Jump to content

Better Alone: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
reverting chart edits made by an unregistered user "spice heart" (whatever that is), is not a reliable source for chart positions.
 
(41 intermediate revisions by 32 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|2005 single by Melanie C}}
{{for|"Better Alone", song by Carolina Liar|Coming to Terms}}
{{For|"Better Alone", song by Carolina Liar|Coming to Terms}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox single |
{{Infobox song
| Name = Better Alone
| Cover = Betteralonecover.jpg
| name = Better Alone
| Artist = [[Melanie C]]
| cover = Betteralonecover.jpg
| from Album = [[Beautiful Intentions]]
| type = single
| B-side = {{flat list|
| artist = [[Melanie C]]
| album = [[Beautiful Intentions]]
*"Warrior"
| B-side = {{hlist|Warrior|Runaway}}
*"Runaway" <small>(re-release)</small>}}
| Released = {{start date|2005|8|1|df=y}}
| released = {{start date|2005|8|1|df=y}}
| recorded = 2004
{{end date|2006|2|24|df=y}} <small>(re-release)</small>
| Format = {{flat list|
| genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres -->
| length = {{ubl|4:35 (album version)|3:06 (radio edit)}}
* [[CD single]]
| label = [[Red Girl Records|Red Girl]]
* [[Music download|digital download]]}}
| writer = {{hlist||[[Peter-John Vettese]]|Melanie Chisholm}}
| Recorded = July 2004
| Genre = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| producer = Greg Haver
| prev_title = [[Next Best Superstar]]
| Length = 3:06 <small>(radio edit)</small>
| prev_year = 2005
4:35 <small>(album version)</small>
| next_title = [[First Day of My Life (Melanie C song)|First Day of My Life]]
| Label = [[Red Girl Records|Red Girl]]
| next_year = 2005
| Writer = {{flat list|
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|oxfsC2SAiCU|"Better Alone" UK music video}}}}
*[[Peter-John Vettese]]
*Melanie Chisholm}}
| Producer = Greg Haver
| Last single = "[[Next Best Superstar]]"<br>(2005)
| This single = "'''Better Alone'''"<br>(2005)
| Next single = "[[First Day of My Life (Melanie C song)|First Day of My Life]]"<br>(2005)
| Misc = {{Extra album cover
| Upper caption = Alternative covers
| Type = single
| Cover = Betteralone-ukcd2.jpg
| Lower caption = UK CD2 cover}}
{{Extra album cover
| Upper caption =
| Type = single
| Cover = BA-single2.jpg
| Lower caption = UK DVD cover}}
{{Extra album cover
| Upper caption =
| Type = single
| Cover = Mel C - Better Alone (German CD).jpg
| Lower caption = German CD cover}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|oxfsC2SAiCU|"Better Alone" UK music video}}}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|EEgxw9334ng|"Better Alone" European music video}}}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|EEgxw9334ng|"Better Alone" European music video}}}}
|}}
}}
"'''Better Alone'''" is a song by British singer-songwriter, [[Melanie Chisholm|Melanie C]]. It was released as the second single from her third album ''[[Beautiful Intentions]]''. The song is a piano-backed ballad which covers themes such as independence and emancipation from a stifling relationship. In the United Kingdom, it was available to purchase from [[iTunes]] and from the online shop on Melanie C's website, which sold a limited run of two physical CDs and a DVD single. It was also released in Australia, Italy, Sweden and Netherlands. In February 2006, the single was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland accompanied by a new music video.
"'''Better Alone'''" is a song by British singer-songwriter, [[Melanie C]]. It was released as the second single from her third album ''[[Beautiful Intentions]]''. The song is a piano-backed ballad which covers themes such as independence and emancipation from a stifling relationship. In the United Kingdom, it was available to purchase from [[iTunes]] and from the online shop on Melanie C's website, which sold a limited run of two physical CDs and a DVD single. It was also released in Australia, Italy, Sweden and Netherlands. In February 2006, after the success of [[First Day of My Life (Melanie C song)|First Day of My Life]], "Better Alone" was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland accompanied by a new music video, selling over 200,000 copies worldwide.


==Background==
==Background==
In January 2004, after a series of disappointments and the relative failure of singles [[Melt (song)|Melt]] and [[Yeh Yeh Yeh]], Melanie C was dropped by Virgin Records as a solo artist. In the summer, after wrapping up [[The Barfly Mini-Tour]], Melanie went into the studio and began recording songs for "Beautiful Intentions". "Better Alone" was written in response to Virgin Records.
In January 2004, after a series of disappointments and the relative failure of singles "[[Melt (song)|Melt]]" and "[[Yeh Yeh Yeh]]", Melanie C's contract with Virgin Records as a solo artist was terminated.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3379885.stm|title=Mel C goes alone after being axed|date=8 January 2004}}</ref> In the middle of the year, after wrapping up [[The Barfly Mini-Tour]], Melanie began recording songs for "Beautiful Intentions". She performed the song live at the [[O2 Academy Islington]] on 14 September 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJleQteVcPQ|title = Melanie C - Better Alone live (2004)|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>


==Music video==
==Formats and track listings==
'''UK version'''
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Better Alone".
The first video for "Better Alone" was shot in March 2005 in [[Sussex|Sussex, England]] and was directed by [[Mary McCartney]]. The video takes place in what appears to be a castle and shows Melanie wearing a green gown. This video on the enhanced CD single used the album version of the song, but the version on Melanie C's YouTube channel uses the radio edit.


*'''Dutch CD'''
'''European version'''
The second video, which was directed by Robert Broellochs, was filmed in [[Mannheim|Mannheim, Germany]] on 10 December 2005. The video shows Melanie singing alone by a lake. She plays a woman who rips a photo of her and her ex-boyfriend and throws the pieces into the lake. The pieces appear sinking alongside a car where her boyfriend lies asleep and locked inside. That makes the viewers believe that Melanie was committing a passionate crime. As the video goes on, the man wakes up very scared inside the car and tries to save himself while Melanie is playing with the car keys and a dog. Finally, she decides to press the alarm button so the car doors open up, setting the man free at the bottom of the lake.

==Track listings==
* '''Dutch CD'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix)}} - 3:56
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix)}} - 3:56
# "Warrior" - 3:47
# "Warrior" - 3:47


*'''German Maxi'''
* '''German maxi'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Radio Version)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Radio Version)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix Edit)}} - 3:26
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix Edit)}} - 3:26
Line 66: Line 50:
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Music Video / Multimedia Track)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Music Video / Multimedia Track)}} - 3:06


*'''Swedish CD'''
* '''Swedish CD'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix Edit)}} - 3:26
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix Edit)}} - 3:26
Line 72: Line 56:
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Music video)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Music video)}} - 3:06


*'''UK CD1'''
* '''UK CD1 and iTunes Single'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Warrior" - 3:47
# "Warrior" - 3:47


*'''UK CD2'''
* '''UK CD2'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Original Version)}} - 3:59
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Original Version)}} - 3:59
Line 82: Line 66:
# "Better Alone" {{small|('Amazing' Dub)}} - 7:44
# "Better Alone" {{small|('Amazing' Dub)}} - 7:44


*'''Australian CD'''
* '''Australian CD'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix)}} - 3:56
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Pop Mix)}} - 3:56
Line 88: Line 72:
# "Runaway" - 3:24
# "Runaway" - 3:24


*'''Italian CD'''
* '''Italian CD'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Edit)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Original Version)}} - 3:59
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Original Version)}} - 3:59
Line 94: Line 78:
# "Runaway" - 3:24
# "Runaway" - 3:24


*'''UK DVD'''
* '''UK DVD'''
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Music video)}} - 3:06
# "Better Alone" {{small|(Music video)}} - 3:06
# "Next Best Superstar" {{small|(Music video)}} - 3:31
# "Next Best Superstar" {{small|(Music video)}} - 3:31
# EPK Extract {{small|("Better Alone" & Interview)}} - 2:00
# EPK Extract {{small|("Better Alone" & Interview)}} - 2:00
# Photo Gallery {{small|(& "Runaway")}} - 3:24
# Photo Gallery {{small|(& "Runaway")}} - 3:24

==Official versions and remixes==
* "Better Alone" (Album version) - 4:35
* "Better Alone" (Radio edit) - 3:06
* "Better Alone" (Original Version) - 3:59
* "Better Alone" ('Amazing Dub') - 7:44
* "Better Alone" (Special Productions Re-work) - 6:50
* "Better Alone" (Pop Mix Edit) - 3:28
* "Better Alone" (Pop Mix) - 3:56
* "Better Alone" ([[John Rea (composer)|John Rea]] Demo) - 4:34<ref>[https://soundcloud.com/johnnyrea/mel-c-better-alone]</ref>

==Live performances==
Melanie C performed the song on the following concert tours:
* Live at Carling Academy, Islington
* [[Beautiful Intentions Tour]]
* [[Live Hits]]

==Release history==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Region
! Date
|-
| United Kingdom
| {{start date|2005|8|1|df=y}}
|-
| Germany
| {{start date|2006|2|24|df=y}}
|}


==Charts==
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Chart (2005)
!scope="col"|Chart (2005)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
{{single chart|Australiapandora|83|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150824225100/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20150825-0851/issue811.pdf|urltitle=Issue 811|rowheader=true|access-date=13 October 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
|align="left"|Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="ARIA Report 812">[http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20051020-0000/issue812.pdf] ARIA Report 812. 19 September 2005. ARIA. Retrieved 2013-03-14</ref>
|align="center"|83
|-
|-
{{single chart|Austria|57|artist=Melanie C|song=Better Alone|rowheader=true|access-date=20 April 2017}}
|align="left"|Austria ([[Ö3 Austria Top 40]])
|align="center"|57
|-
|-
{{single chart|Germany|51|artist=Melanie C|song=Better Alone|songid=104233|rowheader=true|access-date=20 April 2017|refname="ger"}}
|align="left"|Germany ([[Media Control Charts|Media Control AG]])
|align="center"|51
|-
|-
{{single chart|Italy|36|artist=Melanie C|song=Better Alone|rowheader=true|access-date=20 April 2017}}
|align="left"|Italy
|align="center"|35
|-
|-
{{single chart|Switzerland|33|artist=Melanie C|song=Better Alone|rowheader=true|access-date=20 April 2017}}
|align="left"|Portugal
|}
|align="center"|4

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|align="left"|Russia
|{{start date|2005|8|1|df=y}}
|align="center"|7
|rowspan="5"|CD
|[[Red Girl Records|Red Girl]]
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=37|date=30 July 2005}}</ref>
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Australia
|align="left"|Switzerland ([[Swiss Music Charts|Schweizer Hitparade]])
|{{start date|2005|9|5|df=y}}
|align="center"|33
|{{hlist|Red Girl|[[Big Records|Big]]|[[Rajon Music Group|Rajon]]}}
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue810.pdf|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20050819140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20050820-0000/issue810.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-08-19|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 5th September 2005|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]|page=29|date=5 September 2005|access-date=13 October 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Austria
|align="left"|Turkey
|rowspan="3"|{{start date|2006|2|24|df=y}}
|align="center"|35
|rowspan="3"|{{hlist|Red Girl|313 Music|[[Warner Music Group]]}}
|rowspan="3"|<ref name="ger"/>
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Germany
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland
|}
|}


Line 164: Line 133:


{{Melanie C singles}}
{{Melanie C singles}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:2005 singles]]
[[Category:2005 singles]]
[[Category:2005 songs]]
[[Category:Big Records singles]]
[[Category:Melanie C songs]]
[[Category:Melanie C songs]]
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Songs written by Peter-John Vettese]]
[[Category:Songs written by Peter-John Vettese]]
[[Category:Songs written by Melanie C]]
[[Category:Songs written by Melanie C]]
[[Category:2005 songs]]
[[Category:Warner Music Group singles]]


{{2000s-pop-song-stub}}

Latest revision as of 16:17, 10 May 2024

For "Better Alone", song by Carolina Liar, see Coming to Terms.

"Better Alone"
Single by Melanie C
from the album Beautiful Intentions
B-side
  • Warrior
  • Runaway
Released1 August 2005 (2005-08-01)
Recorded2004
Length
  • 4:35 (album version)
  • 3:06 (radio edit)
LabelRed Girl
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Haver
Melanie C singles chronology
"Next Best Superstar"
(2005) 		"Better Alone"
(2005) 		"First Day of My Life"
(2005)
Music video
"Better Alone" UK music video on YouTube
Music video
"Better Alone" European music video on YouTube

"Better Alone" is a song by British singer-songwriter, Melanie C. It was released as the second single from her third album Beautiful Intentions. The song is a piano-backed ballad which covers themes such as independence and emancipation from a stifling relationship. In the United Kingdom, it was available to purchase from iTunes and from the online shop on Melanie C's website, which sold a limited run of two physical CDs and a DVD single. It was also released in Australia, Italy, Sweden and Netherlands. In February 2006, after the success of First Day of My Life, "Better Alone" was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland accompanied by a new music video, selling over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Background

[edit]

In January 2004, after a series of disappointments and the relative failure of singles "Melt" and "Yeh Yeh Yeh", Melanie C's contract with Virgin Records as a solo artist was terminated.[1] In the middle of the year, after wrapping up The Barfly Mini-Tour, Melanie began recording songs for "Beautiful Intentions". She performed the song live at the O2 Academy Islington on 14 September 2004.[2]

Music video

[edit]

UK version The first video for "Better Alone" was shot in March 2005 in Sussex, England and was directed by Mary McCartney. The video takes place in what appears to be a castle and shows Melanie wearing a green gown. This video on the enhanced CD single used the album version of the song, but the version on Melanie C's YouTube channel uses the radio edit.

European version The second video, which was directed by Robert Broellochs, was filmed in Mannheim, Germany on 10 December 2005. The video shows Melanie singing alone by a lake. She plays a woman who rips a photo of her and her ex-boyfriend and throws the pieces into the lake. The pieces appear sinking alongside a car where her boyfriend lies asleep and locked inside. That makes the viewers believe that Melanie was committing a passionate crime. As the video goes on, the man wakes up very scared inside the car and tries to save himself while Melanie is playing with the car keys and a dog. Finally, she decides to press the alarm button so the car doors open up, setting the man free at the bottom of the lake.

Track listings

[edit]
  • Dutch CD
  1. "Better Alone" (Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Better Alone" (Pop Mix) - 3:56
  3. "Warrior" - 3:47
  • German maxi
  1. "Better Alone" (Radio Version) - 3:06
  2. "Better Alone" (Pop Mix Edit) - 3:26
  3. "Warrior" - 3:48
  4. "Better Alone" ('Amazing' Dub) - 7:46
  5. "You'll Get Yours" (Acoustic Version) - 5:44
  6. "Better Alone" (Music Video / Multimedia Track) - 3:06
  • Swedish CD
  1. "Better Alone" (Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Better Alone" (Pop Mix Edit) - 3:26
  3. "Warrior" - 3:47
  4. "Better Alone" (Music video) - 3:06
  • UK CD1 and iTunes Single
  1. "Better Alone" (Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Warrior" - 3:47
  • UK CD2
  1. "Better Alone" (Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Better Alone" (Original Version) - 3:59
  3. "Better Alone" (Pop Mix) - 3:56
  4. "Better Alone" ('Amazing' Dub) - 7:44
  • Australian CD
  1. "Better Alone" (Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Better Alone" (Pop Mix) - 3:56
  3. "Better Alone" ('Amazing' Dub) - 7:44
  4. "Runaway" - 3:24
  • Italian CD
  1. "Better Alone" (Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Better Alone" (Original Version) - 3:59
  3. "Better Alone" ('Amazing' Dub) - 7:44
  4. "Runaway" - 3:24
  • UK DVD
  1. "Better Alone" (Music video) - 3:06
  2. "Next Best Superstar" (Music video) - 3:31
  3. EPK Extract ("Better Alone" & Interview) - 2:00
  4. Photo Gallery (& "Runaway") - 3:24

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 83
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 57
Germany (GfK)[5] 51
Italy (FIMI)[6] 36
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[7] 33

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 1 August 2005 (2005-08-01) CD Red Girl [8]
Australia 5 September 2005 (2005-09-05)
[9]
Austria 24 February 2006 (2006-02-24)
[5]
Germany
Switzerland

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mel C goes alone after being axed". 8 January 2004.
  2. ^ "Melanie C - Better Alone live (2004)". YouTube.
  3. ^ "Issue 811" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Melanie C – Better Alone" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Melanie C – Better Alone" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Melanie C – Better Alone". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Melanie C – Better Alone". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  8. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 30 July 2005. p. 37.
  9. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 5th September 2005" (PDF). ARIA. 5 September 2005. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2005. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Better_Alone&oldid=1223211352"