"You're Not Alone" is a song written by Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth and performed by British trip hop group Olive on their debut album, Extra Virgin (1996). First released as a single in August 1996, it found greater success in 1997 in a remixed version, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart that May. The song has been covered by a number of artists, most notably by German trance DJ and producer ATB in 2002 and Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer in 2009.
Barry Walters for The Advocate remarked that the song "in its original rendition resembles recent Everything But the Girl and now comes across as every other perfect pop-turned-disco masterpiece."[2]Larry Flick from Billboard described it as a "lush, ambient tune that has the dark and torchy texture of Everything But The Girl, but with a far more mainstream-friendly, classic-soul flavor." He complimented singer Ruth-Ann Boyle that "brings a rich, smoky quality to the song, while musicians Robin Taylor-Firth and Tim Kellett underline her performance with sweet, swirling strings and jittery breakbeatstyled percussion."[3] A reviewer from Daily Record called it a "hypnotic dance chart-topper", noting that features former Simply Red "keyboard wiz" Kellett.[4] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian remarked that "the single's summery lilt was balanced by a majestic keyboard riff".[5]
Music Week rated the 1996 version four out of five, writing, "Weirded-out production and a good tune, this provides the perfect preview of an excellent album."[6] In 1997, they rated the remix three out of five, describing it as a "sparkling pop groove [that] ought to do the chart business and already has strong club support thanks to remixes from the likes of Oakenfold and Roni Size."[7] Ian Hyland from Sunday Mirror gave it eight out of ten, commenting, "No, not the greasy woman out of 'On The Buses' but a top dance groove techno type group who sound a bit European but have turned up this pearler of a club monster all the same. Remixes galore make it hard to ignore but if you are a Friday nighter, you'will have heard it already."[8] David Sinclair from The Times noted that "strangely out-of-phase dance production gives this haunting tune a distinctive edge."[9]
Music videoedit
Three entirely different music videos were filmed for "You're Not Alone". The first video features all three band members Ruth-Ann Boyle, Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth appearing in spectral forms in a hotel room. The second video is the version which is seen the most and is set in a dark night-time setting in France. It features all three band members and includes scenes in a public toilet, and by a road with glowing headlights of cars. A third video (which also includes elements from the second) is a montage of the band members in dark, moody urban settings. This video only features the remaining two band members, Boyle and Kellett.
German trance producer and disc jockey ATBcovered the song and released it as a single on 15 April 2002 in Germany. The US CD release by Radikal Records had a cover misprint indicating the identical 4 track list as the 12-inch record release, however the CD contained 5 tracks.
Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer released a cover version of the song on 14 December 2009. The song charted in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and the Netherlands. The cover version was later included on Langer's first international studio album, Behold which was released on 9 May 2011.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Other versionsedit
In 2009 the song was sampled by British rapper Tinchy Stryder on the song "You're Not Alone". It was released as a single from his second studio album, Catch 22 on 26 October 2009.
In 2017, a version by Scotty Boy and Lizzie Curious went to number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart.[72]
A singer under the name Astræa (Jennifer Ann) released a version for the 2018 Lloyds TV advert.[73]
^You're Not Alone (UK CD single liner notes). Olive. RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 1996. 74321406272.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^You're Not Alone (UK CD1 liner notes). Olive. RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 1997. 74321473232.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^You're Not Alone (UK CD2 liner notes). Olive. RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 1997. 74321473252.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^You're Not Alone (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Olive. RCA Records, Bertelsmann Music Group. 1997. 07863 64905-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Hits of the World: Denmark (IFPI/Nielsen Marketing Research) 06/19/97". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 27. Nielsen Business Media. 5 July 1997. p. 41. ISSN 0006-2510.
^"Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 22. 31 May 1997. p. 19. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^"Olive Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^"Olive Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
^"Olive Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
^"Jaaroverzichten 1997" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
^"Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1997" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. 7. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
^"Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
^"Romanian Top 100 Singles Airplay – Top of the Year 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
^"Top 100 Singles 1997". Music Week. 17 January 1998. p. 27.
^"The Club Top 100 of 1997" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 10 January 1998. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
^"The Year in Music 1997: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. YE-45.
^"Mads Langer – You're Not Alone" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
^"Danish single certifications – Mads Langer – You're Not Alone". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 17 January 2021. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2012 to obtain certification.
^"Italian single certifications – Mads Langer – You're Not Alone" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 17 January 2021. Select "2013" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "You're Not Alone" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
^"Dance Club Songs – June 17, 2017". Billboard. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
^"Lloyds Bank Ad Song 2018 – 'You're Not Alone' Running of the Horses – Advert Music". tvadsongs.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
