TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 44

"All My Loving" (McCartney – January 20, 1964)

With the Beatles – Side 1, Track 3 (2:08)

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From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com, and Google –

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 session man 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.

Composition –

According to journalist Bill Harry, McCartney wrote the lyrics while shaving, though McCartney told biographer Barry Miles that he wrote them while on a tour bus. He also said, "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." The lyrics follow the "letter song" model as used on "P.S. I Love You", the B-side of their first single. After arriving at the location of the gig, he wrote the music on a piano backstage.

McCartney originally envisioned it as a country & western song, and George Harrison added a Nashville-style guitar solo. John Lennon's rhythm guitar track uses quickly strummed triplets similar to "Da Doo Ron Ron" by The Crystals, a song that was popular at the time.

Recording –

The Beatles recorded the song on 30 July 1963 in eleven takes with three overdubs. The master take was take fourteen overdubbed on take eleven. It was remixed on 21 August (mono) and 29 October (stereo).

A slightly longer stereo edition of the song, featuring a hi-hat percussion introduction not found on the common stereo or mono mixes was released in Germany and the Netherlands in 1965 on a compilation album entitled Beatles' Greatest.

Takes: 14

Personnel

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)

Release and performances –

"All My Loving" was originally released in the UK on 22 November 1963 on With the Beatles. The first US release was on Meet the Beatles!, released 20 January 1964. The song was the title track of the All My Loving EP released in the UK on 7 February 1964. The song was released on another EP, Four by The Beatles in the US, on 11 May 1964.

"All My Loving" was the Beatles' opening number on their debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964; the recording was included on Anthology 1. The group also performed "All My Loving" three times for BBC radio, once in 1963 and twice in 1964. The final version, which was recorded on 28 February 1964, was included on Live at the BBC.

The song was used twice in films by the group - it plays in the background at the end of the nightclub scene in A Hard Day's Night (though without the drum opening and the coda), while an instrumental version appears in the movie Magical Mystery Tour.

According to Alan Weiss, a TV producer who happened to be there, "All My Loving" was playing on the sound system at Roosevelt Hospital emergency room when Lennon was pronounced dead after being shot on 8 December 1980. 

Reviews –

"All My Loving" has been praised by multiple critics. Ian MacDonald said, "The innocence of early Sixties British pop is perfectly distilled in the eloquent simplicity of this number" and described the song as helping McCartney be seen as more of an equal to Lennon. Richie Unterberger of Allmusic said it "was arguably the best LP-only track The Beatles did before 1964" and that if it was released as a single in America it would have been a huge hit.

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.

Today in Beatles History (From The Beatles Internet Album) February 25 –

1943 – George Harrison is born.

1963 – US single release: "Please Please Me"/"Ask Me Why".

– Studio 1 (control room only). 10.00am-1.00pm. Editing: "Seventeen" (working title of "I Saw Her Standing There") (of takes 9, 12). Mono mixing: "Anna (Go To Him)" (from take 3); 'Boys' (from take 1); "Chains" (from take 1); "Misery" (from take 16); "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (from take 8); "There's A Place" (from take 13); "Seventeen" (working title of "I Saw Her Standing There") (from edit of takes 9, 12); "Twist And Shout" (from take 1); "A Taste Of Honey" (from take 7). Stereo mixing: "Anna (Go To Him)" (from take 3); "Boys" (from take 1); 'Chains' (from take 1); "Misery" (from take 16); "Baby It's You" (from take 5); "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (from take 8); "There's A Place" (from take 13); "Seventeen" (working title of "I Saw Her Standing There") (from edit of takes 9, 12); "Twist And Shout" (from take 1); "A Taste Of Honey" (from take 7). – Studio 1 (control room only). 2.30-5.45pm. Editing: "Please Please Me" (of takes 16, 17, 18). Mono mixing: "Ask Me Why" (from take 6); "Misery" (from take 16); "Baby It's You" (from take 5). Stereo mixing: "Ask Me Why" (from take 6); "Please Please Me" (from edit of takes 16-18); "Love Me Do" (from 11 September 1962 mono remix); "P.S. I Love You" (from 11 September 1962 mono remix); "Misery" (from take 16). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Norman Smith; 2nd Engineer: A. B. Lincoln. 

– Mixing of versions for Please Please Me LP masters.

1964 – Studio 2. 10.00am-1.00pm. Recording: "You Can't Do That" (takes 1-9). 

– Studio 2. 2.30-5.30pm. Recording: "And I Love Her" (takes 1-2); "I Should Have Known Better" (takes 1-3). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Norman Smith; 2nd Engineer: Richard Langham. 

– Start of 'A Hard Day's Night' sessions.

– Mail service vehicles get at George's house with cards and presents.

– The Beatles Film Production Limited is incorporated, with Brian one of its opening directors.

– At his house, Walter Strach throws a birthday party for George. George, angry at seeing the press was invited, attacks the cake and walks out.

1966 – Northern Songs Limited buys Sweco Music Corp and Cole & Gole Music, music publishing companies.

– George and Pattie return to London from their honeymoon in the Caribean Islands.

– George Martin is demanded by his wife to divorce.

1968 – George celebrates his birthday with the Maharishi and his disciples. The Maharishi presents him with a plastic world map.

1969 – "All Things Must Pass" (takes 1, 2); "Something" (take 1). Producer: not assigned; Engineer and 2nd Engineer: Ken Scott. 

– George solo session. Recording of demos of "Old Brown Shoe", "All Things Must Pass" and 'Something'.

1970 – De Lane Lea Sound Centre, 75 Dean Street. Ringo tapes "You Always Hurt The One You Love".

1972 – UK single release: "Give Ireland Back To The Irish".