All My Loving

[rickfan60]

OK, so what was going on in the studio when they put this one together? I never really looked at the structure before but it is a classic jazz progression of ii-V-I. In the chorus, the chords are vi-vidim7 and the bass follows the dim 5th! Up to that point, their songs were based on fairly simple progressions with the bass mostly covering the roots and fifths. All My Loving is something of an anomaly. I have to wonder, was it entirely their work or did George Martin influence it or even compose the chords for them? I ask this only because there is no precedent for it. Does anyone here know anything of the song's origins?

[jimk]

Interesting this should come up. A bunch of us were just discussing this song last night in relation to rock bass playing of the era, and what a progressive bass line it was. And I made the comment that it still stands up to this day.

JimK

[sloop_john_b]

I seem to remember hearing that it was written at a piano. I find that when i'm composing on piano, i'll write chord progressions and use chords that i'd never come up with if I were pounding away at a guitar.

Perhaps Paul was in the same mindset - not necessarily thinking "let me go with a cool progression on this one" - but just a matter of an untrained pianist bashing away, playing weird shaped chords.

Here's a quick analysis (We're in E, remember):

Verse:
ii - V - I - vi - IV - ii - b7 - I
F#m - B(7?) - E - C#m - A - F#m - D - E

We're in a straightforward E chord progression until we have that D, making it E Mixolydian.

Chorus:
iv - b iv - I
C#m - C+ - E

An odd progression to say the least. It's possible that Paul had the melody for the chorus in his head already, and just shifted his chord shapes until he found one that seemed to work underneath "I will send to" and "darling i'll be".

[sloop_john_b]

I will also add that this song has always been more memorable for two things: Paul's well-executed walking bassline, and John mashing out those triplets on his '58 325.

[beatlefreak]

Remember that Paul's dad was a musician, and had a jazz band. So I'm sure he influenced Paul.

[bitzerguy]

Georges little solo was very cool too. Interesting use of finger dragging on a couple of the shapes he played.

...Dean

[rickfan60]

For the time, the song represents a quantum leap in sophistication. The cadence, the triplets, the use of the vi-dim7 with the dim5 in the bass. It seems a little out of place among the other Beatle songs of the day.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I'm always shreiking too loud to hear that song.