The Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files: Bernard Butler Declares That He’s “Not Alone”

noah | December 7, 2006 11:16 am
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Time for another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we blow the dust off of a forgotten favorite and give its lack of chart success a once-over.

Artist: Bernard Butler Song: “Not Alone,” 1998 What happened: After guitarist Bernard Butler left Suede in 1994, he teamed up with the UK soul singer David McAlmont, then had a brief stint with The Verve. Butler released his first solo album, People Move On, in 1998; “Not Alone” was the second single from People, but it barely made a dent on British radio, peaking at No. 27 on the UK chart. Why it should have been a hit: The I-will-survive anthem “Not Alone” is an overstuffed, grandiose song, from its opening orchestral swells to the string flourishes on its chorus, although we’re a little suspicious of Butler’s defiant lyrical claim that all he needs is an electric guitar; surely a stripped-down version of this wall-of-sound gem–it even has handclaps!–wouldn’t pack the same punch.

Bernard Butler – Not Alone [MP3, link expired] the bernard butler website [Official site]