All I Really Want to Do (album)
Encyclopedia
All I Really Want to Do is the debut solo album by American singer and actress Cher
and was released on October 16, 1965 by Imperial Records
. The album was produced
for Cher by her husband and singing partner, Sonny Bono
, with contributions from arranger Harold Battiste
. The album is by-and-large a collection of cover version
s but does contain three songs written by Bono.
Upon its release, the album was well received by critics and garnered positive reviews. The album was Cher's first and most successful album of the 1960s, both in the UK and the U.S.
were debuting on Atco Records
, Sonny Bono arranged a solo deal
for Cher on the Imperial label. After the success of Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe
" single, Bono decided to promote his wife as a solo act, producing her first full-length album himself. The album was Cher's first solo project since the release of her two unsuccessful 1964 singles, "Ringo, I Love You
" and "Dream Baby", released under the pseudonyms Bonnie Jo Mason and Cherylin respectively. All I Really Want to Do, like the debut album by Sonny & Cher, Look at Us
, contains many covers. The album includes recordings of contemporary, uptempo rock songs
, but it also has a somewhat folky
slant to it, in order to differentiate it from the musical style of Sonny & Cher's records.
On the album, Cher covered three songs written and performed by Bob Dylan
, "All I Really Want to Do", "Blowin' In the Wind
" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
". The album contains the Bono-penned "Needles and Pins", which was a hit for the British
band, The Searchers
, in 1963. The album also included Ray Davies
' "I Go to Sleep
", which was later a hit in the UK for The Pretenders, and Cher's version of the traditional song, "See See Rider
", arranged
by Sonny Bono, Charles Greene and Robert Stone. Other covers on the album are "She Thinks I Still Care", "The Bells of Rhymney
" and "Come and Stay With Me". During the album recording sessions, Cher recorded a song written by Bono, titled "I'm Gonna Love You", which did not appear on the album but was issued as the B-side
of the "All I Really Want to Do" single. The song was later included on the 1967 Sonny & Cher soundtrack album
, Good Times
.
All I Really Want to Do has received positive reviews from music critics, with Tim Sendra, of the Allmusic website, giving the album four stars. Sendra also noted that the album features Sonny Bono "using his Spector-derived production skills to create rich, chiming backgrounds for Cher to sing over", and described the record as "one of the stronger folk-pop records of the era." Sendra went on to note that "Cher isn't the most subtle singer, but she sounds young and full of life on these tracks, like she really believes in what she is singing (a feeling you don't always get on her more lightweight material)."
In 1992, All I Really Want to Do and Cher's follow-up solo album, The Sonny Side of Chér
, were reissued on one CD
by EMI Records
. Later, in 1995, EMI released a collection titled The Originals, which included All I Really Want to Do, The Sonny Side of Chér and Cher's third solo album, Cher
. The album was again reissued on one CD with The Sonny Side of Chér by BGO Records in 2005 in the UK only. The original twelve track All I Really Want to Do album has never been issued on Compact Disc
on its own.
album chart, peaking at #16. The album entered the chart while the debut album by Sonny & Cher, Look at Us, was still at #2. The album also entered the UK Albums Chart
, debuting at #20 in early October 1965 and peaking at #7 two weeks later. The album remained in the UK chart for nine weeks between early October and late November. Although All I Really Want to Do reached the UK Album Chart, it failed to chart in Europe.
and #9 on the UK singles chart
. The song also entered the Canadian
, Dutch
and Swedish
single charts. "All I Really Want to Do" was the first single to be released by Cher under that name and was also her first solo hit. The album also contained the Bono-penned song, "Dream Baby", which had been released as a single in 1964 by Cher, under the pseudonym of Cherylin.
The initial idea to cover "All I Really Want to Do" came when Cher heard the Los Angeles folk rock
band
, The Byrds
, perform it during their pre-fame residency at Ciro's
nightclub
on the Sunset Strip
in March 1965. A minor controversy between Cher and The Byrds ensued when it was alleged by Columbia Records
(The Byrds' record label) that Cher and Sonny Bono had taped one of The Byrds' appearances at Ciro's without permission, in order to use some of the band's repertoire ("All I Really Want to Do" and "The Bells of Rhymney") on Cher's own album. Although The Byrds planned to issue "All I Really Want to Do" as a single themselves, they were largely unconcerned with the imminent release of Cher's recording, feeling that there was enough room in the charts for both versions. In a retaliatory attempt to bury Cher's version, Columbia rush-released The Byrds' "All I Really Want to Do" single and both versions entered the Billboard Hot 100 during the same week. A chart battle ensued, largely instigated by Columbia Records and the music press
, but ultimately The Byrds' version stalled at #40 on the U.S. charts, while Cher's cover reached #15. The opposite was true in the UK, however, where The Byrds' version reached #4 and Cher's recording peaked at #9.
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
and was released on October 16, 1965 by Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
. The album was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for Cher by her husband and singing partner, Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
, with contributions from arranger Harold Battiste
Harold Battiste
Harold Raymond Battiste, Jr. , is an American music composer, arranger, performer and teacher.He attended New Orleans' Dillard University, earning a B.S. in music in 1953. His first success as a studio arranger was with Sam Cooke’s "You Send Me" in 1957...
. The album is by-and-large a collection of cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s but does contain three songs written by Bono.
Upon its release, the album was well received by critics and garnered positive reviews. The album was Cher's first and most successful album of the 1960s, both in the UK and the U.S.
Album history
At the same time that the duo Sonny & CherSonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
were debuting on Atco Records
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
, Sonny Bono arranged a solo deal
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
for Cher on the Imperial label. After the success of Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe
I Got You Babe
"I Got You Babe" is a 1965 #1 single by American pop music duo Sonny & Cher.-Background and composition:Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics to and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Session...
" single, Bono decided to promote his wife as a solo act, producing her first full-length album himself. The album was Cher's first solo project since the release of her two unsuccessful 1964 singles, "Ringo, I Love You
Ringo, I Love You
"Ringo, I Love You" is a rock song performed by American singer-actress Cher released under the pseudonym "Bonnie Jo Mason". This pseudonym was used at the start of Cher's career when she was based in Los Angeles, CA. The song was released in 1964 during the height of Beatlemania. The original...
" and "Dream Baby", released under the pseudonyms Bonnie Jo Mason and Cherylin respectively. All I Really Want to Do, like the debut album by Sonny & Cher, Look at Us
Look At Us
Look at Us is the debut studio album by American rock duo Sonny & Cher, released in 1965 by Atco Records.-Album information:Sonny and Cher released this album in late 1965 after their single "I Got You Babe" had reached number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. This album spent 8 weeks at #1 in the...
, contains many covers. The album includes recordings of contemporary, uptempo rock songs
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, but it also has a somewhat folky
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
slant to it, in order to differentiate it from the musical style of Sonny & Cher's records.
On the album, Cher covered three songs written and performed by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, "All I Really Want to Do", "Blowin' In the Wind
Blowin' in the Wind
"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. Although it has been described as a protest song, it poses a series of questions about peace, war and freedom...
" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962, and released on the 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.-Context:...
". The album contains the Bono-penned "Needles and Pins", which was a hit for the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
band, The Searchers
The Searchers (band)
The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
, in 1963. The album also included Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
' "I Go to Sleep
I Go to Sleep
"I Go to Sleep" was covered by The Pretenders and released as the fifth single from their second studio album Pretenders II. The song was later included on the Pretenders' compilation album The Singles...
", which was later a hit in the UK for The Pretenders, and Cher's version of the traditional song, "See See Rider
See See Rider
The song is generally regarded as being traditional in origin. Ma Rainey's version became popular during 1925, as "See See Rider Blues." It became one of the most famous of all blues songs, with well over 100 versions. It was recorded by Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly,...
", arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
by Sonny Bono, Charles Greene and Robert Stone. Other covers on the album are "She Thinks I Still Care", "The Bells of Rhymney
The Bells of Rhymney
"The Bells of Rhymney" is a song first recorded by folk singer Pete Seeger, using words written by Welsh poet Idris Davies. The lyrics to the song were drawn from part of Davies' poetic work Gwalia Deserta, which was first published in 1938...
" and "Come and Stay With Me". During the album recording sessions, Cher recorded a song written by Bono, titled "I'm Gonna Love You", which did not appear on the album but was issued as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the "All I Really Want to Do" single. The song was later included on the 1967 Sonny & Cher soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
, Good Times
Good Times (soundtrack)
Good Times is the first soundtrack album by American rock duo Sonny & Cher, released in 1967 by Atlantic/Atco Records in conjunction with the film of the same name.- Album information :...
.
All I Really Want to Do has received positive reviews from music critics, with Tim Sendra, of the Allmusic website, giving the album four stars. Sendra also noted that the album features Sonny Bono "using his Spector-derived production skills to create rich, chiming backgrounds for Cher to sing over", and described the record as "one of the stronger folk-pop records of the era." Sendra went on to note that "Cher isn't the most subtle singer, but she sounds young and full of life on these tracks, like she really believes in what she is singing (a feeling you don't always get on her more lightweight material)."
In 1992, All I Really Want to Do and Cher's follow-up solo album, The Sonny Side of Chér
The Sonny Side of Cher
-Credits:*Cher - lead vocals*Sonny Bono - record producer*Harold Battiste - musical arranger*Larry Levine - sound engineer*Stan Ross - sound engineer*Woody Woodward - art direction-Chart positions:...
, were reissued on one CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
. Later, in 1995, EMI released a collection titled The Originals, which included All I Really Want to Do, The Sonny Side of Chér and Cher's third solo album, Cher
Cher (1966 album)
Chér is the third studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on October 1966 by Imperial. Cher collaborates again with Sonny Bono, with Harold Battiste and with Stan Ross. The album is by-and-large a covers album and contains only one song written by Bono...
. The album was again reissued on one CD with The Sonny Side of Chér by BGO Records in 2005 in the UK only. The original twelve track All I Really Want to Do album has never been issued on Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
on its own.
Chart performance
All I Really Want to Do was a success on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart, peaking at #16. The album entered the chart while the debut album by Sonny & Cher, Look at Us, was still at #2. The album also entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, debuting at #20 in early October 1965 and peaking at #7 two weeks later. The album remained in the UK chart for nine weeks between early October and late November. Although All I Really Want to Do reached the UK Album Chart, it failed to chart in Europe.
Singles
The song "All I Really Want to Do" was the only single to be taken from the album and reached #15 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...
and #9 on the 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 ...
. The song also entered the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
single charts. "All I Really Want to Do" was the first single to be released by Cher under that name and was also her first solo hit. The album also contained the Bono-penned song, "Dream Baby", which had been released as a single in 1964 by Cher, under the pseudonym of Cherylin.
The initial idea to cover "All I Really Want to Do" came when Cher heard the Los Angeles folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, perform it during their pre-fame residency at Ciro's
Ciro's
Ciro's was a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip, opened in January 1940, by entrepreneur William Wilkerson. Herman Hover took over management of Ciro's in 1942 until it closed its doors in 1957...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
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 March 1965. A minor controversy between Cher and The Byrds ensued when it was alleged 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...
(The Byrds' record label) that Cher and Sonny Bono had taped one of The Byrds' appearances at Ciro's without permission, in order to use some of the band's repertoire ("All I Really Want to Do" and "The Bells of Rhymney") on Cher's own album. Although The Byrds planned to issue "All I Really Want to Do" as a single themselves, they were largely unconcerned with the imminent release of Cher's recording, feeling that there was enough room in the charts for both versions. In a retaliatory attempt to bury Cher's version, Columbia rush-released The Byrds' "All I Really Want to Do" single and both versions entered the Billboard Hot 100 during the same week. A chart battle ensued, largely instigated by Columbia Records and the music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, but ultimately The Byrds' version stalled at #40 on the U.S. charts, while Cher's cover reached #15. The opposite was true in the UK, however, where The Byrds' version reached #4 and Cher's recording peaked at #9.
Track listing
Personnel
- CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
- lead vocals - Sonny BonoSonny BonoSalvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
- record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Bill Marx - accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - René HallRené HallRené Hall , was an American guitarist and music arranger.He was born in Morgan City, Louisiana, and first recorded as a banjo player with Joseph Robichaux in New Orleans in 1933. He then worked around the country as a member of the Ernie Fields Orchestra, before joining Earl Hines as musical arranger...
- bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Cliff Hills - bass
- Mel Pollen - bass
- Lyle Ritz - bass
- Frank CappFrank CappFrank Capp is an American jazz drummer.Capp was born August 20, 1931 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He began playing with Stan Kenton starting in 1951 and remained with Kenton for some time. Later he joined Neal Hefti's group. He often accompanied Peggy Lee on some of her road dates and...
- drums - Sharkey Hall - drums
- Jesse Sailes - drums
- Monte Dunn - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Jeff Kaplan - guitar
- Barney KesselBarney KesselBarney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century, he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies...
- guitar - Steve MannSteve Mann (guitarist)Steven Mann was an American songwriter and guitarist.-History:Mann broke onto the West Coast music scene in the 1960s. As a student at Valley State College in Los Angeles, Mann began to perform folk music at hootenannies and Los Angeles clubs like The Ash Grove and The Troubadour...
- guitar - Donald Peake - guitar
- Mike Post - guitar
- Randy Stevling - guitar
- Michel RubiniMichel RubiniMichel Rubini is an American musician and composer, best known for his work composing motion picture soundtracks. He is a professional classical pianist since early childhood...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Frank DeVito - percussion
- Gene Estes - percussion
- Brian Stone - percussion
- Julius WechterJulius WechterJulius Wechter was an American musician and composer who played the marimba and vibraphone. He also played various percussion instruments. He composed the song "Spanish Flea" for Herb Alpert and was leader of the The Baja Marimba Band.Born in Chicago, Wechter played vibes and percussion for the...
- percussion - Harold BattisteHarold BattisteHarold Raymond Battiste, Jr. , is an American music composer, arranger, performer and teacher.He attended New Orleans' Dillard University, earning a B.S. in music in 1953. His first success as a studio arranger was with Sam Cooke’s "You Send Me" in 1957...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Chart positions
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 |
| United States Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
16 |