Out Here on My Own explained

Out Here on My Own
Type:single
Artist:Irene Cara
Album:Fame
Released:August 1980
Label:RSO
Producer:Michael Gore
Prev Title:Fame
Prev Year:1980
Next Title:Anyone Can See
Next Year:1982

"Out Here on My Own" is a ballad from the 1980 musical film Fame, performed by Irene Cara. It was written by sibling songwriting duo Lesley Gore (lyricist) and Michael Gore (composer).[1] The recording was produced by Michael Gore.[2] Cara performed the song at the 1981 Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Original Song.[3] The song was released on the Fame soundtrack, which also contains an instrumental version of the track.[4]

Critical reception

In its original review of the song in August 1980, Billboard described Cara's performance as "a sensitive vocal reading with only acoustical keyboard supporting her graceful voice", and noted it was certain to impact "pop and adult contemporary play".[2] A writer in the Ottawa Citizen described the song as "showstopping".[1] Upon the re-release of the soundtrack in 2003, Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote that the song "remains as simplistic and memorable a statement of isolation as has ever been written".[5] Dance Magazine wrote, "The lyrics to “Fame”, “Out Here on My Own" and “I Sing the Body Electric” became anthems for young performers following their passions".[6] Comparing the 1980 film and 2009 remake, Today.com wrote that Naturi Naughton's version is a "gigantic and booming...anthem for careerist kids determined to bulldoze their way into a multi-platform revenue stream deal with ICM", while in the original film, "Cara sings the song, gets told how good she is, then dismisses the entire thing by calling it 'sentimental s---'".[7]

In a review of the 2009 film, The Independent Critic wrote "The music in Tancharoen's "Fame" certainly has its moment, most notably Naughton's outstanding version of the original film's "Out Here on My Own," the only left over with the exception of a closing credit Naughton version of "Fame".[8] FilmSchoolRejects wrote "only one scene transcends the façade and evokes genuine feeling: Naughton’s terrific rendition of “Out Here on My Own,” which gets closer to evoking the emotions swelling in an artist struggling to find her place in the world than a thousand heavily choreographed hip-hop dance numbers ever could".[9] The AV Club deemed it a "heartbreaking cover"[10] while FilmScoreClickTrack described the song as a "gorgeous ballad".[11]

Awards and nominations

The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. This was the first time two songs from the same film had both been nominated in this category. Fame went on to win the prize over Out Here on My Own, though both became hit singles of 1980.[12] Out Here on My Own became a "multi-platinum soundtrack record".[13] Michael Gore, commenting on the joint nomination for a project a brother/sister team had worked on together, said "I'm not sure if that has ever happened before".[1]

Covers

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Out Here on My Own"!Chart (1980)!Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[22] 41
US Cash Box Charts [23] 25

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search. 26 October 2014.
  2. Book: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Billboard. 9 August 1980. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 1–. 0006-2510.
  3. Johnson Publishing Company. Jet. Jet. 2 April 1981. Johnson Publishing Company. 62–. 0021-5996.
  4. Web site: Fame [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic]. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. AllMusic. 26 October 2014.
  5. Book: Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Billboard. 3 May 2003. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 45–. 0006-2510.
  6. Web site: Dance Magazine – If it's happening in the world of dance, it's happening in Dance Magazine.. Dancemagazine.com. 26 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140915010914/http://dancemagazine.com/issues/September-2009/Fame-The-Next-Generation. 15 September 2014. dead.
  7. Web site: 'Fame' 2009 vs. 'Fame' 1980: What changed?. TODAY.com. 26 October 2014.
  8. Web site: Fame Review. Theindependentcritic.com. 26 October 2014.
  9. Web site: Review: Fame. Film School Rejects. 26 October 2014.
  10. Web site: Review: Fame · Movie Review · The A.V. Club. Avclub.com. 26 October 2014.
  11. Web site: CD Review: Fame (2009) - Film Score Click Track. Filmscoreclicktrack.com. 26 October 2014.
  12. Web site: New Straits Times - Google News Archive Search. 26 October 2014.
  13. Web site: Manila Standard - Google News Archive Search. 26 October 2014.
  14. http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=Out+Here+on+My+Own+by+Angela+Clemmons&id=130765 Angela Clemmons, "Out Here on My Own" chart position
  15. Web site: Nikka Costa feat. Don Costa – (Out Here) On My Own (single). it. HitparadeItalia. 15 Feb 2022.
  16. Web site: Nikka Costa feat. Don Costa – (Out Here) On My Own (single). de. GfK Entertainment. 26 March 2016.
  17. Web site: hitparade.ch > Nikka Costa feat. Don Costa – (Out Here) On My Own. de. Hung Medien. 26 March 2016.
  18. Web site: dutchcharts.nl > Nikka Costa feat. Don Costa – (Out Here) On My Own. nl. Hung Medien. 26 March 2016.
  19. Web site: Ultratop > Nikka Costa feat. Don Costa – (Out Here) On My Own. nl. Hung Medien. 26 March 2016.
  20. Web site: Mariah Carey Wasn't Kidding About Loving 'Fame,' Listen to Her Irene Cara Cover. February 10, 2021. Billboard.
  21. Web site: Viglione. Joe. Ever Since. Allmusic. 2021-05-27.
  22. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. illustrated. 54. 0-646-11917-6.
  23. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1980/CB-1980-11-15.pdf

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