Alone Again, Naturally
Writers - Gilbert O'Sullivan
First released - 2005
Original album - Gilbert O'Sullivan (various artists promo)
Producer - Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen
Subsequent albums - Release 2017 reissue Further Listening 2001-2004 bonus disc
Other releases - (none)
The Pet Shop Boys' and Elton John's duet-cover of this classic 1972 hit was originally released on a rare 2005 promo of Gilbert O'Sullivan songs put out by BMG, titled simply Gilbert O'Sullivan. Fortunately, its inclusion with the 2017 reissue of Release rescued it from obscurity, although the two versions are somewhat different, the 2017 release sounding more "polished," with additional harmonies and keyboard parts. The Boys and Elton recorded the song in 2003 during the sessions in which they also made their duet remake of "In Private." Neil and Chris also recorded during the same sessions another rendition of the song without Elton's participation, although this "solo" version has not yet seen the light of day. Both tracks were produced by the Norwegian (but U.S.-based) team of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, better known as Stargate.
O'Sullivan's original toyed with the listener by contrasting its relatively jaunty music with a decidedly downbeat lyric: no less than an outright contemplation of suicide arising from frustration at the transience of love, whether that transience is the result of death or sheer fickleness. The PSB/Elton version is more obviously somber, though a touch of that jauntiness remains. The melody alone guarantees that. Neil sings the first verse, Elton the second, Neil takes the bridge (aside from a final echo by Elton), and they take turns in the third.
One of the saddest songs ever to hit #1, "Alone Again, Naturally" is in some ways so overwrought—the narrator is jilted at the wedding altar, questions the existence of God, and cannot reconcile himself with the death of his parents, all in the space of about three minutes—that it practically begs for either scorn or a "camp" interpretation (or both) among those of an even moderately jaded persuasion. But I don't detect a hint of either scorn or camp in this rendition. The Boys and Elton play it straight, so to speak, leaving it totally up to us how to react. Any reaction would surely reveal more about the listener than about the songwriter and performers.
Mixes/Versions
Officially released
- Mixers: Stargate (?)
- Gilbert O'Sullivan promo version (3:25)
- Release reissue Further Listening version (3:25)
- These two mixes are different in that some of Elton's vocals in the original promo version are either removed or more buried in the mix that appears on the Release reissue Further Listening disc.
List cross-references
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