On My Own (Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald song)

"On My Own"
Single by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald
from the album Winner in You
B-side"Stir It Up"
ReleasedFebruary 23, 1986
Recorded1985
GenrePop[1]
Length4:50
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Burt Bacharach
  • Carole Bayer Sager
Patti LaBelle singles chronology
"Stir It Up"
(1985) 		"On My Own"
(1986) 		"Oh, People"
(1986)
Michael McDonald singles chronology
"No Lookin' Back"
(1985) 		"On My Own"
(1986) 		"Sweet Freedom"
(1986)
Music video
"On My Own" on YouTube

"On My Own" is a duet by American singers Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald. It was written and produced by Burt Bacharach and his then-wife Carole Bayer Sager and originally recorded by singer Dionne Warwick for inclusion on her album Friends (1985). The song was eventually recorded by LaBelle and McDonald for her eighth studio album, Winner in You (1986). It was released as the album's lead single on March 22, 1986, by MCA Records. Lyrically, "On My Own" was based on a relationship that had reached its end with both parties going their separate ways in a melancholy state with the occasional option of coming back together again one day.

The two performers were in separate cities when they recorded their individual parts, which were then "married" during mixing. This was reflected in the music video produced to promote the song, which depicted LaBelle and McDonald performing the song simultaneously on different coasts.[2] The singers were shown on separate sides of a split screen, each singing the song while walking through apartments that had identical layouts but different decor and furniture. The views from their respective porches, where they finished the song, made clear their separation by the continent.

Commercial performance

"On My Own" became the most successful single ever for both singers as it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. The song also reached the number-one spot on the Hot Black Singles chart (for four weeks) and number two on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), becoming the 22nd best-selling single of 1986 in the country. The song was initially not intended to be a duet at all, but LaBelle decided to invite McDonald to help her turn the song into a duet, as she stated: "The song was sent to me and I did a version of it but somehow it just didn't quite work. We were going over things I'd done and we talked about turning it into a duet. Someone asked, 'If you could do it with anyone, who would you sing it with?', and Michael was my first choice."[3]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "On My Own"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[39] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Reba McEntire version

"On My Own"
Single by Reba McEntire
from the album Starting Over
B-side"Read My Mind"
ReleasedSeptember 16, 1995
GenreCountry
Length4:34
LabelMCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Reba McEntire singles chronology
"And Still"
(1995) 		"On My Own"
(1995) 		"Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands"
(1995)

In September 1995, country entertainer Reba McEntire released a cover version of the song as the first single from her album Starting Over. Her version, featuring guest vocals from Martina McBride, Linda Davis and fellow MCA labelmate Trisha Yearwood, peaked at number 20 on Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, although only McEntire received chart credit for it. Its music video was directed by Dominic Orlando and was filmed on the Chaplin Stage.

The four artists performed the song at the 1995 Country Music Association Awards, and again at the 1996 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Charts

Chart performance for "On My Own"
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[40] 22
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[41] 20

References

  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 15, 2022). "Bon Jovi - "You Give Love a Bad Name". The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York: Hachette Book Group. p. 183.
  2. ^ LaBelle, Patti (October 7, 2009). "On My Own". Retrieved April 18, 2013 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 30, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ^ "Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  6. ^ "Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0692." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8196." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  9. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 22. June 7, 1986. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
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  12. ^ "Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
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  18. ^ "Bananarama Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
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  20. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending June 28, 1986". Cash Box. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  21. ^ "Cash Box Black Contemporary Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLIX, no. 49. May 24, 1986. p. 17. ISSN 0008-7289 – via World Radio History.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald – On My Own" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  23. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. No. 650. December 29, 1986 – via Imgur.
  24. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1986 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. December 27, 1986. p. 5. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  26. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. December 27, 1986. p. 28. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
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  33. ^ "1986 The Year in Music & Video – Top Dance Sales Singles/Albums". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-26. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
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  37. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Patti La Belle/Michael Mcdonald – On My Own". British Phonographic Industry. May 1, 1986. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  39. ^ "American single certifications – Patti LaBelle & Michael Mc Donald – On My Own". Recording Industry Association of America. May 23, 1986.
  40. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2792." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 30, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  41. ^ "Reba McEntire Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.