730 Smax 2007 event occurs between 16 05 and 16 18 Badman 2001 p 414 Madinger amp Easter 2000 p 637 Vol 1 credits The Traveling Wilburys Collection CD booklet Traveling Wilburys The Wilbury Record Co 2007 p 11 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link a b Van der Kiste 2015 p 115 Clayson 2003 p 421 Clayson 1989 pp 206 07 Zollo 2005 p 124 Amburn 1990 p 221 Larkin 2011 p 1994 Romanowski amp George Warren 1995 pp 729 30 1014 Unterberger Richie Roy Orbison AllMusic Retrieved 7 September 2018 Lehman 2010 pp 161 62 Wild David 18 October 1988 Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 Rolling Stone p 80 Retrieved 6 September 2018 Smax 2007 event occurs between 20 57 and 21 09 Badman 2001 p 416 Clayson 2003 p 423 Larkin 2011 pp 1989 90 Romanowski amp George Warren 1995 p 730 Madinger amp Easter 2000 p 476 The Editors of Rolling Stone 2002 p 190 Knopper Steve 19 April 2007 Traveling Wilburys to Reissue Two Albums Rolling Stone Retrieved 7 September 2018 Scoppa Bud 6 June 2007 The Traveling Wilburys Volumes 1 and 3 Uncut Retrieved 7 September 2018 Burger Jeff 15 July 2016 Album Review The Traveling Wilburys The Traveling Wilburys Collection The Morton Report Retrieved 8 September 2018 Van der Kiste 2015 p 116 Legacy Recordings press release 12 September 2016 The Ultimate Collection Marks The First Ever Anthology of Roy Orbison legacyrecordings com Retrieved 8 September 2018 Connolly Dave Adrian Belew Young Lions AllMusic Retrieved 8 September 2018 Sources EditAmburn Ellis 1990 Dark Star The Roy Orbison Story New York NY Carol Publishing Group ISBN 0 8184 0518 X Badman Keith 2001 The Beatles Diary Volume 2 After the Break Up 1970 2001 London Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 7119 8307 6 Clayson Alan 1989 Only the Lonely Roy Orbison s Life and Legacy London St Martin s Press ISBN 0 312 03961 1 Clayson Alan 2003 George Harrison London Sanctuary ISBN 1 86074 489 3 The Editors of Rolling Stone 2002 Harrison New York NY Rolling Stone Press ISBN 978 0 7432 3581 5 Guttenbacher Patrik Haines Marc von Petersdorff Alexander 1996 Unexpected Messages The Story of The Electric Light Orchestra The Move Jeff Lynne Roy Wood Bev Bevan FTM ISBN 9783000006425 Heylin Clinton 2011 Bob Dylan Behind the Shades 20th Anniversary ed London Faber and Faber ISBN 978 0 571 27240 2 Huntley Elliot J 2006 Mystical One George Harrison After the Break up of the Beatles Toronto ON Guernica Editions ISBN 1 55071 197 0 Larkin Colin ed 2011 The Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5th edn London Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 85712 595 8 Lehman Peter 2010 Roy Orbison The Invention of an Alternative Rock Masculinity Philadelphia PA Temple University Press ISBN 978 1 439903896 Madinger Chip Easter Mark 2000 Eight Arms to Hold You The Solo Beatles Compendium Chesterfield MO 44 1 Productions ISBN 0 615 11724 4 Romanowski Patricia George Warren Holly eds 1995 The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock amp Roll New York NY Fireside Rolling Stone Press ISBN 0 684 81044 1 Smax Willy dir 2007 The True History of the Traveling Wilburys DVD Traveling Wilburys Willy Smax and Olivia Harrison producers Wilbury Record Co Sounes Howard 2001 Down the Highway The Life of Bob Dylan London Doubleday ISBN 0 385 60125 5 Traveling Wilburys 2009 The Traveling Wilburys Guildford UK Genesis Publications ISBN 978 1 905662159 Van der Kiste John 2015 Jeff Lynne The Electric Light Orchestra Before and After Stroud UK Fonthill Media ISBN 978 1 78155 492 0 Zanes Warren ed 2007 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Runnin Down a Dream San Francisco CA Chronicle Books ISBN 978 0 8118 6201 1 Zollo Paul 2005 Conversations with Tom Petty New York NY Omnibus Press ISBN 1 84449 815 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Not Alone Any More amp oldid 1133870952, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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