Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 30 July 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 22 November 1963 (UK), 20 January 1964 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
Available on:
With The Beatles
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1
Generally considered to be his first major work, Paul McCartney's songwriting highlight on The Beatles' second album was written during the band's tour with Roy Orbison, which began on 18 May 1963.
It was the first song I'd ever written the words first. I never wrote words first, it was always some kind of accompaniment, I've hardly ever done it since either. We were on a tour bus going to a gig and so I started with the words. I had in mind a little country and western song. We played the Moss Empire circuit a lot, and there were always these nice big empty backstage areas. The places have all become bingo halls now. We arrived at the gig and I remember being in one of these big backstage areas and there was a piano there so I'd got my instrument. I didn't have a guitar, it was probably with our road manager, and I remember working the tune out to it on the piano. It was a good show song, it worked well live.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Although he was often disparaging towards McCartney's songs after The Beatles split up, John Lennon was fulsome in his praise for All My Loving when a Playboy journalist asked him about it in 1980.
All My Loving is Paul, I regret to say. Ha-ha-ha. Because it's a damn good piece of work. [Singing] 'All my loving...' But I play a pretty mean guitar in back.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The song quickly entered The Beatles' live set, remaining a fixture throughout 1963 and much of 1964. It also marked the point where Paul McCartney began to emerge from the dominance of John Lennon, asserting himself as a talent equally worthy of attention.
All My Loving received much radio airplay despite never being released as a single.
You know, that was on the album and the first person I heard single it out was the disc jockey David Jacobs, who was pretty hip. Still is actually – he knows pop music. He was always quite an expert, for one of the older generation. I remember him singling it out on his radio show and I think from that moment it did become a big favourite for people. And I heard it differently. Till then I'd heard it as an album track. But when he played it on his radioshow, and it went over to however many million people on network BBC, it was like 'Woh! That is a good one'. I always liked it.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The Beatles recorded All My Loving on four occasions for BBC radio. The first was on 17 December 1963, for Saturday Club, which was broadcast on 21 December.
The second BBC version was on 18 December 1963, for the first From Us To You show, which was broadcast on 26 December.
The third took place on 7 January 1964 for an episode of Saturday Club, first broadcast on 15 February. The final version, which was included on the Live At The BBC album, was for From Us To You; it was recorded on 28 February and first heard by listeners on 30 March.
More famously, All My Loving was the first song performed by The Beatles on their debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York on 9 February 1964. This hugely significant recording was included on the Anthology 1 collection.
In the studio
The Beatles recorded All My Loving on 30 July 1963, a busy session which also saw them complete Please Mister Postman, It Won't Be Long, Money (That's What I Want), Till There Was You and Roll Over Beethoven.
All My Loving was the final song recorded that day. The Beatles recorded 13 takes, numbered 1-14; there was no take five.
Take 11 was the best attempt. Onto this the group added three overdub takes, numbered 12-14.
I believe this is one of the first recordings where the vocals are overdubbed. It’s pretty obvious to me that paul is singing harmony with himself in the final verse.
Nop. It’s George Harrison, see the live concerts.
You’re saying it must have been George on the album because Paul didn’t sing harmony with himself onstage?
hahaah thats a funny reply…but its true, Paul did overdub his own voice , fact is pauls voice was the highest and no one could sing the higher part so he sang both harmonies…when played live, Paul sings the higher harmony and Harrison sings the lower melody.
.. and “NO” Steve. Just had this discussion with a friend. It is GEORGE on the high harmony when they played live. Watch Ed Sullivan clip in Miami. It’s counterintuitive for a Beatle fan that George would sing the higher part but it’s true.
No no, George sings the normal melody and Paul sings the higher thirds . On record, I believe it´s Paul´s voice double-tracked.
Confirmative, the clip in Miami shows that it’s (of course) Paul who does the high part.
Paul double-tracked his vocals on the recording. Paul, Norman Smith, George Martin have all confirmed this at various times.
Do you understand that George H. sang with Paul in live performance because he COULDN’T sing both parts at the same time? Come on, people……
There MUST have been vocals overdubbed, at least with the the backing vocals (“ooh…”) during the choruses, as there are three voices singing together.
No, that would be Ticket to Ride.
George did harmony on stage but on the record it’s definitely Paul doing a dubbed harmony with his lead vocal.
Paul sang the high harmony on the third-verse, with George singing the melody in live performance.
Paul double-tracked his vocals. Nor John or George sings on this one.
I’m pretty sure Paul double-tracked his vocals throughout the song, sang harmonies with himself in the final verse, and was joined by John and George (“Oooh”) in the final chorus.
I think John’s description of “mean” guitar is perfect, he and George did a great work with the guitar. I love George’s guitar work in the chorus of the “ohhhs”.
Yeah, if you listen to the harmony and not looking at video clips of the Live performance, you can really hear Paul’s voice texture on both harmonies.
I have noticed that in the Live version, George would be singing the normal harmony while Paul takes on the high harmony, for the obvious reason. And I would even swear that I have heard different voice ‘textures’ in the two harmonies in the Live version when George sings it with Paul.
I know this is echoing what is already said above, but for what it worth….
Love Paul’s melodic, descending bass line- a sign of great things to come. What’s most amazing to me is the fact that this 21 year old, self-taught `kid’ could nail this bass line — while singing perfect lead vocals. And he’d been playing bass less than 3 years! Prodigy.
Yes, absolutely. I just saw this website tonight and love it. You’re absolutely right and make the most significant point of all about this song. The fact that Paul sang the lyrics and played that sensational bass line at the same time. What a talent. I played bass for years for a few bands and believe, me that’s not an easy song to play both parts in. McCartney (yes, 21, another great point)doing both, on national TV, 73 million people, smiling the whole time and most of the time never glancing at his fretboard,wow, utterly amazing.. Just unbelieveable.
Just saw Sir Paul play and sing this at the Queen’s Jubilee Concert on TV. I leaned over to my wife and said, “This guy is 70 years old and he still can play that moving walking bass line while singing that melody! Guys in their 30’s can’t do that. He remains amazing.”
I agree, Paul was an excellent, steady bassist, and this song is a good example. Ironically, in the last verse, he hits a clinker when he plays the fingering on the wrong string! Rare for Paul indeed. This merely shows that even geniuses aren’t perfect!
I’ve never noticed that before you said it. All my respect for Paul gone forever… 🙂
It’s been stated by one of the lead surgeons that when John Lennon was announced dead, they immediately played this song in the hospital.
Not the song itself – it was a Muzak version that was playing while the doctors worked.
John’s relentless rhythms are no easy feat. I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard any guitarist duplicate this part properly. Top shelf.
Totally agree. John’s guitar work on this one is great!
To settle the argument…
On the recording: Its Paul singing the higer harmony with himself as an overdub.
Live: In the last verse, George sings the normal melody and Paul takes the higher harmony – The most simple way to tell is to just watch the Hollywood Bowl performance.
Anyone who says other wise is an idiot or deaf.
Now shut up!
Hahaha, well said! 😉
Pretty sure that’s Sammy Hagar singing with Paul on the album.
Is George playing the fast triplets in the verses too? I can only hear one guitar.
Are John and George just doubling each other?
Liam Mallon, John is the one doing the triplet strumming in this song ‘All My Loving.’
I have read several sources that it was George on the melody and Paul with harmony when performed live. On the recording, the opposite was the case. I can see where people would think Paul double-tracked on the recording. They first used this recording technique on this album. I would suspect that they had George sing the melody when live due to his vocal range and the fact that John and Paul did not have confidence in his vocal abilities.
Another proof that George sings harmony with Paul’s song during live performance is the song Things We Said Today in Live at the Hollywood Bowl. At every refrain, George sings the lower voice while Paul is in the higher harmony.
I mean, George sings the melody while Paul is in. the higher harmony.
C’mon! Paul double tracks the recording all alone; George sings melody, Paul high harmony live.
D O N E !
One of my personal faves… excellent guitar work! John’s wonderful strong triplets, Paul’s counterpoint bass, and George’s country-tinged solo… which almost sounds like finger-picking? It reminds me of Chet Atkins.
One of the things I’ve noticed about the BBC radio recordings where Paul and George sing together is how their voices blend together to sound sweet and McCartney-esque… “Please Don’t Ever Change” (aka “As Sweet As You Are”) is a good example.
Furthermore, when George sings harmony with John, it makes it sound more gritty and Lennon-esque, for example “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me’.
I’ve always wondered exactly who is singing “Words of Love”— I’ve long suspected it was George and John!
Interestingly, John’s guitar work on this song was one of my lessons when I was taught guitar at 16. John does this seemingly so effortlessly live.
Except on the Australia concert video (Melbourne, I think). They played it so fast, John had a lot of trouble keeping up. It’s a tough play at normal speed!
In addition to all of the wonderful things about this song cited previously (Paul’s singing and bass playing, John’s triplets and George’s lead), I love the fact that the live versions, as evidenced by the Ed Sulivan recording and the BBC recording, are different than the album cut. On the album, when Paul is doubling up on the last verse, he doesn’t harmonize. He just sings the melody both times, with the additional melody being higher. In the live versions, he actually sings a high harmony, which, in my mind, makes the song better, giving the repeated final verse a different, more urgent, feel. Truly an excellent song.
That guitar work is incredible. I tried learning this song because 1) it’s awesome, and 2) I love it to pieces, but I had to give it up. I just couldn’t do the triplets fast enough.
And yes, it’s Paul double tracking on the recording. When they did it live George sang the melody and Paul the higher harmony. Of course.
It sounds like Harrison doing the harmonies.
1 of many songs on an awesome rocker of an album!
All my loving is obviously one of their most popular. I love it!
I remember this being a popular requested record of military service family members on the Beeb’s ‘Family Favorites’.
The intro is an exact copy of Dave Brubeck’s melody in “Kathy’s Waltz” released in 1959. You can hear it exactly one minute into the song. Interesting…
http://youtu.be/X9qgI95n6rM
When I was a teenager, I would check out a Netherlands released album called “The Beatles Greatest”. This version of “All My Loving” had 5 hi-hat strikes as a count-off intro before Paul began singing. I’ve never heard it again on any other release. Anyone else?
The German version had the five hi hats.
http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr26/seilerbird/All_My_Loving_Beatles_Canada_single.png
“All My Loving received much radio airplay despite never being released as a single.”
It was a single in Canada
A beautiful ballad by Paul McCartney. A highlight of “With the Beatles”. McCartney went on to write many more great songs/ ballads and this stands up in the top echelon.
If you don’t mind my saying so, this song is really a little too uptempo to be accurately described as a ballad. Other than that I agree with you completely.
Actually Richard it is one of thee ballads on the Album “The Beatles Ballads” so we cant really doubt that Paul McCartney regards it as a ballad. can we?
Perhaps if he actually had any role in the selection of the tracks. And there is no proof that I know of that he did. That particular compilation was not released where I live anyway.
Even if he did view the song as such I would still find my self questioning his reasoning on account not only of the tempo but also the driving instrumentation that complements it.
1. It was The Beatles trying to do a Chet Atkins style of country-ish song.
2. I love the version with the hi-hat intro. At least one of the mentioned releases also had a lot of echo, so the first two words could be heard (in headphones at least) like three times before the real track starts.
3. The hi-hat clicks five times. On stage, when Paul counted in the song, he could be heard counting for two bars, “One, two, three, four, five!”, leaving the 6th beat silent and `Close your´ was the 7th and 8th beats. In later years, Paul counts in slower, only one, two, three. Fascinating facts to discuss, isn´t it?
Kudos to Peter for catching that phrase in Kathy’s Waltz, truly one of the most obscure references to what Paul might call a “nick”, assuming he had been exposed to it, subconsciously or otherwise. It’s spot on.
Hey, raise your hand if your entire music life was turned upside down, when you heard this song on the Ed Sullivan show 52 years ago? It was the FIRST LIVE performance by the Beatles that most of us ever heard!
My german copy of “With the Beatles” also featured 5 hi-hat strikes before the usual start of this song.
Interestingly, on stage it began with a Paul count-in of “one-two-three-four-five”.
That is correct, the six was silent, the seven and eight notes were the word “Close your”. But in modern times he just count 1-2-3-4.
I actually prefer the live version of this great song. I like George singing along with Paul, plus he adds the little guitar flourish at the end of each verse like he does at the end of the instrumental break.
Excellent song, excellent performance, excellent recording. It just doesn’t get any better!
Yeah…It IS Paul on the recording…Just listened with headphones…I always thought it was George also in the studio…
“Chet Atkins style” I can’t believe no one is commenting on George’s gorgeous solo!
Does anyone know why the Beatles picked All My Loving as their opening number for the Sullivan show?……..I thought for sure that Lennon, still considered the leader of the group, would have selected (or demanded) a tune that would have featured him instead of Paul. Was it a group decision for the set list or did Brian dictate what would be played and when that eventful night??????
Sullivan asked Topo Gigio what he thought and he said ” Oooo, I luv All My Loving, Eddie”, so he demanded that they start with that.
It is indeed an interesting choice. I saw her standing there was the opener on the first album. The song would be used as concert opener in June 1964. But All my loving was the first track on the more recent second album, so I guess that is the reason. Had they chosen the current concert opening number then Roll over Beethoven would have been played, but I am sure they wanted to concentrate on original songs as much as they could.