All for a Song
Encyclopedia
All for a Song is a 1982 album by Barbara Dickson
. The album was made up of mostly new recordings but included four of her past hits.
decided to take no chances with this release and included four of her past hits on the collection and backed it up with a TV advertising campaign. This resulted in All for a Song becoming the most successful album of Dickson's career. The album peaked at No.3 in the UK and spent most of the year in the charts, eventually selling over 600,000 copies in the UK alone.
Past singles included on the album were "Answer Me
", "Another Suitcase in Another Hall
", "Caravan Song" and "January February
", while contemporary singles released from the album were "Run Like the Wind", "Take Good Care" and "I Believe in You". This was the first album to include "Caravan Song", which had been released in 1979 and was one of Dickson's most well-known songs. "Run Like the Wind" had originally been written by Mike Batt
for the film Watership Down
, but was replaced by "Bright Eyes
".
The album cover proved to be a problem, when on doing research, the record company decided that cover photographs which featured a lot of blue didn't tend to sell well and despite the fact that the album sleeves had already been printed, they were rejected in favour of an alternative shot featuring warmer shades (see illustrations, right). The rejected covers were instead sold in Scotland
and Ireland
.
The album was largely recorded in the Netherlands with producer Mike Batt. Alan Tarney
, the producer of her previous two albums was only used on one new track, while Dickson herself produced covers of The Beatles
tracks, "The Long and Winding Road
" and "With a Little Help from My Friends
".
All for a Song was released in the Netherlands as I Believe in You. To date, the album has never been released on Compact disc, although many of the tracks have featured on compilations.
Side Two
Barbara Dickson
Barbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
. The album was made up of mostly new recordings but included four of her past hits.
Background
Following the success of her 1980 album, but relative failure of her next album, Epic RecordsEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
decided to take no chances with this release and included four of her past hits on the collection and backed it up with a TV advertising campaign. This resulted in All for a Song becoming the most successful album of Dickson's career. The album peaked at No.3 in the UK and spent most of the year in the charts, eventually selling over 600,000 copies in the UK alone.
Past singles included on the album were "Answer Me
Answer Me
"Answer Me" is a popular song, originally written by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman in 1952....
", "Another Suitcase in Another Hall
Another Suitcase in Another Hall
"Another Suitcase in Another Hall" is a song from the musical Evita with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The song was first a hit in the UK for Barbara Dickson in 1977...
", "Caravan Song" and "January February
January February
January February is a song by Barbara Dickson released on 25 January, 1980 by Epic Records. It reached #11 in April 1980, spending 10 weeks in the charts and became one of Dickson's biggest hits. It also made the Top 20 in the German and South African charts....
", while contemporary singles released from the album were "Run Like the Wind", "Take Good Care" and "I Believe in You". This was the first album to include "Caravan Song", which had been released in 1979 and was one of Dickson's most well-known songs. "Run Like the Wind" had originally been written by Mike Batt
Mike Batt
Michael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
for the film Watership Down
Watership Down (film)
Watership Down is a 1978 English adventure drama animated film written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the book by Richard Adams. It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions...
, but was replaced by "Bright Eyes
Bright Eyes (Art Garfunkel song)
"Bright Eyes" is a song written by Mike Batt, and performed by Art Garfunkel. It was used in the soundtrack of the 1978 film Watership Down and as such is considered the theme song of the film and the later television series adaptations. The track also appears on Garfunkel's fourth studio album,...
".
The album cover proved to be a problem, when on doing research, the record company decided that cover photographs which featured a lot of blue didn't tend to sell well and despite the fact that the album sleeves had already been printed, they were rejected in favour of an alternative shot featuring warmer shades (see illustrations, right). The rejected covers were instead sold in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The album was largely recorded in the Netherlands with producer Mike Batt. Alan Tarney
Alan Tarney
Alan Tarney is an English songwriter, record producer and bass guitarist. He was born in Workington, Cumberland, England, but spent his teenage years in Adelaide, Australia where he met his songwriting and musical partner Trevor Spencer.- Career :Tarney was part of the huge influx of British...
, the producer of her previous two albums was only used on one new track, while Dickson herself produced covers of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
tracks, "The Long and Winding Road
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
" and "With a Little Help from My Friends
With a Little Help from My Friends
-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
".
All for a Song was released in the Netherlands as I Believe in You. To date, the album has never been released on Compact disc, although many of the tracks have featured on compilations.
Track listing
Side One- "Run Like the Wind" (Mike BattMike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
) - "Caravan Song" (Mike Batt)
- "Answer MeAnswer Me"Answer Me" is a popular song, originally written by Gerhard Winkler and Fred Rauch. The English lyrics were written by Carl Sigman in 1952....
" (Gerhard Winkler, Fred Rauch, Carl SigmanCarl SigmanCarl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
) - "The Long and Winding RoadThe Long and Winding Road"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) - "Tonight" (Dickson)
- "With A Little Help From My FriendsWith a Little Help from My Friends-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
" (Lennon, McCartney)
Side Two
- "January February" (Alan Tarney)
- "Will You Love Me TomorrowWill You Love Me Tomorrow"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by The Shirelles. It has been recorded by many artists and was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #125...
" (Gerry GoffinGerry GoffinGerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
, Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
) - "Take Good Care" (Paul Bliss)
- "I Believe in You" (Dickson)
- "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" (Andrew Lloyd-WebberAndrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, Tim RiceTim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
) - "Surrender to the Sun" (Mike Batt)
Personnel
Producers:- Mike BattMike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
("Run Like the Wind", "Caravan Song", "Tonight", "Surrender to the Sun") - Junior CampbellJunior CampbellJunior Campbell is a Scottish composer, songwriter and musician. He was a founding member, lead guitarist, piano player, and singer with the Scottish band Marmalade and co-wrote and produced some of their biggest successes, including "Reflections of My Life", "I See The Rain" and "Rainbow".He...
("Answer Me") - Barbara DicksonBarbara DicksonBarbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
("The Long and Winding Road", "With a Little Help from My Friends") - Alan TarneyAlan TarneyAlan Tarney is an English songwriter, record producer and bass guitarist. He was born in Workington, Cumberland, England, but spent his teenage years in Adelaide, Australia where he met his songwriting and musical partner Trevor Spencer.- Career :Tarney was part of the huge influx of British...
("January February", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "I Believe in You") - Andrew Lloyd-WebberAndrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
& Tim RiceTim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
("Another Suitcase in Another Hall") - Paul Bliss ("Take Good Care")