On My Own

Patti Labelle loved the Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager song "On My Own." Bacharach and Sager wanted to produce the song on the singer, but Labelle already was committed to working with producer Richard Perry.Perry's version of the song wasn't working and he wanted to discard it altogether. Labelle, on the other hand, was convinced that the song was a hit.Bacharach and Sager asked the singer's manager, Sandy Gallin, if they could try to produce it on her. After finishing recording, the producers thought that it was lacking a male vocal. Choosing former Doobie Brothers lead singer Michael McDonald, they added his vocals to the track. Written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, "On My Own" stayed at number one R&B for four weeks number one pop for three weeks in the spring of 1984. Labelle and McDonald met for the first time when they performed the song on a segment of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.