Not Alone

Not Alone
album by Jilann with Mike Garson
Released	15 March 2016
Recorded	August 2014 - October 2015
Genre	Pop, glam rock
Length	Unknown
Label	Unknown
Producer(s)	Jilann O'Neill John Taylor Mike Farrell
featuring John Taylor

Not Alone is an album by Jilann with Mike Garson, released on 15 March 2016.

The album features John Taylor.

About the album

The album was recorded in Los Angeles during August 2014, by American singer-songwriter Jilann O'Neill. Not Alone features David Bowie's iconic pianist, Mike Garson, which is a tribute to artists of the Glam era…Bowie, Roxy Music, T. Rex and Eno.

The project was born out of a series of recordings Jilann had made with Garson that began some two years earlier, in 2012, while she was living between Los Angeles and Paris, France. Initially under Jilann's guidance the two had put together versions of some of her favorite songs, starting with Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul", on which Garson had played an extraordinarily haunting piano part. But it was their cover of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" that ended up becoming a very pivotal recording, when she played it for Duran Duran bassist, John Taylor, who suggested expanding the vision to compile an album of glam covers, coining the phrase ‘the New Standards'. As an aficionado of the era, Taylor immediately heard the potential for the project and together they worked on a list of potential songs that included not only classics like "Time" (Bowie) and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (Bowie), but also others like "Bitter Sweet" (Roxy Music) and "The Slider" (T. Rex), to name but a few. Once decisions had been made on the material, the project took on a life of its own, unfolding over several months until its completion in October of 2015.

In constant contact with Jilann, John Taylor also co-produced "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Lady Grinning Soul", working on the record whenever he had a moment's downtime from Duran Duran's own studio sessions in London. Entering the studio with his unique ear and enthusiasm, Taylor brought a different approach to these classics, helping Jilann find new twists in her voice while keeping an expansive, more avant garde approach to the songs overall. And by the time they had finished, they had succeeded in turning these timeless tracks upside down.

One of the more special moments on the album is "Quicksand" where Taylor lends his gritty vocals to Jilann's own evocative performance. This intimate duet, underpinned by Mike's eerie yet strong piano, is a poignant tribute indeed.

Co-producing the remaining songs on the album with Jilann was her longtime collaborator Mike Farrell (Morrissey and Macy Gray,) who acted as the anchor to her expansive vision. Alongside Not Alone, they have also been working on a collection of original songs titled Owl Songs which is expected later this year.

Singles

"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" was released as the first single from the album in January 2016. This was a limited free download in honor of the memory and music of David Bowie.

Known songs

1. "Lady Grinning Soul"
2. "Perfect Day"
3. "Time"
4. "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"
5. "Bitter Sweet"
6. "The Slider"
7. "Quicksand"