"All of Me" first aired on American mainstream urban radio as the album's third single on August 12, 2013. It is dedicated to Legend's wife Chrissy Teigen. We knew that “All of Me” wouldn’t turn into a huge production, but rather something that was simple and tender."All of Me" is a hit song by American singer John Legend from his fourth studio album Love in the Future (2013). How did you and John work on it in the pre-production phase?Īt the time that John brought the song in, we had already started to establish a sonic identity for the album. You go down all the roads, explore all these arrangement ideas, and then you start stripping it down to the essentials. We tried some things that were more ambitious, production-wise, but we would constantly question, strip it back, and think “What’s necessary here? Or what’s here that isn’t necessary? Is anything distracting from it, or keeping you from telling the story?” In a song like this, the simplicity is deceptive, because there’s so many places you can go. I think John had that feeling about “All of Me.” He felt it could be a career-defining song if a couple of things happened: if we got the production and arrangement right. But having said that, you still get a sense when a special one comes along. I like to think that we both have written a lot of well-crafted songs that are really good.
John and I have both written a lot of songs, together and separately. He thought it was very special – you could sense his excitement about it. When John brought this song to me, it was pretty much there. What shape was this song in when you first heard it? Did you think it was hit material? Read on to see how “All of Me” actually happened: To get a producer’s perspective on the before, during and after of a #1 hit’s creation, SonicScoop sat down with Tozer. For virtually everyone who makes records, this is the dream come true. Tozer has been on the ground floor for many a hit, but “All of Me” takes it to the next level – this is a song for the ages. A longtime songwriting partner of Legend’s since the late 1990’s, Tozer is a producer/engineer/arranger/composer/multi-instrumentalist whose platinum portfolio also includes Jay-Z, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, and many more.ĭave Tozer had a good feeling about “All of Me”. Overseeing all these magical moments throughout the year-long process of recording “All of Me” was Love in the Future’s executive Producer Dave Tozer. Listeners are left alone to contemplate what just happened to them – and press “play” again if possible. The pad is slightly up in the mix too, until it glides under the horizon at 4:12, leaving Legend’s vocals and piano alone for the denouement that goes to a calming close at 4:30. That’s where the vocoder harmonizer comes on a little stronger, a tiny touch of unreality, somehow making this legendary expression very real. Listen for that pad to slowly resurface, beautifully managing the transition to the third and final chorus. The bridge comes at 3:10, and its back to the core of just piano and voice, but not for long. A lush, choral synth pad also sings far in the background, lifting this already emotionally soaring experience just a little more. When the second chorus arrives at 2:25, the subtlest of vocal doubling kicks in, courtesy of a flangey vocoder effect that fulfills the promise of the album title, Love in the Future. How many proposals on bended knee have already taken place to the soundtrack of “All of Me”? Conflicts mediated? Marriages saved? Its music at its fullest promise – communicating something essential that words alone just can’t.Īs the song progresses, the arrangement gets only slightly more complex. Fortunately, Legend says it for us, and thank God he did: these are lyrics that change lives with their power. It’s a cosmic confession – perfectly simple words and pure piano, saying what everyone wishes they’d been able to tell their partner more than once.