I Stand Alone (Agnetha Fältskog album)

I Stand Alone is the third English-language solo album, and tenth overall, by Swedish singer and former ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog. Released 9 November 1987, the album was produced by Peter Cetera and would be her last for 17 years.

I Stand Alone
Studio album by
Agnetha Fältskog
Released9 November 1987
Recorded1987
StudioChartmaker Studios, Malibu, California
GenrePop
Length42:05
LabelWEA, Atlantic (US)
ProducerPeter Cetera, Bruce Gaitsch
Agnetha Fältskog chronology
Kom följ med i vår karusell
(1987)		 I Stand Alone
(1987)		 My Love, My Life
(1996)

Overview

Recorded mainly in Los Angeles[1] and Malibu, California, I Stand Alone was produced by Peter Cetera, the former singer and bass guitar player with American rock band Chicago. He duetted with Fältskog on the track "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)", (No.93 Billboard Hot 100 and No.19 Adult Contemporary in the U.S.) The co-producer of the album was Bruce Gaitsch, with whom Fältskog was in a relationship at the time.

The musical style of the album was very different from the European sounds of Faltskog's previous two albums, and reflected the West Coast American influences of the producers. The album became Sweden's best-selling LP of 1988, where it remained at No.1 for eight weeks. It also reached the Top 20 in Norway and Belgium, and No.22 in the Netherlands, but fared less well on charts elsewhere, only reaching No.47 in West Germany, No.72 in the United Kingdom, No.93 in Japan and No.96 in Australia.

Fältskog also made several promo videos for singles from the album, including "The Last Time" and "Let It Shine". When the third single, "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)", appeared on the U.S. Billboard Chart in April 1988, Warner Music asked her to make another video immediately. Although it was a duet with Peter Cetera, he did not appear in the video.

Album track "Love in a World Gone Mad" was a cover version of a song by British pop group Bucks Fizz, from their 1986 album Writing on the Wall.

For the cover of the album and promotional interviews, Fältskog appeared with a "new" spiky blonde hair look. Fältskog made a very rare trip on an airplane to Los Angeles to record the album. After it was completed, she didn't fly again for years due to her much-publicised fear of flying. She did, however, admit that the flight was worth it.

The album was picked as a "Lost Treasure" by The Smashing Pumpkins' front man Billy Corgan. "She's one of my favourite singers of all time," he explained. "It's rare that a singer can hit super-high up the register and sound really good. When I look at the pop world today, I wish we had an ABBA. They had that right combination of fun, beauty, not taking it too seriously, but being deadly in the studio. Everyone's so goddamn serious these days."[2]

Estoy Sola

The album was re-released as Estoy Sola for the Latin American market on LP's and cassettes in 1987. Although all of the original English language song titles were translated into Spanish for the album's track listing, only two songs were actually re-recorded with Fältskog and Cetera recording new vocals in Spanish for "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)" (as "Yo No Fui Quién Dijo Adiós") and "The Last Time" (as "La Ultima Véz").

Critical reception

Upon its release, Music & Media picked I Stand Alone as their "Album of the Week". The magazine described the album as a "goldmine of hit singles" and noted its "crystalline production" and "stunningly good songwriting in 'Adult Contemporary' vein".[3] Cash Box noted: "Faltskog shines on this Peter Cetera-produced project."[4]

Track listing

I Stand Alone
Side one
  1. "The Last Time" – 4:12 (Robin Randall, Judithe Randall, Jeff Law)
  2. "Little White Secrets" – 4:04 (Ellen Schwartz, Roger Bruno, Susan Pomerantz)
  3. "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)" with Peter Cetera – 4:10 (Mark Mueller, Aaron Zigman)
  4. "Love in a World Gone Mad" – 4:08 (Billy Livsey, Pete Sinfield)
  5. "Maybe It Was Magic" – 4:07 (Peter Brown, Pat Hurley)
Side two
  1. "Let It Shine" – 3:58 (Austin Roberts, Bill LaBounty, Beckie Foster)
  2. "We Got a Way" – 3:50 (John Robinson, Franne Golde, Martin Walsh)
  3. "I Stand Alone" – 4:48 (Peter Cetera, Bruce Gaitsch)
  4. "Are You Gonna Throw It All Away" – 4:52 (Diane Warren, Albert Hammond)
  5. "If You Need Somebody Tonight" – 3:32 (Diane Warren, Albert Hammond)

Estoy Sola
Side one
  1. "La Última Vez" ("The Last Time") – 4:12
  2. "Pequeños Secretos Blancos" ("Little White Secrets") – 4:04
  3. "Yo No Fui Quien Dijo Adiós" with Peter Cetera ("I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)") – 4:10
  4. "Amor En Un Mundo Vuelto Loco" ("Love In a World Gone Mad") – 4:08
  5. "Tal Vez Eso Era Mágico" ("Maybe It Was Magic") – 4:07
Side two
  1. "Déjalo Que Brille" ("Let It Shine") – 3:58
  2. "Tenemos Un Modo" ("We Got a Way") - 3:50
  3. "Estoy Sola" ("I Stand Alone") - 4:48
  4. "¿Vas A Abandonarlo Todo?" ("Are You Gonna Throw It All Away") - 4:52
  5. "Si Necesitas A Alguien Esta Noche" ("If You Need Somebody Tonight") - 3:32

Charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 96
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[6] 19
German Albums (Media Control Charts)[7] 47
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[8] 93
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[9] 16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 72

Production
  • Produced by Peter Cetera and Bruce Gaitsch
  • Engineered and Mixed by Rick Holbrook
  • Assistant Engineer – Britt Bacon
  • Mix Assistant – Karen Siegel
  • Recorded at Chartmaker Studios (Malibu, CA).
  • Additional recording at Skyline Recording (Topanga Canyon, CA), That Studio (North Hollywood, CA), Sun Valley Audio (Sun Valley, ID) and Zebra Studio (Studio City, CA).
  • Mixed at Lion Share Recording Studio (Los Angeles, CA).
  • Mastered by Wally Traugott at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
  • Production Coordination – Ivy Skoff
  • Art Direction – Greta for Ink-a-Dinka, Inc.
  • Photography – Albert Tolot

Personnel

References
  1. Oldham, A, Calder, T & Irvin, C: "ABBA: The Name of the Game", page 220. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1995
  2. Q #341, December 2014, p122
  3. "Previews: Albums". Music & Media. January 30, 1988.
  4. "Album Releases". Cash Box. 27 February 1988.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 444. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Agnetha Fältskog – I Stand Alone" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  7. "Agnetha Fältskog, I Stand Alone" (in German). Officialcharts.de. Media Control. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  8. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  9. "Agnetha – I Stand Alone". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  10. "Agnetha Fältskog – I Stand Alone". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  11. "Agnetha Faltskog | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
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