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"For All We Know" is a soft rock song written for the 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers, with music by Fred Karlin and lyrics by Robb Wilson (Robb Royer) and Arthur James (Jimmy Griffin). Both Royer and Griffin were founding members of the soft rock group Bread. It was originally performed, for the film's soundtrack, by Larry Meredith.[1] The best known version of the song is by American pop duo the Carpenters which reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart in 1971. The song was also a hit for Shirley Bassey at the same time in the United Kingdom. It has since been covered by various artists, including Petula Clark.

The song became a gold record. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1971.[1]

The Carpenters version

"For All We Know"
One of artworks for US vinyl single
Single by Carpenters
from the album Carpenters
B-side"Don't Be Afraid"
ReleasedJanuary 15, 1971
RecordedLate 1970
GenrePop[2]
Length2:33
LabelA&M 1243
Songwriter(s)Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson,[1] Arthur James
Producer(s)Jack Daugherty
Carpenters singles chronology
"Merry Christmas Darling"
(1970) 		"For All We Know"
(1971) 		"Rainy Days and Mondays"
(1971)

Richard Carpenter of Carpenters heard the song during an evening of relaxation at the movies while on tour. He decided it would be ideal for the duo. It became a hit for them in 1971, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, spending seven weeks in the Top 10, and No. 1 for three weeks on the US easy listening chart.[3]

When the original song was nominated for an Academy Award, the Carpenters were not allowed to perform it at the ceremony because they had not appeared in any film. At their request, the song was performed by British singer Petula Clark. (Clark would later perform the song in concert on February 6, 1983, in tribute to Karen Carpenter, who had died two days before.)

According to Richard, the intro was originally played on guitar. They had run into Jose Feliciano in a restaurant, who was a big fan of theirs and wanted to play on one of their records. They went into the studio and the intro was devised by Feliciano, using his nylon string acoustic guitar. The next day, though, Richard got a phone call from Feliciano's manager, demanding that he be removed from the recording. Richard essentially did as requested and replaced Feliciano's guitar intro with that of Earle Dumler's oboe.[4] The other instruments heard on the song were recorded by session musicians later known as the Wrecking Crew.[5][6]

In 1972, Richard and Karen appeared on Tom Jones's London Bridge Special, where they performed "For All We Know". This version was not released to the public until 2000, with the release of The Singles: 1969–1981.

Personnel

Charts

Note

Shirley Bassey version

The song became a hit in the UK for Welsh singer Shirley Bassey in 1971, at the same time as the Carpenters' version, with the two songs competing for chart strength.[1] Bassey's version peaked at No. 6 during a 24-week chart run.[13] It also reached No. 20 in Ireland.[citation needed]

Petula Clark version

Petula Clark gave a heart-rending version of the song during her show at the Albert Hall on February 6, 1983, in tribute to Karen Carpenter, who had died two days before.[14]

Nicki French version

"For All We Know"
Single by Nicki French
from the album Secrets
Released1995
Length3:11
Label
  • Bags of Fun
  • Love This
Songwriter(s)Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson
Producer(s)
Nicki French singles chronology
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
(1995) 		"For All We Know"
(1995) 		"Did You Ever Really Loved Me"
(1995)
Music video
"For All We Know" on YouTube

English singer Nicki French released a cover of "For All We Know" in 1995, which was included on her debut album, Secrets (1995). The song peaked at No. 31 in Scotland, No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 89 in Australia. A music video was also produced to promote the single.

Critical reception

Steve Baltin from Cash Box wrote, "French follows up her surprise dance hit cover of Bonnie Tyler’s "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" by giving the same treatment to the Carpenters’ "For All We Know". Sounding as if Donna Summer could’ve done it, "For All We Know" has a blatant disco feel. Look for this to be a club smash that crosses over to appeal to many of the same fans that made "Total Eclipse.." a smash."[15]

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 89
Scotland (OCC)[16] 31
UK Singles (OCC) 42
UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart (Music Week)[17] 2

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 136. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ Molanphy, Chris (September 10, 2021). "Spirit of '71 Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 47.
  4. ^ "Carpenters Fans Ask- Richard Answers, May 2005". Richardandkarencarpenter.com. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  5. ^ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret. Macmillan. p. 263. ISBN 9780312619749.
  6. ^ Blaine, Hal; Goggin, David (2010). Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 20. ISBN 9781888408126.
  7. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 27, 1971" (PDF).
  8. ^ "RPM Top AC Singles - March 13, 1971" (PDF).
  9. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles of '71 - January 8, 1972" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  11. ^ Billboard, December 25, 1971.
  12. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1971". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-07-25. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  13. ^ "Official Charts Company - The Chart Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  14. ^ Video on YouTube
  15. ^ Baltin, Steve (1996-02-10). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  16. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 16 April 1995 - 22 April 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  17. ^ "The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 1995-03-25. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-09-02.

External links

The Carpenters
Academy Award for Best Original Song
Authority control databases
Categories