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The part Kenny show on news talk with Marter private network during current restrictions. Don't ignore your health concerns. Our expert team is ready to help. Now, from the early days of radio and for many decades thereafter, the power of the radio disc jockey was such that they could make or break a song.

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And in the 1970s, some DJs even influenced artists to collaborate by splicing two versions of the same song by the different artists together, creating a demand for what were called unofficial duets.

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Well, one such song is We're All Alone, and it's the subject of the lyrics. The Thing this morning with Paul Harrington.

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Paul, good morning. Good morning, Scott, how are you? I'm very well me explain this concept of the unofficial to ask.

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Yeah, it's a very interesting thing. I mean, it's going right back to a time when they could do largely what they wanted.

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I'm looking at America and Britain, you know, them Jews and I suppose admen, advertisers back in the day where what we now call influencers, they were the early influencers.

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But, you know, radio deejays, there were stars in their own right for many, many years. And of course, we know that record labels were known to incentivise the very famous ones, you know, with a little something here, a little something there.

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But of course, this could affect the sales of records. But DJs or radio presenters, as we call them, first and foremost, they were lovers of music and radio.

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And, you know, most of them were either some of them might have been coming out of bands or they're musicians. But there was a lot of, you know, who maybe the bands didn't didn't take off, but they were creative types. So the unofficial duet, these were, I suppose, what we call today mashups. And they were the very early mashup when, you know, when there was very little technology, you know, today song We're All Alone was one of those songs.

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But, you know, it never materialised, by the way, because the writer of the song, Boz Scaggs, he released it back in the day, but it was Rita Coolidge who had the huge hit. But there were signs of different labels, you know, but what they used to do is they used to literally record the songs, the individual versions onto tape, and they would physically splice them together. You know, and one of the probably one of the best examples and one of the most successful examples was Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand.

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You don't bring me flowers. Neil Diamond originally wrote this for a for a TV soap opera. And Barbra Streisand wound up covering it. And it was kind of a funny story. I mean, you know, this was this was when everything was connected, when radio, newspapers we were in kind of everything wasn't fragmented by social media. But there was a DJ. He spliced the two versions and he did it as a going away present for his wife, who had recently divorced.

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Apparently, it was a very friendly divorce. I wasn't I wasn't aware there was such a thing, but there you go. And when she heard it, she said, look, whatever you agreed, jobless at. No, but anyway, you know, there's obviously a lot more to it. But it got traction in the local newspapers and then it became a national story and it was just became so popular. And Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand happened to be on the same label.

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So that was a stroke of luck. So it was a no brainer, really.

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And sure enough, they literally did what the deejay had done with tape.

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They actually went into studio and recorded the duets itself. Haven't been inspired by the DJ. Absolutely right yet.

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And it was so popular. There was apparently there was huge demand at retail. I mean, but don't forget, back in those days, people went to the record shop and they said, have you got that new one by Barbara and Neil or Nina? Barbara, you know? And they were saying, it's not available. It's not released. And as I say, you know, back to today's tune, the more at the more I talk to you, the more I think I really should have put it on.

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You don't bring me flowers, but anyway, that we'll leave that for another day.

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But but the thing is, the other two weren't signed that there were there were other were signed to opposing labels is what it was, and that it never it never, never materialised. But anyway, as I say, we're all wrong.

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But that song I mean, we're all alone, which I know the Rita Coolidge version, but Boz Scaggs never released it, as an aside.

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No, no, no. It was a B side on on a huge hit for him called Lido Shuffle. And it was covered as well by Frankie Valli. Walker Brothers did it as well. And as you say, it was eventually we could have had the major hit, but which is probably the version most people are familiar with.

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And yet there was I should mention, the lyrics, I suppose today there was apparently some lyric changes. Most notably, there was a line at a close your eyes at me, apparently, or Amy, I don't know. But Rita Coolidge changed that to to close your eyes and dream. And this was suggesting that that was Skags had written it for somebody specific, but it was also I came across all sorts of things. It was also suggested that it was written from the perspective of the writer being deceased.

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This was sort of a comforting from beyond the grave, you know, and but to be honest, my friend, my read of it and all the various interpretations of meanings, I mean, my conclusion would be that it's about two people in love and they're absolutely impervious to all around. The unstoppable love will conquer all. But I have a favourite line from it, which I maybe to do at my age, I don't know. But it's a lovely line.

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Lots of stories told. It can't help but grow old roses to lovers to cast your seasons, cast your seasons to the wind. Something I kind of like. It appeals to me. But then there was a line. The cop, you know, this is something we make we make home to in the future the kind of and loony lyric type things. There was a line that was a real surprise to me, which which was close the window come the light, and for years I always thought that was close the window, come alive.

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So which makes no sense at all. So anyway, I think it's still worth putting up a chair and having a cup of coffee and sitting back and when while you're on your own, there's no one to join.

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This is not a joke, but it's buzz unless you want to chime in.

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What you want to know. Thank you.

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OK, well, this is Bob gag song. We're All Alone, as performed now by Paul Harrington. Outside, the rain begins and it may never end. So cry no more on the shore drive. We'll take us to see. Need to wade through the cage of long forgotten. You've got to close the window down the light and it will be all right. No need to bother. Now. Be. Story is told it can't help, but.

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Roses do lovers, too, so, Christ, your seizures to. Snow will not come to light, and it will. Let it out, let it all begin. By and it will be all right. No need to bother. Let it out, let it all be. Paul Harrington and Boz Scaggs, we're all alone.