We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Johnny J Blair w​/​Davy Jones (Monkees) - Love Love Alone (single edit)

from HALFWAY TO DAKOTA (limited edition EP) by Johnny J Blair w/Davy Jones, Mike Garson, Prairie Prince, Chris von Sneidern

/

about

"Love Love Alone" has created a lot of mileage for me. The lyrics tell a simplified tale about a king that turned down his crown to be with the woman he loved--the famed 1936 abdication episode between King Edward and Ms. Wallis Simpson, better known as The Duke & Duchess of Windsor.

The song first came to my attention via Dan Rielly, and old friend and collaborator. He found it as a deep album cut by Harry Belafonte, recorded in 1958. The original was quite calypso-fied (that was Belafonte's heyday, when calypso was, for a time, bigger than rock'n'roll), but Dan and I took it into more of an 80s synth-pop zone. The original 4-track demo from 1988 got some airplay and attention. A few years later we aimed for the big 24-track studio production. However, that record deal tanked and the record didn't come out. The basic tracks sat dormant for years, then were revived and overdubbed for my FIRE album (www.cdbaby.com/cd/johnnyjblair2) in 2000.

During the FIRE sessions, the song caught the attention of Davy Jones (Monkees) for the endearments of modern and controversial British history (months later, David pitched the song to the cable television series he was narrating, MEET THE ROYALS).

The song remains on of the staples of my live set and, a couple years ago, a freelance video of it was featured on the British site NME.com www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/RiJk2nw4I0M/search/johnny-j-blair

credits

from HALFWAY TO DAKOTA (limited edition EP), track released January 29, 2013
Cassie Blair, Davy Jones, Margo Mazzolla, Erik Nielsen, Bridget Purifoy: harmony vocals & talk tracks
JJB: accordion, bass, keyboards, percussion, violin, lead & harmony vocals
Dan Rielly: drum programs, guitars, keyboards
Final mix by Tim Breon, Williamsport PA

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large" San Francisco, California

"Johnny is a virtuoso"--Brian Wilson
"Pop music with a conscience.”--Goldmine
“the Harry Houdini of rock and roll.”-- Spotlight. Listen to Johnny's fast-paced mix of old school soul, psychedelia, punk/new wave, & classic pop/rock. Singer-songwriter in his own right, he was also a sideman for Davy Jones and The Monkees + performed with David Cassidy, Al Stewart, Buddy & Julie Miller, & others. ... more

contact / help

Contact Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large"

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this track or account

Johnny J Blair "Singer at Large" recommends:

If you like Love Love Alone (single edit), you may also like: