All My Loving

All My Loving

Written by: Paul McCartney (100%) (credited to Lennon-McCartney)
Recorded: July 30, 1963 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: August 21, 1963; October 29, 1963
Length: 2:04
Takes: 14
Musicians: John Lennon: backing vocal, rhythm guitar (1958 Rickenbacker 325)
Paul McCartney: lead vocal (double-tracked), bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)
George Harrison: lead guitar (1962 Gretsch 6122 "Country Gentleman")
Ringo Starr: drums (1963 Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig kit)
Released on: (CDs in bold)

• With The Beatles, (UK: Parlophone PMC 1206; PCS 3045, Parlophone CDP 7 46436 2, US: Capitol CLJ 46436)
• Meet The Beatles, (US: Capitol (S)T 2047, Capitol CDP 7243 8 66875 2 4)
• All My Loving (EP), (UK: Parlophone GEP 8891)
• The Beatles 1962-1966, (UK: Apple PCSP 717, US: Apple SKBO 3403, Apple CDP 0777 7 97036 2 3}

History:

• Written by Paul in May of 1963 for then-girlfriend Jane Asher, a former child star and panelist on BBC-TV's Juke Box Jury who'd met Paul after interviewing the group for the magazine Radio Times. On tour with Roy Orbison in England, Paul found himself missing Jane and came up with what he thought was a poem for her while either shaving or riding on a bus (his recollections vary). Later, Paul found himself putting music to the already-finished words, a first for him.
• This track was recorded at the third session for With The Beatles and was the last song completed that day, being recorded just after "It Won't Be Long."
• Paul McCartney originally envisioned this as a country and western number, but changed his mind when the song turned out to be good enough to be considered as a single. George Harrison, for his part, kept his solo in that same vein anyway, modeling it after one of his idols, legendary sessionman Chet Atkins.
• John considered this one of Paul's best songs and is particularly proud of his own contribution to the track, a rhythmically demanding guitar which can be heard throughout the verses.
• Although some have believed George sings co-lead with Paul on the third verse, it's actually the double-tracked Paul singing harmony with himself; George did sing this harmony live.
• "All My Loving" is highly unusual among pop songs -- and possibly unique amongst Beatles tracks -- in that it features a bridge section, completely different from the other parts, that was written exclusively for a solo only; on most pop and rock songs, the solo is placed over an existing verse or bridge.

Live versions: December 2, 1963 (London, England, The Morecambe and Wise Show), February 9, 1964 (Ed Sullivan Theater, New York, NY, The Ed Sullivan Show), February 11, 1964 (Washington Coliseum, Washington, D.C), February 12, 1964 (Carnegie Hall, New York), February 16, 1964 (Deauville Hotel, Miami, FL, for broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show), June 4, 1964 (K.B. Hallen Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark), June 6, 1964 (Veilinghal, Blokker, The Netherlands), June 12-13, 1964 (Centennial Hall, Adelaide, Australia), June 15-17, 1964 (Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia), August 21st, 1964 (Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, WA), August 22, 1964 (Empire Stadium, Vancouver, BC), August 23, 1964 (Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA), September 2, 1964 (Convention Hall, Philadelphia, PA), September 3, 1964 (State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN)
BBC versions: 4 (for the BBC radio programs Saturday Club and From Us To You
Trivia:

• Though never released as a single (although an EP of the same title featuring the song was released in the UK), "All My Loving" is considered a genuine Beatles "hit" by many, perhaps because it was the first song played during the group's historically monumental first appearance on CBS' Ed Sullivan TV show (February 9, 1964), the group's first visual exposure to American audiences. (Capitol's Canadian division did release "All My Loving" in that country as a single eight days later, backed by "This Boy.")
• This was the song playing over the loudspeakers at New York City's Roosevelt Hospital at 11:15 pm on December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was pronounced dead.

Covered by: Herb Alpert, Chris Barber, Count Basie, Suzy Bogguss, The Chipmunks, Sonny Curtis, Duke Ellington, Fancy, Wayne Gratz, Helloween, Hill-Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo, J.B. and the Playboys, Rita Lee, Peter Lipa, The London Symphony Orchestra, Henry Mancini, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Matt Munro, Jack Nitzsche, Jorge Rico, The Sandpipers, Santo and Johnny, The Smithereens, Jim Sturgess