All My Life (K-Ci & JoJo song)

"All My Life"

"All My Life" with "Tell Me It's Real" as the b-side.
Single by K-Ci & JoJo
from the album Love Always
B-side "Don't Rush (Take Love Slowly)" / "Tell Me It's Real"
Released March 17, 1998 (1998-03-17)
Format CD, 12"
Recorded 1998, Audio Achievements, Torrance, California[1]
Genre R&B, soul
Length Main Version 5:30
Radio Version 3:39
Label MCA
Writer(s) Joel Hailey, Rory Bennett
Producer Joel Hailey, Rory Bennett
K-Ci & JoJo singles chronology
"Last Night's Letter"
(1997)		 "All My Life"
(1998)		 "Life"
(1999)

"All My Life" is a song recorded by American R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo. The track was produced and written by Joel "JoJo" Hailey and Rory Bennett for K-Ci & JoJo's debut studio album, Love Always (1997). The song was released physically as from January 6, 1998 as the third single from the album through MCA Records. "All My Life" is an R&B / soul song. Music critics have claimed this as the duo's most successful song of their career.

"All My Life" was a commercial success, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks. It was certified platinum in the US, and was the duo's longest-running number-one single of their career. "All My Life" performed well internationally, reaching top ten in many countries, including Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, as well as the United Kingdom and achieving platinum status in Australia and gold status in Sweden.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Lara Schwartz. The video mostly shows the two singing on a stage to women in the crowd. It was nominated for Best R&B Video at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, losing to Wyclef Jean's "Gone Till November". The song was also nominated for 2 Grammy Awards.

Contents

Background and writing

"The song was originally supposed to be used for another artist, a female artist on A&M Records. But we listened to it after we got out of the studio and it was like, 'I'm keeping this, this is too hot.'"

—JoJo[2]

In 1997, K-Ci & JoJo traveled to various recording studios in California and New York with multiple relatively unknown record producers for recording of their debut album, Love Always.[3] Joel initially wrote the song, using his daughter as inspiration.[4] "All My Life" was originally wrote by Joel Hailey for a female artist on A&M Records, but ultimately decided to keep the song.[2] "All My Life" was recorded at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California.[1] Rory Bennett contributed on the song by helping the writing and the production. The piano introduction contains an interpolation of "Cliffs of Dover" by American guitarist Eric Johnson.[5]

Music and theme

"All My Life" is a slow-tempo love song ballad, performed in slow groove. It is composed in the key of D-flat major and is set to sixty-three beats per minute in the time signature of common time.[6] "All My Life" has been called classified as a contemporary R&B,[7] soul,[4] and hip-hop song.[8]

Release and reception

"All My Life" was released as the third single from the album Love Always. The song was released in the United States and Canada on March 17, 1998 on as a CD single.[9][10] It was released on March 30, 1998 in Germany on a maxi single.[11] Don't Rush (Take Love Slowly) was included as the b-side on all copies. In many European countries, "All My Life" was released on a maxi single without a b-side, but contained a radio edit as well as two remixes.[12] On September 18, 2001, "All My Life" would be available to download digitally via iTunes Store, but "Tell Me It's Real" was included instead of "Don't Rush".[13]

"All My Life" was praised by music critics and has classified the song as the duo's most successful song. Billboard magazine writer Aliya King wrote that "All My Life" "cemented the duo's reputation as sensitive and soulful crooners."[14] Steve Heuy of Allmusic calls "All My Life" a "sweet ballad" and claims the song "broke them big".[15]

Chart performance

The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, the official singles chart of America, at number fifteen.[16] It reached the chart's top spot the following week,[17] tying the record for highest jump to number one, originally set by The Beatles.[4] "All My Life" would be the only K-Ci & JoJo song to reach number one in any country. The song stayed on the Hot 100 for thirty-five weeks[18] "All My Life" achieved success on other Billboard charts, including the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs peaking at number one, the Rhythmic Top 40 peaking at number one, and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks peaking at number twenty-six.[19] It would also chart number 98 on Billboard's Hot 100 Decade Chart.[20]

Internationally, "All My Life" performed just as well, peaking inside the top ten in multiple charts. It peaked at number two on the Australian Top 100 and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments of 70,000 units in Australia.[21] The song also peaked at number four on the Swedish Singles Top 60 and was certified gold by the IFPI Sweden.[22] "All My Life" also peaked at number 12 in Austria,[23] number 3 in Belgium (Flanders),[24] number 11 in Belgium (Wallonia),[25] number 43 in France,[26] number 1 in the Netherlands,[27] number 1 in New Zealand,[28] number 2 in Norway,[29] number 4 in Switzerland,[30] and number 8 in the United Kingdom,[31]

Accolades

"All My Life" was nominated for multiple awards. At the 1999 Grammy Awards, "All My Life" was nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance Nominated and Best R&B Song.[32] Finally, the video was nominated for Best R&B Video at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.[33]

Music video

The music video for "All My Life" was filmed by Lara Schwartz.[34] The video starts out by showing many of the people in the crowd, followed by a pianist playing the introduction. It eventually pans over the two as they begin singing into their microphones. Every so often, an outside scene of love will show up. Examples are of a mother loving her son, a man giving a homeless man food, and a couple holding hands and roller bladeing now a sidewalk. In between these scenes, the camera pans over the stage, as well as the people in the crowd and the musicians. At the end, the camera shows a sunset and pans away.

Formats and track listing

12" Maxi Single[12]
  1. All My Life (Radio Edit) – 3:42
  2. All My Life (Album Version) – 5:31
  3. All My Life (Ignorants Remix) – 4:54
  4. All My Life (The Utopia Redd Remix) – 4:26
Digital download[13]
  1. All My Life – 5:32
  2. All My Life (The Utopia Redd Remix) – 4:28
  3. Tell Me It's Real – 4:41
  4. Tell Me It's Real (Dave Jam Hall) – 3:50
Curtis Moore Remix[35]
  1. All My Life (Curtis & Moore Club Mix) – 6:34
  2. All My Life (Curtis & Moore Instrumental) – 6:34
France 12" Maxi Single[36]
  1. All My Life (Radio Edit) – 3:42
  2. All My Life (Album Version) – 5:31

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1998–1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[23] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[24] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)[25] 11
Canada (RPM)[37] 8
France (SNEP)[26] 43
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[27] 1
New Zealand (RIANZ)[28] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[29] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 4
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[31] 8
US Billboard Hot 100[39] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[40] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[41] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[42] 41
Belgium (Ultratop 40 Wallonia)[43] 69
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[44] 11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[45] 39
US Billboard Hot 100[46] 7

End of decade charts

Chart (1990-1999) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 98

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[21] Platinum 70,000^
Sweden (GLF)[22] Gold 15,000x

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Production credits". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media) 110 (17): 45. April 25, 1998. ISSN 0006-2510. http://books.google.com/books?id=aQ0EAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  2. ^ a b Fuoco, Christina (2002). "K-Ci & JoJo – Free K-Ci & JoJo information". Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3495200045.html. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Love Always – K-Ci & JoJo – Compact Disc (UPC 0008811161323)". Borders. http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=008811161323. Retrieved August 11, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c Kinnon, Joy Bennett (October 1998). "K-Ci & JoJo: Music's Hottest Duo". Ebony (Johnson Publishing Company) 53 (12): 80, 82, 178. ISSN 0012-9011. http://books.google.com/books?id=qwUDRnr2e-AC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  5. ^ "K-Ci & JoJo's All My Life sample of Eric Johnson's Cliff of Dover". WhoSampled. http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/4018/K-Ci%20%26%20JoJo-All%20My%20Life_Eric%20Johnson-Cliffs%20of%20Dover/. Retrieved August 15, 2011. 
  6. ^ "K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Music Notes. http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdVPE.asp?ppn=MN0040067. Retrieved August 23, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Love Always – K-Ci & JoJo > Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://allmusic.com/album/love-always-r277564. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  8. ^ Brusca, Donald; Brusca, Donny (2005). The Bpm List: A Music Reference Guide for Mobile DJs. Staten Island, New York: LuLu. p. 22. ISBN 9781411642119. http://books.google.com/books?id=w0QqC0F-PH0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  9. ^ "All My Life: K-Ci & JoJo: Music". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000006L5H. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  10. ^ "All My Life / Don't Rush Take Love Slowly: K-Ci & JoJo: Amazon.ca: Music". Amazon.ca. http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000006L5H. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  11. ^ "All My Life: K-Ci & Jojo: Amazon.de: Musik" (in German). Amazon.de. http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00000AFSK. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  12. ^ a b c "Australian-charts.com – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  13. ^ a b http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-my-life/id6338495?i=6338412
  14. ^ "MCA's K-Ci & JoJo Get 'Real' With Their Sophomore Set". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media) 111 (23): 65. June 5, 1999. ISSN 0006-2510. http://books.google.com/books?id=tQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA65&dq=k-ci+%26+jojo+all+my+life&hl=en&ei=8KdUToqvFa6u0AGkvaCbAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=k-ci%20%26%20jojo%20all%20my%20life&f=false. 
  15. ^ "K-Ci & JoJo > Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  16. ^ [1] p. 72
  17. ^ [2] p. 80
  18. ^ [3]. Type "K-Ci" into Artist, "All My Life" into Single Title. Select "The Billboard Hot 100" from the Single Chart Name, "All Weeks(Artist or Title Required)" from date. Click "Submit".
  19. ^ http://allmusic.com/album/love-always-r277564/charts-awards/billboard-single
  20. ^ a b Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. http://books.google.co.kr/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&lr&rview=1&pg=RA1-PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved October 15, 2010. 
  21. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-1998.htm. Retrieved August 15, 2011. 
  22. ^ a b "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (in Swedish) (PDF). IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
  23. ^ a b "K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life – Austriancharts.at" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  24. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  25. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life" (in French). Ultratop 40. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  26. ^ a b "Lescharts.com – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  27. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life" (in Dutch). Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  28. ^ a b "Charts.org.nz – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  29. ^ a b "Norwegiancharts.com – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life". VG-lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  30. ^ a b "K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  31. ^ a b "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  32. ^ "41st Annual Grammy Awards – 1991". Rock On The Net. http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/grammys.htm. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
  33. ^ http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1998/mtvvmas.htm
  34. ^ http://www.vevo.com/watch/k-ci-and-jojo/all-my-life/USMCV0100510?source=instantsearch
  35. ^ http://www.discogs.com/K-Ci-JoJo-All-My-Life-Curtis-Moore-Remix/release/249851
  36. ^ http://www.discogs.com/K-Ci-JoJo-All-My-Life/release/2206339
  37. ^ "100 Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them" (PDF). RPM 67 (7). May 11, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3552&type=2&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mc1f3k273majsjbof3kean4sk5. 
  38. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life". Singles Top 60. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  39. ^ "K-Ci & JoJo Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for K-Ci & JoJo. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  40. ^ "K-Ci & JoJo Album & Song Chart History" Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for K-Ci & JoJo. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  41. ^ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-1998.htm
  42. ^ http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1998
  43. ^ http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=1998
  44. ^ http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201998.pdf
  45. ^ http://hitparade.ch/year.asp?key=1998
  46. ^ http://top40-charts.com/features/YearEnd/yearend1998.php

External links

K-Ci & JoJo
Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey · Joel "JoJo" Hailey
Studio albums
Compilation albums
All My Life: Their Greatest Hits · 20th Century Masters – Millennium Collection: The Best of K-Ci & Jojo · Ballad Collection for Lovers · Playlist Your Way
Singles
"If You Think You're Lonely Now" · "How Could You" · "You Bring Me Up" · "Last Night's Letter" · "All My Life" · "Don't Rush (Take Love Slowly)" · "Life" · "Tell Me It's Real" · "Fee Fie Foe Fum" · "Girl" · "Crazy" · "All The Things I Should Have Known" · "Wanna Do You Right" · "It's Me" · "This Very Moment"
As featured artist
"Before I Lay (You Drive Me Crazy)" · "How Do U Want It" · "Rapper's Ball" · "Toss It Up" · "Royalty" · "From the Ground Up"
Related articles