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"All of Me" is a popular song and jazz standard written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931.
| "All of Me" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1931 by Irving Berlin, Inc. |
| Genre | |
| Songwriter(s) | Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons |
Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons wrote the words and music of "All of Me" in 1931.[1] It has an ABAC structure, and is written in the key of B-flat major.[2] There is a 20-bar introductory verse, but this is routinely omitted.[2]
"The melody [...] combines the contradictory possibilities of the song. The downward thrusts of the opening phrases hint at emotional despair while the closing line, with its repeated high notes, seems almost jubilant."[3] It is usually performed at a medium tempo.[3] The harmony is relatively straightforward, and has served as the basis for Lennie Tristano's "Line Up", Warne Marsh's "Background Music",[3] and Bill Dobbins's "Lo Flame".[2]
In 2000, "All of Me" was given the Towering Song Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[1]
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"All of Me" first came to public awareness when a performance by Belle Baker was broadcast over the radio in 1931.[1] Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra recorded the song on December 1 that year, with vocalist Mildred Bailey; this went to the top of the US pop charts.[1] Within weeks, another two versions were in the charts, with a Louis Armstrong rendition also reaching No. 1, and Ben Selvin and His Orchestra peaking at No. 19.[1] The song was used in the 1932 film Careless Lady.[1] In the view of critic Ted Gioia, the definitive version was sung by Billie Holiday in 1941: "she staked a claim of ownership that no one has managed to dislodge in subsequent years".[3] Two years later, Lynne Sherman's recording with Count Basie and His Orchestra reached No. 14 in the charts.[1]
Frank Sinatra recorded several versions of "All of Me".[3] His 1948 release peaked at No. 21.[1] He also sang it in the film Meet Danny Wilson, which may have helped Johnnie Ray's rendition up to No. 12 in the charts that year.[1] Willie Nelson's recording of the song was included in his Stardust album[3] and reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1978.[4]
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