10 May 1986
Bacharach & David devotee that I am, I must admit that I’ve never played their compilations as far as Burt’s 1980s output. Though Bacharach was still wildly successful with his new post-Hal lyricist (and then-wife) Carole Bayer Sager, the Bacharach sound had drifted from ’60s mature, yearning sophistication into ’80s middle-aged soft-focus schmaltz like their recent Oscar-winning ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)’. ‘On My Own’ is of a piece with that. In particular, “Now we’re up to talking divorce / And we weren’t even married” is one of those lyrics that feel all the more naff and dreadful for being so memorable.
If Bacharach and Bayer Sager are in their ’80s groove here, the two vocalists make for an uneasy presence. LaBelle’s strident soul shitkicking and McDonald’s smooth yacht-rock coolness don’t really fit on a slow, blustery ballad in the first place, so naturally make a rough combination as a duet. The video, featuring a rumpled McDonald and glammed-up LaBelle, looks less a romantic melodrama and more an episode of Columbo. The song is slightly more robust than the rest of Bacharach’s easy-listening ’80s, while LaBelle and McDonald are always worth a listen for those distinctive voices. For all that, ‘On My Own’ is the sound a US daytime soap makes when you hold it up to your ear.
Just one more thing. The song title turns out to be ironic, as ‘On My Own’ is made to share Ireland’s number one spot that week – and with one of the most controversial Irish singles of the decade too.
