All I Need (Radiohead song)

Last updated

"All I Need"
All I Need Radiohead.png
Promotional single by Radiohead
from the album In Rainbows
Released5 January 2009 (2009-01-05)
Recorded2005–2007
Genre
Length3:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Nigel Godrich

"All I Need" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, produced by Nigel Godrich. It was released as a promotional single on 5 January 2009, from their seventh studio album, In Rainbows (2007). "All I Need" is a downbeat track which sees frontman Thom Yorke singing of obsession and unrequited love.

Contents

In support of the MTV EXIT anti-human trafficking campaign, Radiohead released a music video for "All I Need", directed by Steve Rogers, which premiered on 1 May 2008. The video, which contrasts the lives of two boys from different economic backgrounds, received acclaim and won numerous awards.

Recording

Radiohead debuted "All I Need" at their 20 June 2006 performance at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. [2] Singer Thom Yorke told the audience that they had just "sketched [the song] out earlier and might get it wrong". [2]

Radiohead recorded "All I Need" for their seventh studio album, In Rainbows (2007). They used a fan recording of the debut performance, uploaded to YouTube, as a reference when working in the studio; Yorke said: "It's all crunchy, it's all from mobile phone but... that's sort of an element of it I really find incredibly exciting." [3]

Guitarist Jonny Greenwood wanted to capture the sensation of white noise generated by "a band playing loudly in a room, when all this chaos kicks up". [4] Unable to produce the sound in a recording studio, Greenwood instead had a string section, the Millennia Ensemble, [5] play every note of the scale, blanketing the audio frequencies. [4] He also overdubbed his own viola playing. [4]

Guitarist Ed O'Brien used a guitar strung with four bottom E strings, creating a "thicker" sound, combined with a sustain unit (allowing notes to be sustained indefinitely) and delay pedal. [6] Yorke said that the final version of "All I Need" was a combination of four different recordings. [7]

Composition

"All I Need" is a sombre song with lyrics detailing obsession and love. [7] [8] It incorporates strings, [9] synthesisers, [10] glockenspiel and piano. [11] Brian Howe of Paste wrote that it "contrasts baggy bass bleats with tiny, concise glockenspiel". [12] Robert Sandall of The Telegraph described it as Yorke's most "direct love song", [13] and Rolling Stone cited it as among "the most intense love songs [he] has ever sung". [14]

Yorke's lyrics incorporate metaphors describing unrequited love, describing himself as "an animal trapped in your hot car". [8] In the final crescendo, [15] the album's "most cathartic release", Yorke sings "it's all right, it's all wrong" as drummer Philip Selway's crash cymbals enter. [16] [17]

Release

"All I Need" concludes the first half of In Rainbows. [11] On 5 January 2009, TBD Records and ATO Records released "All I Need" to United States adult album alternative radio, marking the fifth and final single from In Rainbows. [18] CD copies of the single were distributed by TBD Records for promotional purposes to coincide with the radio release, which included labels detailing Radiohead's nominations at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. [19] A performance of "All I Need" was included on the 2008 live video In Rainbows – From the Basement . [20] Yorke remixed "All I Need" as a new song, "Honey Pot", which he played during a guest appearance on the radio station KCRW in June 2013. [21]

Music video

Radiohead produced the music video for "All I Need" with MTV in support of the MTV EXIT campaign, which promotes awareness and increase prevention of human trafficking and modern slavery. [22] Yorke said of the project: [22]

It's cool that MTV is taking this up ... It's good it's hitting the mainstream, because I don’t consider it a left-wing issue; I consider it a political-stability issue ... If [the campaign] does one good thing, it's to make this concept of slavery — which is what it is — less taboo. If they can make it something that is OK for us to talk about, and for politicians in the west to actually accept that this is an issue, well, then we're doing a good thing.

The video, directed by Steve Rogers and filmed in Australia by cinematographer John Seale, premiered on May 1, 2008. [22] [23] In split screen, it depicts a day in the lives of two children from opposite sides of the world: a boy in the west from an affluent area, and a boy in the east forced to work in a sweatshop which produces shoes worn by the western boy. [22] The video garnered 16 awards, including the UNICEF–CASBAA Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award, [24] the Bronze ANDY for Film at the International Andy Awards, the In Book for Music Video at the 2009 D&AD Awards, and the Bronze Lion for Film at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. [25]

Reception

Thomas Leatham of Far Out name "All I Need" the third-best Radiohead song. [26]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the In Rainbows liner notes. [5]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [27] Gold40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with producer Nigel Godrich and cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.

<i>Kid A</i> 2000 studio album by Radiohead

Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

<i>Amnesiac</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Radiohead

Amnesiac is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 30 May 2001 by EMI. It was recorded with the producer Nigel Godrich in the same sessions as Radiohead's previous album Kid A (2000). Radiohead split the work in two as they felt it was too dense for a double album. As with Kid A, Amnesiac incorporates influences from electronic music, 20th-century classical music, jazz and krautrock. The final track, "Life in a Glasshouse", is a collaboration with the jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.

<i>Hail to the Thief</i> 2003 studio album by Radiohead

Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released under Radiohead's record contract with EMI, the parent company of Parlophone and Capitol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thom Yorke</span> English musician (born 1968)

Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been described by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paranoid Android</span> 1997 single by Radiohead

"Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), on 26 May 1997. The lyrics were written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar. The song is over six minutes long and contains four sections. The name is taken from Marvin the Paranoid Android from the science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knives Out (song)</span> 2001 single by Radiohead

"Knives Out" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their fifth album, Amnesiac (2001). It features lyrics about cannibalism and guitars influenced by the Smiths. "Knives Out" received positive reviews and reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Michel Gondry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creep (Radiohead song)</span> 1992 single by Radiohead

"Creep" is the debut single by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 September 1992. It was included on Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). It features "blasts" of guitar noise by Jonny Greenwood and lyrics describing an obsessive unrequited attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karma Police</span> 1997 single by Radiohead

"Karma Police" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 25 August 1997, as the second single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997). It reached number one in Iceland and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it reached number 14 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was included on Radiohead: The Best Of (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radiohead discography</span>

The English rock band Radiohead have released nine studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, one remix album, nine video albums, seven EPs, 32 singles, and 48 music videos. Their debut album, Pablo Honey, released in February 1993, reached number 22 in the UK, receiving platinum certifications in the UK and US. Their debut single, "Creep", remains their most successful, entering the top 10 in several countries. Their second album, The Bends, released in March 1995, reached number four in the UK and is certified triple platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid Song</span> 2001 song by Radiohead

"Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Amnesiac (2001), in May 2001. It features piano, strings, an unusual "shuffling" rhythm and lyrics inspired by the Egyptian underworld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There There</span> 2003 single by Radiohead

"There There" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as the lead single from their sixth album, Hail to the Thief (2003), on 21 May 2003. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Portugal, and number 14 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song appears on Radiohead: The Best Of (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bends (song)</span> 1996 single by Radiohead

"The Bends" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead from their second studio album, The Bends (1995). In Ireland, it was released by Parlophone on 26 July 1996 as the album's sixth and final single, and reached number 26 on the Irish Singles Chart.

<i>In Rainbows</i> 2007 studio album by Radiohead

In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings on 3 December 2007 and in North America through TBD Records on 1 January 2008. It was Radiohead's first release after their recording contract with EMI ended with their album Hail to the Thief (2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reckoner</span> 2007 song by Radiohead

"Reckoner" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007). It was produced by Nigel Godrich and developed while Radiohead were working on another song, "Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Cards (Radiohead song)</span> 2008 song by Radiohead

"House of Cards" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, from their seventh studio album, In Rainbows (2007). It was serviced to American modern rock radio on April 6, 2008 as a promotional single. The music video, directed by James Frost, was produced using lidar technology and released in June 2008. "House of Cards" was nominated for the Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song and Best Music Video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodysnatchers (song)</span> 2007 song by Radiohead

"Bodysnatchers" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, from their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007). In May 2008, it was released with the song "House of Cards" as a promotional single in the United Kingdom, and it was serviced to United States modern rock radio by ATO Records. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, Radiohead's highest placement since "Creep" in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Flower (song)</span> Song by Radiohead

"Lotus Flower" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their eighth studio album, The King of Limbs (2011). It features Thom Yorke's falsetto over syncopated beats and a synthesiser bassline. Its music video, featuring Yorke's erratic dancing, attracted millions of views and inspired an internet meme.

References

  1. ↑ "The 50 Best Alt-Rock Love Songs". Spin.com. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 Mirabile, Vanessa (12 July 2006). "Chicagoans get 'Lucky'". Lumino. Chicago. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  3. ↑ XFM X-Posure, 3 January 2008
  4. 1 2 3 Pareles, Jon (9 December 2007). "Pay What You Want for This Article". The New York Times . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 In Rainbows (liner notes). Radiohead. XL Recordings. 2007. XLCD 324.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Michael Astley-Brown, Rob Laing (14 November 2017). "Radiohead's Ed O'Brien: "I was always drawn to sounds that didn't sound like the guitar". MusicRadar. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  7. 1 2 Marshall, Julian (8 December 2007). "Rainbow Warriors". NME . London.
  8. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "In Rainbows – Radiohead". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  9. ↑ Jones, Chris. "Radiohead In Rainbows Review". BBC Music. BBC . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (1 November 2007). "In Rainbows". Rolling Stone . New York. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  11. 1 2 Pytlik, Mark (15 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  12. ↑ Howe, Brian (24 October 2007). "Radiohead: In Rainbows". Paste . Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  13. ↑ Sandall, Robert (9 October 2007). "Radiohead's In Rainbows: first review". The Telegraph . London. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "100 Best Albums of the 2000s: Radiohead, 'In Rainbows'". Rolling Stone . New York. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  15. ↑ Pedris, Alexis (10 October 2007). "Radiohead's In Rainbows – a five-star review". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 2007". Pitchfork Media. 18 December 2007. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  17. ↑ Singh, Amrit (30 April 2008). "New Radiohead Video – 'All I Need'". Stereogum . Spin Media . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  18. ↑ "Triple A (Week Of: January 5, 2009)". Radio & Records . Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "All I Need" (single). Radiohead. TBD Records. 2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "Revisiting Radiohead's In Rainbows: From the Basement". Far Out Magazine . 26 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "Listen to new Thom Yorke song: "Honey Pot"". Consequence of Sound. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Montgomery, James (30 April 2008). "Radiohead Join Forces With MTV's Campaign Against Human Trafficking For 'All I Need' Video". MTV . Viacom Media Networks . Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Radiohead support campaign against human trafficking". NME . London. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Award-Winning Radiohead-MTV Exit Music Video Raises Awareness about Human Trafficking". The Asia Foundation. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "Radiohead, MTV EXIT and USAID Music Video Collaboration to Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking Wins Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award". Reuters. 4 November 2009. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  26. ↑ Leatham, Thomas (13 March 2023). "The 10 best Radiohead songs". Far Out . Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Radiohead – All I Need". Music Canada . Retrieved 27 March 2023.