All Alone Am I
Encyclopedia
"All Alone Am I" is the title of a song from 1962 (see 1962 in music
) popularized by the American singer Brenda Lee
. The music was originally composed by the Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis
and recorded by Tzeni Karezi
for the soundtrack of the film To nisi ton genneon (The Island of the Brave). Later, a new version of the song was produced by Owen Bradley
and appeared as the title track on one of Lee's albums.
In 1960, the Greek
film Never on Sunday
was released to considerable acclaim, earning multiple Academy Award nominations in the US. The film's star, Melina Mercouri
, was nominated for Best Actress
, while the title song from the film
won the Oscar for Best Original Song
for Greek musician Manos Hadjidakis, who had composed the music used in the film. A melody that appeared in both Never on Sunday and The Island of the Brave was sent to Lee's management as a tune to be considered for the singer to record, and after being translated into English
by Arthur Altman, became "All Alone Am I".
"All Alone Am I" became a top 10 pop hit in both the US and the UK. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in November 1962 and number seven on the UK Singles Chart
in February 1963. The song also spent five weeks atop the US Billboard easy listening chart in November and December 1962, Lee's only song to do so. The B-side to the single, "Save All Your Lovin' For Me", reached number 53 on the US pop chart.
Lee was asked in an interview what she thought of the film Never on Sunday and stated "I didn't see it till later on in life", since she felt the risqué subject matter (Mercouri portrays a prostitute in the film) was inappropriate for a teenager to see at the time.
foivos Carola translated the lyrics into French and recorded it for the soundtrack of the film The Cold Old Days in 1965. The movie won the Golden Rose of the Montreaux Film Festival
.
1962 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes both audition at Decca Records, a company which has the option of signing one group only...
) popularized by the American singer Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
. The music was originally composed by the Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hadjidakis
Manos Hatzidakis was a Greek composer and theorist of the Greek music. He was also one of the main prime movers of the "Éntekhno" song ....
and recorded by Tzeni Karezi
Tzeni Karezi
Tzeni Karezi was a Greek film and theatre actress. She was considered one of the most popular and successful actresses of the cinema of Greece.-Early life:...
for the soundtrack of the film To nisi ton genneon (The Island of the Brave). Later, a new version of the song was produced by Owen Bradley
Owen Bradley
Owen Bradley was an American record producer who, along with Chet Atkins and Bob Ferguson, was one of the chief architects of the 1950s and 1960s Nashville sound in country music and rockabilly.-Before the fame:...
and appeared as the title track on one of Lee's albums.
In 1960, the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
film Never on Sunday
Never on Sunday
Never on Sunday is a 1960 Greek black-and-white film which tells the story of Ilya, a prostitute who lives in the port of Piraeus in Greece, and Homer, an American tourist from Middletown, Connecticut — a classical scholar enamored with all things Greek. Ilya is a character close to the...
was released to considerable acclaim, earning multiple Academy Award nominations in the US. The film's star, Melina Mercouri
Melina Mercouri
Melina Mercouri , born as Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer and politician.As an actress she made her film debut in Stella and met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra, Topkapi and Promise at Dawn...
, was nominated for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, while the title song from the film
Never on Sunday (song)
"Never on Sunday", also known as "Ta Paidia Tou Piraia" is a popular song by Manos Hadjidakis. A vocal version was also released and performed by Melina Mercouri in the film of same name directed by Jules Dassin and starring Mercouri...
won the Oscar for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for Greek musician Manos Hadjidakis, who had composed the music used in the film. A melody that appeared in both Never on Sunday and The Island of the Brave was sent to Lee's management as a tune to be considered for the singer to record, and after being translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by Arthur Altman, became "All Alone Am I".
"All Alone Am I" became a top 10 pop hit in both the US and the UK. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in November 1962 and number seven on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in February 1963. The song also spent five weeks atop the US Billboard easy listening chart in November and December 1962, Lee's only song to do so. The B-side to the single, "Save All Your Lovin' For Me", reached number 53 on the US pop chart.
Lee was asked in an interview what she thought of the film Never on Sunday and stated "I didn't see it till later on in life", since she felt the risqué subject matter (Mercouri portrays a prostitute in the film) was inappropriate for a teenager to see at the time.
Covers
FinnishMusic of Finland
The music of Finland can be roughly divided in the following three categories.Folk music is typically influenced by Karelian traditional tunes and lyrics of the Kalevala metre. Karelian heritage has traditionally been perceived as the purest expression of Finnic myths and beliefs, thought to be...
foivos Carola translated the lyrics into French and recorded it for the soundtrack of the film The Cold Old Days in 1965. The movie won the Golden Rose of the Montreaux Film Festival
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
.