On My Own - Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald (1986) 6/30/23

From 1982 to 1991, legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager were married--and it's interesting to note that they didn't always agree on the songs they wrote together.

This was occasionally a GOOD thing. Take, for example, today's Great Song of 1986: On My Own" by Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald.

Burt had written the melody and even came up with the title, but Carole didn't think it sounded like a hit, so she put off writing lyrics for it.

Burt, however, kept pestering her until she finally gave in and wrote a story about a couple who weren't married, but were in a relationship that somehow had fizzled out, and now they were living on opposite ends of the US...rethinking their decision to split up.

Carole still didn't think it was hit, but the song was presented to Patti who loved it! Her producer, Richard Perry did not.

So Burt and Carole produced it themselves, and at that point, virtually NO ONE thought it would ever be a hit--INCLUDING Patti!

Enter Michael McDonald. Patti approached Michael about turning it into a duet, and Michael agreed.

Just like in the song, he recorded his vocals at a studio in California, and sent them to New York where they were mixed with Patti's. (The video was filed the same way!)

When was the song was released as a single from Patti's album, "Winner In You," it charted in 12 countries worldwide!

In the US alone, it appeared at the top of FOUR charts: #1 on the Hot 100, Dance and R&B Charts, and #2 on the Adult Contemporary Chart--very impressive!

Everyone--except possibly Burt--was surprised.

In 1995, Reba McEntire, with help from Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood and Linda Davis, recorded a country version, and their collective star power took it to #20 on Billboard's Country Chart.

"On My Own" by Patti laBelle and Michael McDonald--in spite of what everyone (except Burt Bacharach) thought at the time, it became a "Great Song of 1986 (and1995 by Reba and Friends).

Patti/Michael: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsH63qJlIMM

Reba/Martina/Trisha/Linda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2etm5LlMHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2etm5LlMHA

Tomorrow: Singer or Vulcan matriarch?