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All I Ever Wanted (Kirsty MacColl song)
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Wikipedia article
"'All I Ever Wanted'" is a song by British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released in 1991 as the third and final single from her third studio album 'Electric Landlady'. It was written by MacColl and Marshall Crenshaw, and produced by Steve Lillywhite.
Background
In a promotional video on the making of 'Electric Landlady', MacColl commented, "'All I Ever Wanted' is a song I wrote with Marshall Crenshaw some time ago. We actually wrote it by post. He sent me a cassette from New York of some chord patterns that he'd put down. Then I put down some vocals and got the lyrics together, and sent it back to him. And he was like 'Well I can't sing this, this is a girl's song', so we put it on hold and now I've finally done it. I recorded it in New York with the Latin band. It sounds great, it sounds like Buddy Holly and Acapulco."
Crenshaw later submitted the song when asked to provide a song for the film 'That Thing You Do!' but it was not selected.
Release
The song was remixed for its release as a single. Three live tracks were included across the single's different formats: "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis", "Walk Right Back" and "A New England". The tracks were recorded live for BBC Radio 1's 'Into the Night' on 26 June 1991.
"All I Ever Wanted" reached No. 154 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in January 1992. The song failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart, but reached No. 35 on the 'Music Week' Playlist Chart in October 1991.
Music video
A music video was filmed to promote the single. It was directed by Jeff Baynes, produced by Michael Brown and features Rowland Rivron.
Critical reception
On its release as a single, Andrew Hirst of the 'Huddersfield Daily Examiner' described "All I Ever Wanted" as a "flighty folk number", but added that it was a "strange single choice when far better tunes lay dormant on her excellent 'Electric Landlady' album".
In a review of 'Electric Landlady', Steve Pick of the 'St. Louis Post-Dispatch' commented how "All I Ever Wanted" "implicitly connects the early Beatles with the bossa nova that had to influence them". Mike Curtin of 'The Post-Star' described the song as "the best 10,000 Maniacs song that the Jamestown, N.Y., folk-rock band never wrote". Casey Seiler of the 'Jackson Hole Guide' noted the song's "rock-guitar twang".
John Kovalic of the 'Wisconsin State Journal' wrote, "The solid, catchy pop of 'All I Ever Wanted' may be the [album]'s strongest selling point". Barbara Jaeger of 'The Record' noted, "The collection has its share of folk-rock tunes, the catchiest of which are 'All I Ever Wanted' and 'He Never Mentioned Love'. The delightful melodies of both are the springboards from which MacColl's voice soars." In 'The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock', Ira A. Robbins said of MacColl's 1995 compilation 'Galore', "'Galore' gives 'Electric Landlady' short shrift by omitting the pure pop delight of 'All I Ever Wanted'."
Track listing
;7" and cassette single
#"All I Ever Wanted" - 3:30
#"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" (Live) - 3:49
;CD single (UK #1)
#"All I Ever Wanted" - 3:30
#"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" (Live) - 3:49
#"Walk Right Back" (Live) - 3:38
#"A New England" (Live Acoustic Duet with Billy Bragg) - 3:27
;CD single (UK #2)
#"All I Ever Wanted" - 3:30
#"What Do Pretty Girls Do?" - 2:38
#"Walk Right Back" (Live) - 3:38
#"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" (Live) - 3:49
;CD single (US promo)
#"All I Ever Wanted" - 3:30
#"All the Tears That I Cried" - 3:31
Personnel
'All I Ever Wanted'
* Kirsty MacColl - vocals
* Pete Glenister, Elliott Randall - guitar
* Ian Aitken - acoustic guitar
* Oscar Hernndez - piano
* Judd Lander - harmonica
* Sal Cuevas - bass
* Robbie Ameen - drums
* Milton Cardona - conga
* Jos Mangual Jr. - bongo guiro
* Marc Quiones - timbal
'Production'
* Steve Lillywhite - producer on "All I Ever Wanted" and "What Do Pretty Girls Do?"
* Jon Fausty, John Brough, Alan Douglas - engineers on album version of "All I Ever Wanted"
* Jon Fausty, Pete Lewis - mixing on album version of "All I Ever Wanted"
* Steve Lillywhite, Howard Gray, Trevor Gray - mixing on single version of "All I Ever Wanted"
* Paul Williams - producer of live tracks
* Paul Roberts - engineer on live tracks
'Other'
* Kirsty MacColl, Bill Smith Studio - sleeve design
* Charles Dickins - photography
Charts
References
Category:1991 songs
Category:1991 singles
Category:Kirsty MacColl songs
Category:Songs written by Kirsty MacColl
Category:Songs written by Marshall Crenshaw
Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite
Category:Virgin Records singles
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