I did warn you folks I would present nearly all songs from The Travelling Wilburys Volume 1 record and it’s fast approaching the finale. This is the eighth song (of 10) presented so far from this stand – out record. I believe after today’s song we just have one left to go – Tweeter and the Monkey Man. The Travelling Wilburys consisted of some of the greatest talent in contemporary rock history – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.
Almost every song on the record is equal favourite for me, but if I had to choose just one for the ‘Desert Island’, it would most likely be today’s track which is spectacularly sung by Roy Orbison; although Handle With Care would sure give it stiff competition. Not Alone Anymore serves as Orbison’s main contribution to the album. I know others here have other personal favourites from the record and that’s fine by me since all are fantastic tracks. Congratulations – my first post from the supergroup record continues to rack up the views in my blog which is encouraging.
You always said that I’d be back again
That I’d come running to you in the end
I thought that you were on your own
And now I find you’re not alone
[Chorus]
(Not alone) I’ll see you through the rain
(Not alone) Through the heartache and pain
(Not alone) It hurts like never before
You’re not alone anymore
You always said that I would know someday
Just how it feels when your love walks away
I let you down, I let you go
I lost you how was I to know?
[Chorus]
(Not alone) I’ll see you through the rain
(Not alone) Through the heartache and pain
(Not alone) It hurts like never before
You’re not alone anymore
I never knew I could feel this way
I never could see past yesterday
You feel that everything is gone
I feel it too, you’re not alone
From Wikipedia:
A longtime admirer of Orbison, Jeff Lynne wrote Not Alone Any More as a vehicle for the singer’s operatic vocal style. The song’s lyrical theme of loneliness similarly recalls Orbison’s dark ballads of the early 1960s.
On release, the song was much admired by music critics. With the commercial success of the Wilburys, and the recognition afforded Orbison following his death in December 1988, it marked his full return from the career downturn he had experienced since the mid 1960s.
Lynne chose Roy Orbison as a potential bandmate, while Harrison’s first choice was Bob Dylan. Later that year, Lynne began working in Los Angeles on Orbison’s album Mystery Girl. As a result of this collaboration, Orbison, whom Harrison had befriended during a 1963 Beatles tour, joined Harrison, Lynne, Dylan and Tom Petty at the April 1988 recording session for Handle with Care.
Harrison said that they had considerable difficulty writing a song that suited Orbison, given that his best songs from the 1960s contained unusual elements in their composition and structure. Initially, Not Alone Any More was “simple beyond belief”, according to Lynne, and had just three chords. In its completed form, the song was written mainly by Lynne. Petty recalled in 2012: “Not Alone Any More was really Jeff and Roy’s song. I mean, we all contributed a little bit, but in the end, they had the handle on that one … the rest of us kind of backed off and let them go.”
Below is the released studio version and a cool unreleased studio demo with footage.
References:
1. Not Alone Any More – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Una muy buena canción, creería que es también una de mis favoritas, la voz de Roy espectacular. Gracias por compartir sobre esta gran música.
Si esta cancion y ‘Handle Me With Care’ son mis favoritas del album aunque me gusta mucha ‘Congratulations’ y ‘Tweeter and the Monkey Man’. Hay demasiado buenas para mencionalas. Gracias por tu comentario Connie.
This is such an amazing song. It is on my list of songs to feature on my blog. Roy’s vocal is perfection. It really seems like more of an Orbison song than a Wilbury song.
All in all, one of my top albums
According to the wiki reference it sounds more like a Roy song because that’s what they had set out to do to maximise his ‘don’. I’m chuffed you’re as enamoured with this song as I am. It’s one of my favourite albums too. Thanks for your comment.
Such an amazing song, and band. Hard to top that lineup!
Can’t argue with you there. It seems to be well liked amongst my few followers. Thanks for chiming in as usual. Much appreciated as always.
As always. Your knowledge is impressive.
That’s very nice on your part. As I research each song in the ‘project’ which started in 2019 my knowledge has increased thanks to the invaluable contributions of Wikipedia entries and the other hundreds of great articles.
Roy was such an amazing singer…he could sing almost anything. I like this one as well.
As you know Max, his vocal range was just about unprecedented in contemporary music. As we might have alrighty discussed Petty loved knowing he was in a band with Roy Orbison lol. Can you blame him?
I can’t blame him at all…and I would have told my mom also!
Haha. I think the song for me at least which demonstrates Orbison vocal capacity best is ‘Crying’ which David Lynch converted into a Spanish version for Mulholland Dr. You could do worse.
That does show his voice off great Matt. I need to post more by him.
Did you see him do that live with Bruce playing there around the ‘Brilliant Disguise’ era?
Oh you mean the black and white concert with Bruce and George Harrison there….yes I saw that.
I thought you would have of course. Just watched the ‘Crying’ version again. Wowee. I envy the audience hehe
I know. it would have been awesome. I think he passed away a year later. That is so sad…he was about to have a hit album and he was with the Wilburys…and that happened.
You’ve got to wonder what would have happened if Roy hadn’t sadly passed. It’s frankly daunting what these 5 members could have conjured together if they remained together and did ‘serious stuff’ together. But I doubt that was ever on the cards. Each member’s talents (individual) was too big for such a long-term collaboration of exceptional song writing. Any-hows, they made the most out of the time they had and then some.
No I doubt if they would have stayed together long enough to do that but…we may have got a third album out of them…which would have been great.
I still don’t understand why some other older guys like John Fogerty doesn’t try that with some peers like Mellencamp and Bruce.
They didn’t want to do serious material; first and foremost. They knew through perhaps Harrison’s ingenuity how they could create music which could conjure ‘new love’ from audiences (and the commercial music market) wider than their own fan-ship bases.
I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with John Fogerty music (I think). I know a little of Mellencamp’s music. I can’t imagine Bruce leaving his nest for a group like that, but if you say so, then I’m all ears. As always Max, it’s always a great pleasure.
They did keep it fun and that was a selling point…Dylan especially. He really let go with them.
John Fogerty…Creedence Clearwater…I would love to hear a collaboration between him, Bruce, and Mellencamp.
Robbie Robertson would have been good also.
Yea I know…it will never happen!
Creedence (John Fogerty); sorry I didn’t make the connection. That’s why you are here lol
Yeh, that would have been stella…maybe. I still can’t envision it like what George did with the TW’s. But it’s always nice to have those visions.
No…those artists would not be as fun…that is for sure…but it would be quality.
Quality no doubt.
That’s the irony! Who could have thought with those 5 artists of TW, that they could make that ‘lucid’ commercially viable music? That’s what stumps me. I put it down to George in is his whimsical goal – whatever that was.
Yea George picked the right people at the right time.
As written, Jeff had Roy in mind and George – Bob. It was George’s vision that came into being.
Anyone that can produce a song like Lynne did with ‘telephone line’ deserves full attention. Haha
Oh yes…the guy is a great producer
He may have been, but this song at Wembley: