All or Nothing at All
Encyclopedia
"All or Nothing at All" is a song composed in 1939 by Arthur Altman
, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence
.
Frank Sinatra
's 1939 recording of the song became a huge hit in 1943, when it was reissued by Columbia Records
during the 1942-43 musicians' strike. The record peaked in the Billboard top two.
In a 1944 interview, Sinatra said of the delayed success of the song, "That was the song, a few days after Harry James
and myself recorded it, that gave us our walking papers out of the old Victor Hugo Cafe (a major entertainment venue of the 1930s) on the Sunset Strip
in Hollywood. The manager came up and waved his hands for us to stop. He said Harry's trumpet playing was too loud for the joint and my singing was just plain lousy and fired Harry, me and the entire band on the spot. He said the two of us couldn't draw flies as an attraction, and I guess he was right - the room was as empty as a barn. It's a funny thing about that song. The recording we made of it 5 years ago is now one of the top spots among the best sellers. But it's the same old recording. It's also the song I auditioned with for Tommy Dorsey
, who signed me on the strength of it. And now it's my first big record."
Arthur Altman
Arthur Altman was an American songwriter whose credits "All or Nothing at All," and the lyrics for "All Alone Am I" and "I Will Follow Him."...
, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence
Jack Lawrence
Jack Lawrence was an American songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.- Biography :...
.
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's 1939 recording of the song became a huge hit in 1943, when it was reissued by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
during the 1942-43 musicians' strike. The record peaked in the Billboard top two.
In a 1944 interview, Sinatra said of the delayed success of the song, "That was the song, a few days after Harry James
Harry James
Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
and myself recorded it, that gave us our walking papers out of the old Victor Hugo Cafe (a major entertainment venue of the 1930s) on the Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
in Hollywood. The manager came up and waved his hands for us to stop. He said Harry's trumpet playing was too loud for the joint and my singing was just plain lousy and fired Harry, me and the entire band on the spot. He said the two of us couldn't draw flies as an attraction, and I guess he was right - the room was as empty as a barn. It's a funny thing about that song. The recording we made of it 5 years ago is now one of the top spots among the best sellers. But it's the same old recording. It's also the song I auditioned with for Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
, who signed me on the strength of it. And now it's my first big record."
Notable recordings
- Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
- with Harry JamesHarry JamesHenry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
(1939), Sinatra and StringsSinatra and StringsSinatra and Strings is a 1962 album by Frank Sinatra. The set of standard ballads is one of the most critically acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period.It was Sinatra's first album with arranger Don Costa...
(1962, once again in a ballad arrangement), Strangers in the NightStrangers in the Night (Frank Sinatra album)Strangers in the Night is a 1966 studio album by Frank Sinatra.The album marked Sinatra's return to #1 on the pop album charts in the mid-1960s, and it consolidated the comeback he started in 1966. Combining pop hits with show tunes and standards, the album creates a balance between big band and...
(1966, in an uptempo, swinging arrangement), a discoDiscoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
version in 1977 with Joe BeckJoe BeckJoe Beck was an American guitarist who had been notable in jazz for more than 30 years.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Beck also briefly flirted with rock music in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, live 1982 performance on Sinatra: VegasSinatra: VegasSinatra: Vegas is a 2006 box set of live performances by the American singer Frank Sinatra, recorded in Las Vegas.This box set covers some twenty years of Sinatra's performances in Las Vegas, both at the Sands Casino, and at Caesars Palace...
(2006). - Jimmy ScottJimmy ScottJimmy Scott , aka "Little" Jimmy Scott, is an American jazz vocalist famous for his unusually high contralto voice which is due to Kallmann's syndrome, a very rare genetic condition. The condition stunted his growth at four feet eleven inches until, at age 37, he grew another 8 inches to the...
- If You Only Knew (1955) - Billie HolidayBillie HolidayBillie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
- All or Nothing at AllAll or Nothing at All"All or Nothing at All" is a song composed in 1939 by Arthur Altman, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence.Frank Sinatra's 1939 recording of the song became a huge hit in 1943, when it was reissued by Columbia Records during the 1942-43 musicians' strike...
(1958) - Chet BakerChet BakerChesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
and Johnny PaceJohnny PaceJohnny Pace was a jazz vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s.Pace was born in Paterson New Jersey and served in the Army USO in Germany where he met his wife Anneliese Glaser, they traveled back to the states in 1954. Johnny and Anneliese had three children Monica, Suzanne and John...
- Chet Baker Introduces Johnny Pace (1958) - Freddie HubbardFreddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
- Open SesameOpen Sesame (Freddie Hubbard album)Open Sesame is the debut album by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard released on the Blue Note label in 1960 as BST 84040. It features performances by Hubbard, Tina Brooks, McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones and Clifford Jarvis...
(1960) - John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
- BalladsBallads (John Coltrane album)Ballads is a jazz album by the John Coltrane Quartet. It was recorded in December 1961 and 1962, and released on the Impulse! label in 1963 as A-32 and later AS-32 . Critic Gene Lees stated that the quartet had never played the tunes before...
(1962) - Sarah VaughanSarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
- Sarah + 2Sarah + 2Sarah + 2 is a 1962 studio album by American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan.This was Vaughan's second album with just guitar and double bass accompaniment, following 1961's After Hours.-Reception:...
(1962) - Jack JonesJack Jones (singer)John Allan "Jack" Jones is an American jazz and pop singer. He was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1960s.-Overview:...
- The Impossible DreamThe Impossible Dream (The Quest)"The Impossible Dream " is a popular song composed by Mitch Leigh, with lyrics written by Joe Darion. It was written for the 1965 musical Man of La Mancha...
(1966) and New Jack Swing (1997) - Betty CarterBetty CarterBetty Carter was an American jazz singer renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style...
, with Dave HollandDave HollandDave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....
- Feed the Fire (1993) - Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
- Singin' with the Big BandsSingin' with the Big BandsSingin' with the Big Bands is a 1994 album by Barry Manilow.The album was Manilow's first to reach gold since 1990's Because It's Christmas.-Track listing:#"Singin' With The Big Bands" 2:28...
(1994) - Diana KrallDiana KrallDiana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
- Love Scenes (1997) - Ian ShawIan Shaw (singer)Ian Shaw is a Welsh jazz singer, record producer, and former stand up comedian.Shaw was born at St. Asaph, Wales, and his career in performance began on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit, alongside such performers as Julian Clary, Rory Bremner and Jo Brand.In his music career he has recorded and...
- In a New York Minute (1999) - Kurt EllingKurt EllingKurt Elling is an American jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and vocalese performer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling first became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church...
- Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman (2009)