Making Love out of Nothing at All
Encyclopedia
"Making Love Out of Nothing At All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman
and first released by Australian rock band Air Supply
for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
.
The song has been covered by many other artists, with the most successful cover being by singer Bonnie Tyler
.
in the U.S. It was held off from the top spot by another Steinman production, Bonnie Tyler
's recording of "Total Eclipse of the Heart
".
The song subsequently was released as a new track from their 1983 greatest hits album
. The B-side of the single was "Late Again". They have included the song on their numerous greatest hits and live albums, and recorded an acoustic version for their 2005 album The Singer and the Song
.
Steinman offered the song, along with "Total Eclipse of the Heart
", to Meat Loaf
for his Midnight at the Lost and Found
album; however, Meat Loaf's record company refused to pay Steinman for the material so Meat Loaf
ended up writing compositions for the album himself. Steinman's songs were then offered to Bonnie Tyler
& Air Supply
.
By 1983, Air Supply had changed much of its classic musician line-up, both in the recording studio & on tour. But Steinman, known for his lavish, rock-opera-ish type productions, used Bruce Springsteen
's E-Street Band members Roy Bittan
on keyboards and Max Weinberg
on drums, to musically underscore the recording with like energies. 70s glam-rock icon Rick Derringer
supplied the electric guitar solo that made the sound of "Making Love Out of Nothing At All" stand so drastically apart from most other Air Supply productions. At the time, Steinman described working with Air Supply as, "two boring idiots from Australia. Working with them was almost an accident. When I took that, I didn't have any other work at all and I needed the money".
", where the chorus consists of things that the vocalist would and then would not do.
Like the final lines of each chorus in "Anything for Love", the end of "Making Love" contrasts with the previous stating what he doesn't know how to do. The final part of the verse laments:
The title is repeated six times, with background vocals supplying the "making love" part, and the lead vocalist singing the last part of the line.
Strong drumbeats begin the next section of the song, which concentrates upon the attributes of its subject:
There is an instrumental interlude, dominated by the melody of the title line played by piano. The final verse returns to the structure of the first. The original Air Supply version had an American football
analogy, with "I can make the runner stumble, I can make the final block; And I can make every tackle at the sound of the whistle, I can make all the stadiums rock."
on her album Free Spirit. It opens with a word-less choral voice, before the melody begins, played on piano. Allmusic call this version "fantastic, clocking in at nearly eight minutes, and seems perfectly suited for her voice. [Air Supply's] version was already great, but hers is awesome." It was produced by Steinman, with Steven Rinkoff
as co-producer, at The Hit Factory
, New York City
. Ma-Elsie Hopkins provided some vocals.
These lines were changed for the Tyler version, and also for the subsequent Karine Hannah version, as well:
during the car chase/gunfight scene, and is also featured on the film's soundtrack album. It was also used in the films Click and Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd.
In 1983, Air Supply performed the song on stage, in "lip-sync" form with full back-up band for the popular early 1980s television program Solid Gold
. Absent were many of the musicians that producer Jim Steinman used to record the original tracks. However, original Air Supply
members Frank Esler-Smith on keys & Ralph Cooper on drums participated, and former Babys lead guitarist Wally Stocker, "synced" so well, studio player Rick Derringer's guitar solo, without the slightest of glitch.
The song was used for a Wendy's
commercial, where a "burger" is "singing" a part of the song, part of a promo being used in conjunction with online music service Rhapsody
. The song was also used in the episode "Chuck Versus the Predator
" of the American TV series Chuck
.
A cover of the song by Mari Nallos
is the theme song of the Tagalized (means translated in Tagalog) version of My Husband's Woman, an Asian series which is aired in the Philippines on GMA 7. The song is the theme song of the film Monga
, covered by Nicky Lee.
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
and first released by Australian rock band Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
The song has been covered by many other artists, with the most successful cover being by singer Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
.
History of recording
The song was first recorded by Air Supply, giving them a number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the U.S. It was held off from the top spot by another Steinman production, Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
's recording of "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
".
The song subsequently was released as a new track from their 1983 greatest hits album
Making Love... The Very Best of Air Supply
Making Love... The Very Best of Air Supply is the second compilation album of Australian soft rock band Air Supply.- Track listing :#"Lost in Love" - 3:52#"Even the Nights Are Better" - 3:55...
. The B-side of the single was "Late Again". They have included the song on their numerous greatest hits and live albums, and recorded an acoustic version for their 2005 album The Singer and the Song
The Singer and the Song
The Singer And The Song is the 1971 second album by Labi Siffre.All songs written and performed by Labi Siffre. Musical Directors were Gordon Beck and John Bell...
.
Steinman offered the song, along with "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
", to Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
for his Midnight at the Lost and Found
Midnight at the Lost and Found
- Personnel :* Meat Loaf — lead vocals, backing vocals * Mark Doyle — guitars, piano , bass , synthesizers , vocals * Rick Derringer — guitars , bass...
album; however, Meat Loaf's record company refused to pay Steinman for the material so Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
ended up writing compositions for the album himself. Steinman's songs were then offered to Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
& Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
.
By 1983, Air Supply had changed much of its classic musician line-up, both in the recording studio & on tour. But Steinman, known for his lavish, rock-opera-ish type productions, used Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's E-Street Band members Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...
on keyboards and Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg
Max Weinberg is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.Weinberg grew up in suburban New Jersey...
on drums, to musically underscore the recording with like energies. 70s glam-rock icon Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was...
supplied the electric guitar solo that made the sound of "Making Love Out of Nothing At All" stand so drastically apart from most other Air Supply productions. At the time, Steinman described working with Air Supply as, "two boring idiots from Australia. Working with them was almost an accident. When I took that, I didn't have any other work at all and I needed the money".
Music and lyrics
The song opens with a few bars of the melody played on piano. The first part of the song lists several things that the vocalist knows how to do, followed by something that they do not. The structure is similar to Steinman's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)
"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The title of the song confused some listeners, who were curious to know what "that" is...
", where the chorus consists of things that the vocalist would and then would not do.
- And I know just where to touch you
- And I know just what to prove
- I know when to pull you closer
- And I know when to let you loose
Like the final lines of each chorus in "Anything for Love", the end of "Making Love" contrasts with the previous stating what he doesn't know how to do. The final part of the verse laments:
- But I don't know how to leave you
- And I'll never let you fall
- And I don't know how you do it
- Making love out of nothing at all
The title is repeated six times, with background vocals supplying the "making love" part, and the lead vocalist singing the last part of the line.
Strong drumbeats begin the next section of the song, which concentrates upon the attributes of its subject:
- Every time I see you all the rays of the sun
- Are streaming through the waves in your hair
- And every star in the sky is taking aim at your eyes like a spotlight
There is an instrumental interlude, dominated by the melody of the title line played by piano. The final verse returns to the structure of the first. The original Air Supply version had an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
analogy, with "I can make the runner stumble, I can make the final block; And I can make every tackle at the sound of the whistle, I can make all the stadiums rock."
Music video
The video for the Air Supply version begins with a couple driving to an airport. The male singer is leaving for "one more tour" and asks the woman to join him, as he "can give you anything". The remainder of the video intersperses the singer on stage with a microphone with various scenes of the relationship. Graham and Russell, who comprise Air Supply, leave their dressing room for the stage. As they sing with the band, the female is shown packing and leaving their home, placing their photograph face down on the table in the process. Nevertheless, she changes her mind and does a u-turn on the freeway, and now drives to the airport. She meets him at the side of the stage near the end of the song and they embrace.- Graham Russell: So, won't you reconsider?
- Girlfriend: So, won't you?
- Graham Russell: Come with me, I can give you anything.
- Girlfriend: I've been there, all I want is you.
- Graham Russell: But it's just one more tour, then I'll be back.
- Girlfriend: But I won't...I can't...
Charts
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
2 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
80 |
| South African Singles Chart | 5 |
Bonnie Tyler version
The song was later covered by Welsh singer Bonnie TylerBonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
on her album Free Spirit. It opens with a word-less choral voice, before the melody begins, played on piano. Allmusic call this version "fantastic, clocking in at nearly eight minutes, and seems perfectly suited for her voice. [Air Supply's] version was already great, but hers is awesome." It was produced by Steinman, with Steven Rinkoff
Steven Rinkoff
Steven Rinkoff is a Grammy Award–winning record producer, mixer, and sound engineer, best known for his work with songwriter-producer Jim Steinman...
as co-producer, at The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele. It was officially closed for business April 1, 2005 whereas other Hit Factory studio locations remained open, such as in Miami, Florida.-History:...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Ma-Elsie Hopkins provided some vocals.
These lines were changed for the Tyler version, and also for the subsequent Karine Hannah version, as well:
- I can make you find your power
- I can make you lose your fear
- I can make your body do some very magical things
- I'll make your inhibitions all disappear
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
2 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
45 |
Other cover versions
- American band FunlandFunlandFunland is a comedy / thriller serial, produced by the BBC that was first screened from Sunday 23 October 2005 to Monday 7 November 2005 , on the digital channel BBC Three...
covered the song on their 1993 EP Sweetness under the name "Obligatory Cover (For the Kids)". - Karine Hannah recorded a demo of the song when she was working with Steinman on an album. The project fell through, but her version has been leaked onto the internet.
- The song was covered by singer FrankeeFrankeeNicole Francine Aiello is an American singer-songwriter, known by her stage name, Frankee. She grew up with her parents, Matthew and Francine, and her two siblings, elder brother Matthew Jr. and younger sister Monique...
under the name Nikki A. in 2003 for Louie DevitoLouie DeVitoLouie DeVito is an Italian American dance DJ and producer based in New York City. He is best known for his mix series, NYC Underground Party...
's Dance Divas, Volume One. - An electronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
pop version was recorded by the band Sexton BlakeSexton blake (band)Sexton Blake is a band based in Portland, Oregon. They are signed to the independent record label Expunged Records. Fronted by singer-guitarist Josh Hodges, other instruments include keyboard, drums, and bass. They were featured on the album to: Elliott, from: Portland, a tribute album to...
on their 2007 album Plays the Hits. - Filipina actress Zsa Zsa PadillaZsa Zsa PadillaZsa Zsa Padilla is a Filipina singer and actress. She is currently part of ABS-CBN contract actresses.-Biography:Padilla was born as Esperanza Padilla in 1964, the daughter of actor and sportsman Carlos “Sonny” Padilla, Jr. who served as the referee in the Ali-Frazier world heavyweight boxing...
covered the song in 2002. - The ZooThe Zoo (band)The Zoo is a Filipino rock band formed in 2006 in Manila, Philippines, managed by TV producer and manager, Bert de Leon. The Zoo launched the international career of Arnel Pineda, their former lead singer, who is now the lead singer of Journey...
covered it during live performances with Arnel PinedaArnel PinedaArnel Pineda is a Filipino singer-songwriter who has served as the lead singer of the American rock band Journey since 2007. Pineda has had a successful musical career in the Philippines for the last 25 years.- Biography :...
. - Canadian singer Matt Pettrin covered the song with Bonnie TylerBonnie TylerBonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
. - In 2005, Carrie UnderwoodCarrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
performed the song during the fourth seasonAmerican Idol (Season 4)The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005 and continued until May 25, 2005. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell also returned to judge. It was won by Carrie Underwood, who has gone on to become a five-time Grammy-winning country megastar...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. - Korean rock singer Kim Kyung HoKim Kyung HoKim Kyung Ho is a Korean rock singer known for his efforts in bringing rock music to South Korea and his 4 octave vocal range. His debut album, released in 1995, was entitled "Kim Kyung Ho" and, while not commercially successful, earned him some recognition among Korean rock music fans...
performed the song at a concert broadcast by SBS.
In other media
Air Supply's version of the song is also featured in the 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. SmithMr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell...
during the car chase/gunfight scene, and is also featured on the film's soundtrack album. It was also used in the films Click and Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd.
In 1983, Air Supply performed the song on stage, in "lip-sync" form with full back-up band for the popular early 1980s television program Solid Gold
Solid Gold (TV series)
Solid Gold is an American syndicated music television series that debuted on September 13, 1980. Like many other shows of its genre, such as American Bandstand, Solid Gold featured musical performances and various other elements such as music videos...
. Absent were many of the musicians that producer Jim Steinman used to record the original tracks. However, original Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
members Frank Esler-Smith on keys & Ralph Cooper on drums participated, and former Babys lead guitarist Wally Stocker, "synced" so well, studio player Rick Derringer's guitar solo, without the slightest of glitch.
The song was used for a Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
commercial, where a "burger" is "singing" a part of the song, part of a promo being used in conjunction with online music service Rhapsody
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
. The song was also used in the episode "Chuck Versus the Predator
Chuck Versus the Predator
"Chuck Versus the Predator" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of Chuck. It originally aired on March 23, 2009. Chuck Bartowski reluctantly tells his handlers that he has been contacted by Orion, the mastermind behind the Intersect computer and the person who can erase the Intersect...
" of the American TV series Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
.
A cover of the song by Mari Nallos
Mari Nallos
Marri Nallos is a ballad, jazz, pop singer from the Philippines. Marri who was born in Rome and raised in London. She is a graduate of London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts with honors...
is the theme song of the Tagalized (means translated in Tagalog) version of My Husband's Woman, an Asian series which is aired in the Philippines on GMA 7. The song is the theme song of the film Monga
Monga (film)
Monga is a 2010 Taiwanese gangster film set in 1980s Taipei. The film stars Ethan Ruan from TV series Fated To Love You and Mark Chao, also features Ma Ju-Lung from Cape No.7 and Rhydian Vaughan from Winds of September...
, covered by Nicky Lee.