In My Own Way / No One Makes It On Her Own

A Double AA Side imaginary single bringing together two of the album’s most beautiful Marie-led ballads. They feel like natural companions too. Both are classic Gessle compositions given an entirely different emotional weight once Marie takes over the mic.

Disclaimer: This artwork is an unofficial fan-made mock-up created in good faith for editorial and creative discussion only – there could possibly be mistakes, no one's perfect. The mock-up does not represent an official Roxette release, past or present, and is not endorsed by Roxette, their Management, or Record Label. No physical or digital products exist and nothing shown here is for sale, ever. All images, names, and likenesses are used for illustrative purposes only and remain the property of their respective copyright holders. No copyright infringement is intended, and no commercial use is made or implied. Here's a list of almost all our mock-ups so far. Enjoy! Thanks!

“I’ve waited a lifetime
for someone to find me…”

In My Own Way

“This hidden gem from 1984 has been reworked and finally found its place on an album”
The Daily Roxette ‘Charm School’ Album Review, February 2011

‘In My Own Way‘ had certainly taken the scenic route to ‘Charm School’.

Per wrote the song back in 1984, before recording a T&A Demo on September 15, 1987, right in the middle of the period that would eventually lead to ‘Look Sharp!‘

Our original ‘Charm School‘ review noted that the song had already enjoyed two lives elsewhere. Niklas Strömstedt recorded a Swedish version, ‘En gång i livet’, in 1989, before Jill Johnson recorded ‘In My Own Way’ in English for her 1996 album ‘Sugartree’.

Still, Per clearly hadn’t finished with it…

He returned to it with a new T&A Demo on August 7, 2009, before Marie finally gave the song its Roxette home on ‘Charm School‘. And what a version it became. It’s understated, beautifully arranged and completely carried by Marie’s vocal. More than 25 years after Per first wrote it, the song suddenly sounded as though it had been waiting for her all along.

“Cos there’s something in your
eyes that links us together…”

No One Makes It On Her Own

“‘No One Makes It On Her Own’ suddenly gets a whole new meaning…
She’s got that rare power. A great gift.”
Per Gessle, The Daily Roxette, January 2011

‘No One Makes It On Her Own‘ came from the opposite end of the timeline. Per recorded his T&A Demo on July 26, 2010, having written the song with Marie in mind. When we interviewed him ahead of ‘Charm School‘, Per explained that Marie had effectively taken over the song, giving his words a meaning and emotional depth that simply wasn’t there when he sang the demo himself. It’s impossible not to hear that when listening to it today.

Interestingly, this half of our imaginary Double AA Side isn’t completely imaginary either. EMI quietly released ‘No One Makes It On Her Own‘ as a digital-only single in November 2011, adopting Tanya Rush’s beautiful fan-created film as the official music video. It deserved considerably more attention than it received.

There’s also another Roxette curiosity hidden on the original ‘Charm School‘ LP: the vinyl contains a longer version of the song than the standard CD and digital release. Then, in 2018, Per revisited it once again for his English-language solo album ‘Small Town Talk‘, recording a new version with Helena.

For us, these two songs belong together. One travelled for decades before finally reaching Marie, while the other was written specifically with her voice in mind. Two gorgeous songs, two extraordinary Marie performances, and a Double AA Side that could have easily existed.

★ Currently on Streaming

01 In My Own Way (T&A Demo – Sep 15, 1987)
02 In My Own Way (T&A Demo – Aug 7, 2009)
03 In My Own Way (Album Version)
04 No One Makes It On Her Own (T&A Demo – Jul 26, 2010)
05 No One Makes It On Her Own (Album Version)
06 No One Makes It On Her Own (Small Town Talk – Per Gessle feat. Helena, 2018)

★ Missing from Streaming

– No One Makes It On Her Own (Charm School LP – Longer Version)