All Alone On Christmas
Encyclopedia
"All Alone On Christmas" is a song written and arranged by Steve Van Zandt and recorded by Darlene Love
with members of both The E Street Band and The Miami Horns
. It was originally featured on the soundtrack of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It was also released as a CD single
which included an instrumental version.
The third track on the single was a Christmas remix of The Capitols
"Cool Jerk
" which was also taken from the same film soundtrack. The single was influenced by Phil Spector
's Wall of Sound
and is recorded in the style of the Spector-produced Love song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
". The single featured a promotional photo of Love with the five members of the E Street Band who featured on the track. A promotional video featured Macaulay Culkin
"producing" as Love performed the song with The E Street Band and The Miami Horns. The song was also featured in the film Love Actually
and in the 2001 Italian film Merry Christmas.
During the first year of her run in the Broadway musical Hairspray
, Love re-recorded the song using the show's cast and band as backup on the charity recording Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for A Cure Vol. 7. The song references Love's earlier holiday recording "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
". The song was covered by RuPaul
for his 1997 Christmas album entitled "Ho, Ho, Ho
".
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
with members of both The E Street Band and The Miami Horns
The Miami Horns
The Miami Horns are a horn section best known for touring and/or recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed and/or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S...
. It was originally featured on the soundtrack of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It was also released as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
which included an instrumental version.
The third track on the single was a Christmas remix of The Capitols
The Capitols
The Capitols were a Detroit, Michigan-based soul trio widely known in the late 1960s for their Billboard hit single "Cool Jerk".-Formation and Disbandment:...
"Cool Jerk
Cool Jerk
"Cool Jerk" is a popular song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by The Capitols. Released in 1966, it reached the number two position on the American R&B chart and number seven on the pop chart...
" which was also taken from the same film soundtrack. The single was influenced by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
's Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
and is recorded in the style of the Spector-produced Love song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
"Christmas " is a Christmas holiday song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 Christmas compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. The song was written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie...
". The single featured a promotional photo of Love with the five members of the E Street Band who featured on the track. A promotional video featured Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor. He became widely known for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He is also known for his roles in Richie Rich, Uncle Buck, My Girl, The Pagemaster, and Party Monster...
"producing" as Love performed the song with The E Street Band and The Miami Horns. The song was also featured in the film Love Actually
Love Actually
Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
and in the 2001 Italian film Merry Christmas.
During the first year of her run in the Broadway musical Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
, Love re-recorded the song using the show's cast and band as backup on the charity recording Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for A Cure Vol. 7. The song references Love's earlier holiday recording "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
"Christmas " is a Christmas holiday song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 Christmas compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records. The song was written by Phil Spector, along with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the intentions of being sung by Ronnie...
". The song was covered by RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
for his 1997 Christmas album entitled "Ho, Ho, Ho
Ho, Ho, Ho
Ho, Ho, Ho is an album of Christmas music by American drag queen and singer RuPaul, released on October 28, 1997 by Rhino Records.-Album information:...
".
Musicians
- Darlene LoveDarlene LoveDarlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
– lead vocals - The E Street Band
- Clarence ClemonsClarence ClemonsClarence Anicholas Clemons, Jr. , also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death, he was a prominent member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, playing the tenor saxophone. He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with "You're a...
– tenor sax solo - Danny FedericiDanny FedericiDaniel Paul "Danny" Federici was an American musician, best known as the longtime organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.- Career :...
– keyboards - Garry TallentGarry TallentGarry Wayne Tallent , sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being the longtime bass player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band....
– bass - Steven Van ZandtSteven Van ZandtSteven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
– guitars - Patti ScialfaPatti ScialfaVivienne Patricia "Patti" Scialfa is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is married to Bruce Springsteen and they have three children.- Early life :...
- backing vocals - Max WeinbergMax WeinbergMax Weinberg is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.Weinberg grew up in suburban New Jersey...
– drums
- Clarence Clemons
- The Miami HornsThe Miami HornsThe Miami Horns are a horn section best known for touring and/or recording with Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven and The Max Weinberg 7. They have also toured, performed and/or recorded with, among others, Diana Ross, Gary U.S...
- Mark PenderMark PenderMark "The Loveman" Pender is a trumpet player and vocalist who has played with Southside Johnny, Little Steven and Bruce Springsteen. Since 1993 he has performed on Late Night With Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien as a member of The Max Weinberg 7 and The Tonight Show Band...
– trumpet - Rick Gazda – trumpet
- Stan HarrisonStan HarrisonStan Harrison is an American saxophonist who is also accomplished in playing other woodwind instruments, namely the horn, flute and clarinet. He has also written music for television. Harrison released his first solo album The Ties That Blind in 2000 on his own record label...
– tenor sax - Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg – trombone
- Eddie Manion – baritone sax
- Arno Hecht – saxophone
- Mark Pender
- Pat ThrallPat ThrallPat Thrall is an American rock guitarist. Thrall is a native of the San Francisco area, and began his recording career in 1972. He played guiatar,vocals and percussion with the group Cookin Mama album: new day , that also had this brother Preston Thrall on percussion.Thrall has worked with former...
– guitars - Mark Alexander – piano
- Ula Hedwig – backing vocals
- Edna Wright – backing vocals
- Zoë Yanakis – percussion
- Benjamin Newberry – chimes
Production
- Steve Van Zandt – producer, arranger
- Zoe Yanakis – associate producer
- Ben Fowler – recording and mixing
- Dave McNair and Dan Gellert – additional recording
- Scott HullScott Hull (mastering engineer)Scott E. Hull is a mastering engineer based in New York City, and the owner of Masterdisk.Hull began his career as an intern at Masterdisk in 1983. He became Bob Ludwig's assistant in 1984, and was promoted to Chief Engineer in 1994...
– editing at MasterdiskMasterdiskMasterdisk is an audio mastering and multimedia company in New York City, located on West 45th Street in Manhattan. They provide production services such as audio mastering, vinyl cutting and enhanced CD and DVD production.... - Greg Calbi – mastered at Sterling Sound