"All of Me" a country standard???

[Twayn Williams]

When I was a kid in the 60's-70's I recall my mother singing "All of Me" all the time. She really only sang country. I know the song was written in the 30's and is a standard in the Gypsy jazz repertoire, but I guess I've always assumed it's also a country standard. I know it's a fun tune to play on lap steel.

Am I just out to lunch on this? Some of you country music experts out there help a swing player!

[b0b]

A lot of the country bands I've played with do it. Willie Nelson had a big hit on it.

[Twayn Williams]

A lot of the country bands I've played with do it. Willie Nelson had a big hit on it.

Did someone do it before Willie? Like back in the late 50's / early 60's. For some reason I'm thinking Patsy Cline...

[b0b]

I don't play with people that old. I like to be the oldest member of the band.

[Roual Ranes]

Frank Sinatra had the first hit on that song in 1952. As I understand it ........it was taken from a Dixieland number with slightly different chords and more upbeat.

[Alvin Blaine]

Frank Sinatra had the first hit on that song in 1952. As I understand it ........it was taken from a Dixieland number with slightly different chords and more upbeat.

Frank had the first hit with it unless you count the 1932 version that Louis Armstrong had a hit with, or the original 1931 version of it by Belle Baker. Or the Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey, Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, The Count Basie Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Frankie Laine, Della Reese, Johnnie Ray, Django Reinhardt versions that were ALL before Sinatra recorded it.

Some people think that borrowing songs, styles, and instrumentation from pop music is a new thing for country music, but it's been going on from day one.

Take Hank Williams first number 1 hit(61 years ago this week) "Lovesick Blues", now a classic country standard. It was a jazz song in the 20's written by that classic country writing team of Cliff Friend & Irving Mills. The same guys whose names show up on other great country songs like "Mood Indigo", "(In My) Solitude", "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Minnie the Moocher", "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now", and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (known as the theme song to the Looney Tunes).

[Roual Ranes]

Maybe I should have said "the biggest hit". It could have been because of the bobby soxers back then were gaga over Frank.

[Alan Brookes]

It's not a country standard. Willie Nelson moved out of the country sphere and brought all his favorite songs into his repertoire. Good luck to Willie, but it's not a country standard, and neither is Willie a country singer a lot of the time. Willie is Willie, and we all love him for it, but he does his own thing.

[Ryan Barwin]

This version is great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRU8CjjE054

[Alvin Blaine]

Maybe I should have said "the biggest hit". It could have been because of the bobby soxers back then were gaga over Frank.

Depends on what your definition of "the biggest hit" is. It was Louis best selling record of his whole career reaching number 1 for two weeks. Franks version didn't even break the top 20. A song making it to number 21 in 1948 probably sold more than a record making it to number 1 in 1932. Not a whole lot of records of turntables were being sold in the middle of the great depression.

Here is the rundown of who had chart hits with it:
* Louis Armstrong (1932, #1 for 2 weeks)
* Paul Whiteman and His orchestra (1932, Mildred Bailey, vocal, #1)
* Ben Selvin and His Orchestra (1932, #19)
* Count Basie and His Orchestra (1943, Lynne Sherman, vocal, #14)
* Frank Sinatra (1948, #21)
* Johnny Ray (1952, #12)

[Twayn Williams]

"The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (known as the theme song to the Looney Tunes).

I play this tune partly as 30's pop and then for the soloing section as a county-swing barn burner. It's lots of fun!



If no one can think of a country artist who covered this before Willie then I might have to rethink large chunks of my childhood...

[Les Anderson]

If I am not mistaking, didn't Jack Greene sell a good number of copies of his recording of the song?

I first heard the song in the very early fifties when I first started to become aware of music and could appreciate its value.

[Don McGregor]

All Of Me is one of my favorite tunes to play on guitar, lap, or pedal steel. The chord changes are interesting enough to make jamming and improvisation exciting, but simple enough that my head doesn't hurt trying to keep up with them.
The tune Whispering is another one I never get tired of.

[Roual Ranes]

This has happened to many songs. Blueberry Hill was done by a pop orchestra then in 1941 Gene Autry did it for a movie track and had a big hit because of the movie. I have a tape of this version.
Fats did it in the 50's with a different arrangements and it became a R&B/Rock and Roll song but everybody has played it as long as I can remember. I was four years old when Autry did it and I have heard it all my life.

[Jerry Hayes]

Les, I don't recall Jack Greene ever recording "All of Me". He had a big hit with "All the Time".....JH in Va.

[Les Anderson]

Les, I don't recall Jack Greene ever recording "All of Me". He had a big hit with "All the Time".....JH in Va.

You are most certainly right Jerry. My excuse is that it was late at night and I am too old to remember things properly anymore.

[Andy Greatrix]

Olive oil, why not use olive oil....

[Billy Tonnesen]

"All Of Me" was a Western Swing Band standard going back to Bob Wills. Western Swing Bands adopted a lot of non-country songs into their repetoire. You had to be able to hear the various chords that went beyond the basic Country Music chords. Listen to the Time Jumper's version of "All Of Me".

[Charles Davidson]

A song is a song,is a song,no MATTER what style you play it in.Example is Misty Johnny Mathis or Ray Stevens it's STILL Misty. Stardust is STILL stardust if it's Isham Jones or Willie's version. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

[Tommy Shown]

I agree with you Charlie.
Tommy Shown