Bill Champlin knocks it out of the park vocally, and “You’re Not Alone” does have a catchy hook — much like most of the rest of 1988’s Chicago 19, without horns. Still the results are completely and utterly generic: “You’re Not Alone” could just as easily have been a minor hit for any number of other bands of the same era.
While Dawayne Bailey was Chicago’s touring guitarist at the time, most of the studio albums from his tenure feature session guitarists. For “You’re Not Alone,” Giant guitarist/lead vocalist Dann Huff was brought in to provide lead guitar work and fills.
Around the time of the single’s release, Giant was also enjoying a hit with the power ballad “I’ll See You In My Dreams.” The guitar work on both is trademark Dann Huff.
Aside from Champlin’s vocals, Huff’s guitar work is the best part of “You’re Not Alone.” Let that sink in: One of the best things about a Chicago hit single is the guitar work from a session cat “borrowed” from another band.
All that said, “You’re Not Alone” is still enjoyable in its own way: There are fun lyrics, a catchy hook, solid vocals, decent guitar work. But no horns! There’s just nothing about “You’re Not Alone” that really makes it a Chicago song.
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