| "All Alone Am I" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBrenda Lee | ||||
| from the albumAll Alone Am I | ||||
| B-side | "Save All Your Lovin' For Me" | |||
| Released | 24 September 1962 | |||
| Recorded | 9 August 1962 | |||
| Length | 2:41 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Composer | Manos Hadjidakis | |||
| Lyricist | Arthur Altman (English) | |||
| Producer | Owen Bradley | |||
| Brenda Lee singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"All Alone Am I" is a song from 1962 popularized by the American singerBrenda Lee. The song was originally composed by the Greek composerManos Hadjidakis and recorded in Greek byTzeni Karezi for the soundtrack of the filmTo nisi ton genneon (The Island of the Brave); the original song in Greek is titled "Μην τον ρωτάς τον ουρανό" ("Min ton rotas ton ourano", translation: "Don't ask the sky"). Later, a new version of the song with English lyrics was produced byOwen Bradley and appeared as the title track on one of Lee's albums. The song is written in the key ofF major, but begins on the sub-dominant B-flat major 7th chord.
In 1960, theGreek filmNever on Sunday was released to considerable acclaim, earning multipleAcademy Award nominations in the US. The film's star,Melina Mercouri, was nominated forBest Actress, while thetitle song from the film won the Oscar forBest Original Song for Greek musicianManos Hatzidakis, who had composed the music used in the film. A melody that appeared in bothNever on Sunday andThe 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 intoEnglish by Arthur Altman, became "All Alone Am I".[1]
"All Alone Am I" became a top 10 pop hit in both the US and the UK. The song peaked at number three on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in November 1962[2] and number seven on theUK Singles Chart in February 1963.[3] The song also spent five weeks atop the USBillboardeasy listening chart in November and December 1962, Lee's only song to do so.[1] The B-side to the single, "Save All Your Lovin' For Me", reached number 53 on the US pop chart.
| Chart (1962–63) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[4] | 10 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 7 |
| USBillboardMiddle Road Singles | 1 |
| USBillboard Hot 100 | 3 |
