Information about All You Need Is Love

"All You Need Is Love"
"All You Need Is Love" cover
Single by The Beatles
from the album Magical Mystery Tour in the U.S. Yellow Submarine worldwide
B-side(s)	"Baby You're a Rich Man"
Released	7 July 1967 (UK) 17 July 1967 (US)
Format	7"
Recorded	Olympic Studios 14 June 1967
Genre	Rock
Length	3:47
Label	Parlophone R5620 (UK) Capitol 5964 (US)
Writer(s)	Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s)	George Martin
The Beatles singles chronology
"Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" (1967) "All You Need Is Love" (1967) "Hello, Goodbye" (1967)
Music sample
"All You Need Is Love" Problems? See media help.
Magical Mystery Tour track listing
"Baby You're a Rich Man" (10)	"All You Need Is Love" (11)
Yellow Submarine track listing
"It's All Too Much" (5)	"All You Need Is Love" (6)	"Pepperland" (7)
Yellow Submarine Songtrack track listing
"Only a Northern Song" (11)	"All You Need Is Love" (12)	"When I'm Sixty-Four" (13)
Love track listing
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" (25)	"All You Need is Love" (26)

"All You Need Is Love" is a song written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was first performed by The Beatles on Our World, the first ever live global television link. Broadcast to 26 countries and watched by 350 million people, the programme was broadcast via satellite on June 25 1967. The BBC had commissioned the Beatles to write a song for the UK's contribution and this was the result. It is among the most famous and significant songs performed by the group.

The song was recorded during the Magical Mystery Tour EP sessions, and later appeared on the LP version which was first released in the US.

Release

Asked to come up with a song containing a simple message that would be understood by viewers of all nationalities, Lennon's "All You Need Is Love" extended the message that he had first tried to put across in "The Word", from The Beatles' 1965 album Rubber Soul. "It was an inspired song and they really wanted to give the world a message," said Brian Epstein.^[1] "The nice thing about it is that it cannot be misinterpreted. It is a clear message saying that love is everything." Lennon was fascinated by the power of slogans to unite people and was never afraid to create art out of propaganda. When asked in 1971 whether songs like "Give Peace a Chance" and "Power to the People" were propaganda songs, he answered, "Sure. So was 'All You Need Is Love'. I'm a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change."



The song was so well-received that the band decided it should be their next single. Released in the UK on July 7th, it went straight to No. 1 and remained there for three weeks. It was similarly successful in the US (also appearing on the American LP version of Magical Mystery Tour in November).

It was also the last song both recorded and released by the band before the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, on August 27, 1967, little more than a month after the song was released.

The interviews on The Beatles Anthology documentary series reveal that Paul McCartney and George Harrison were unsure as to whether the song was written especially for the Our World broadcast. However, George Martin and Ringo Starr assert that it was. When asked, McCartney replied:

"I don't think it was written specially for it. But it was one of the songs we had. [...] It was certainly tailored to it once we had it. But I've got a feeling it was just one of John's songs that was coming there. We went down to Olympic Studios in Barnes and recorded it and then it became the song they said, 'Ah. This is the one we should use.' I don't actually think it was written for it."^[2]

Live broadcast

For the live broadcast, the Beatles were (except for Ringo) seated on stools, and accompanied by a small studio orchestra. They were surrounded by many friends and acquaintances (seated on the floor), who sang along with the refrain during the fade-out, including Mick Jagger and Kim McLagan. Lennon, despite affecting indifference, was said to be quite nervous about the broadcast,^[3] given the potential size of the international TV audience. Somewhat dissatisfied with his vocal performance, he subsequently re-recorded the solo verses in the studio for use on the single release. Contrary to popular belief, McCartney wore a rose in his headset not to go along with the theme of the performance, but to spite Lennon, with whom he spoke prior to the show. Lennon insisted that McCartney wear green. After getting his way, McCartney went looking around the studio for something red until he eventually came across a vase of roses outside George Harrison's dressing room.

The black and white footage of the performance was colourised for its inclusion on The Beatles Anthology documentary.

Structure

Because of the setting of a worldwide satellite broadcast, the song was deliberately given an international feel, opening with the French anthem "La Marseillaise", and including snatches of several other pieces during the long fade-out, including "2-part Invention #8 in F" by Johann Sebastian Bach (transposed to G and played on 2 piccolo trumpets), "Greensleeves" (played by the strings), Glenn Miller's "In The Mood" (played on a saxophone), one of the Beatles' seminal hits (particularly in Great Britain and the United States), "She Loves You" (spontaneously ad-libbed by Lennon and McCartney), and Jeremiah Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March" lilting off at the end. (Many sources, including Beatles' producer George Martin, have misremembered or misidentified the Bach quote as being from the "Brandenburg Concerto No. 2".) (Lennon can also be heard scatting what sounds like the title of "Yesterday".)

The structure of the song is somewhat complex. The main body of the song (the verse) is in the very unusual and infrequently used 7/4 time signature with two measures of 7/4, one measure of 8/4, then back to a measure of 7/4 with the intro background vocals repeatedly singing "Love, love, love", over the top of which enter Lennon's enigmatic lyrics:

There's nothing you can do that can't be done Nothing you can sing that can't be sung Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game It's easy

By contrast, the chorus, is simplistic: "All you need is love", in 4/4 time repeated against the horn response but, each chorus has only seven measures (as opposed to the usual eight), and the seventh is a measure of 6/4, then back to the verse in 7/4.

Lennon had previously experimented with mixed time signatures. McCartney's song "We Can Work It Out" from 1965 has a sixteen measure bridge composed by Lennon in which he juxtaposes 4 measures each of 4/4 and 3/4.

Lennon, in turn, may have inspired The Band with his adventurous use of time signatures; on their eponymous second album (from 1969), Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel composed the song "Jawbone" in 6/4 time.

"All You Need is Love" remains one of only two songs (along with Pink Floyd's "Money" from 1973) written in 7/4 time to reach the top 20 charts in the United States.

The track was remixed by George Martin and his son, Giles Martin, for the Beatles' soundtrack for the Cirque du Soleil show Love. The main differences are a more central sound to the song's introductory vocals and strings (rather than the left/right stereo split of the original) and a number of overdubs for the ending, finally closing with the outro from the song "Good Night".

In the film Yellow Submarine (1968), the second verse, as well as the instrumental, are deleted. Also, the last choruses are switched around, with the "all together now", and "everybody", coming first before the last group of choruses.

In popular culture

• The song was later used in the series finale of the science fiction television series The Prisoner. In an interview, Patrick MacGoohan stated that the song is used to illustrate the point that a lot of lip service is given to the idea of caring for each other, but that it's something which isn't actually done very much.
• The song appeared again in the wedding scene in the movie Love Actually performed by Lynden David Hall.
• A part of the song is used in the movie Moulin Rouge!.
• The song is sung by John Travolta on the soundtrack of the film Michael.
• There was a reference to the song by Judd Hirsch playing Julius Levinson in the film Independence Day during a conversation with Margaret Colin (playing Constance Spano) about her continuing love for her ex-husband, David Levinson, played by Jeff Goldblum.

Covers

• Elvis Costello sang it with the aid of just one guitar at the Wembley leg of Live Aid. The British crowd (who sang along with practically every artist that day) sang the accompanying horn parts.
• Jim Sturgess and Dana Fuchs performed a cover of the song featured in the 2007 film Across the Universe, with co-stars Martin Luther and T.V. Carpio performing backup.
• Entrain sang it on Cape Cod Covers, Vol. 2 "The Beatles".
• It was also used to herald the entrance of Queen Elizabeth II into the Millennium Dome during the United Kingdom's millennial celebrations on 31 December 1999, having been voted the nation's favourite song. For that reason it was sung by choirs across the country during the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II celebrations on 2 June, 2002, beginning in Slough^[4] and being picked up in many other cities. The first notes of the song comprised the English National Anthem, "God Save the Queen", instead of the usual "La Marseillaise".
• The britpop band Oasis has performed the song live.
• Nada Surf's 2006 cover of "All You Need Is Love" was featured in a Chase Credit Card commercial in the U.S.
• Synth-pop band New Musik covered it on their 1982 album, Warp, appearing after an original song with the same title.
• Echo & the Bunnymen's cover can be found on the 2003 re-release of the CD Ocean Rain.
• Einstürzende Neubauten's song "Headcleaner" (Tabula Rasa) contains the lyrics for "All You Need Is Love", except they are in a skewed tense.

Where the original goes:

There's nothing you can do that can't be done Nothing you can sing that can't be sung Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game It's easy

In Neubauten's version the line goes:

Cause nothing has been done that can't be done Nothing has been sang that can't be sung And nothing has been set, so forget how to play the game It's easy

The line 'All you need is love' is also replaced with 'All you need is headcleaner'.

• James Last recorded at least two covers: it was part of a dance medley on his 1967 LP Non Stop Dancing '67/2 (Polydor 249 160). It appeared in full length on his 1983 LP James Last Spielt Die Grössten Songs Von THE BEATLES (Polydor 815 691-1).
• The cast of the German soap Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten recorded a cover version for their anniversary CD. Credited to GZSZ All Stars featuring Laurent Daniels, it can be found on Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten: Die Jubiläums CD 2000 (edel 0110742ere).
• The Freedom Sounds, fronted by jazz trombonist Wayne Henderson, recorded a cover version for their second Atlantic LP. It is included on the Warner compilation CD Glass Onion: Songs of The Beatles (5050466149626).
• German pianist and orchestra-leader Paul Kuhn recorded this song on a 1977 LP, The Big Band Beatles by Paul Kuhn & The SFB Big Band (Electrola 1C 066-32152).
• The Berlin Festival Orchestra recorded a whole LP of easy-listening Beatles-songs, called All You Need Is Love: The Most Famous Beatles Songs (s*r International 63908).
• Bob Thiele & His New Happy Times Orchestra featuring The Sunflower Singers & Steve Allen did a cover version on their LP Do the Love (ABC records, ABC-615).

Parody

• In their film All You Need Is Cash, the Rutles parodied "All You Need Is Love" as "Love Life". The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" replaces "La Marseillaise" at the beginning, and "Love is the meaning of life. Life is the meaning of love" is the refrain at the end while their song "Hold My Hand" replaces "She Loves You" as the self-parody.
• A Luvs commercial used "All You Need Is Luvs".

Notes

References

• Turner, Steve. A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles' Song, Harper, New York: 1994, ISBN 0-06-095065-X
• MacDonald, Ian. Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties, Great Britain: 1994, ISBN 0-8050-2780-7

External links

• Alan W Pollack's Notes on "All You Need Is Love"

Preceded by "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum	UK Singles Chart number one single 19 July 1967 – (3 weeks)	Succeeded by "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie
Preceded by "Light My Fire" by The Doors	Billboard Hot 100 number one single August 19, 1967	Succeeded by "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry
Preceded by "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum	United World Chart number one single August 26 1967 – September 30, 1967	Succeeded by "The Letter" by Box Tops

•  • [ e] The Beatles Singles
Singles (UK - Parlophone, Apple Records)
1962: Love Me Do 1963: Please Please Me, From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine 1965: Ticket to Ride, Help!, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out 1966: Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine 1967: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello Goodbye 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together 1970: Let It Be 1976: Yesterday, Back in the U.S.S.R. 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley, Love Me Do (reissue) 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird 1996: Real Love
B-sides
1962: P.S. I Love You 1963: Ask Me Why, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You, This Boy 1964: You Can't Do That, Things We Said Today, She's a Woman 1965: Yes It Is, I'm Down 1966: Rain 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution 1969: Old Brown Shoe 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number) 1976: I Should Have Known Better, Twist and Shout 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, P.S. I Love You (reissue) 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, Christmas Time (Is Here Again) 1996: Baby's in Black
Singles (U.S. - Capitol Records, Apple Records)
1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I'll Cry Instead, And I Love Her, Matchbox, I Feel Fine 1965: Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper 1966: Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine 1967: Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together 1970: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road 1976: Got to Get You into My Life 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley 1986: Twist and Shout 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird 1996: Real Love
B-sides
1963: I Saw Her Standing There 1964: You Can't Do That, I Should Have Known Better, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, If I Fell, Slow Down, She's a Woman 1965: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Yes It Is, I'm Down, Act Naturally 1966: What Goes On, Rain 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution 1969: Old Brown Shoe 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number), For You Blue 1976: Helter Skelter 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You 1986: There's a Place 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / Christmas Time (Is Here Again) 1996: Baby's in Black / Yellow Submarine / Here, There and Everywhere