FOR ALL WE KNOW
Music: J. Fred Coots- Lyrics: Sam M. Lewis
Year: 1934
Origin of the song
The compositor J. Fred Coots and the songwriter Sam Lewis, who had enjoyed Broadway’s success before, wrote ‘For All We Know’ in 1934. Morton Downey, known as ‘the Irish Nightingale’, chosen as best radio male vocalist in 1932, sang it for the first time in his popular radio programme. The song was very successful in the top charts in 1934 performed by Hal Kemp and Isham Jones’ orchestras. But, despite musicians such as Kay Kyser, Guy Lombardo, or Nina Simone recorder it, it wasn’t until 1962 that it returned to the top charts with Dinah Washington’s version.
Even if they have the same title, one should not mistake this song with ‘For All We Know’, written by Fred Carlin, Robb Wilson, and Athur James for the film Lovers and Other Strangers, which won the Oscar for best song in 1969.
Other J. Fred Coots’ hits are ‘I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You) (1930), ‘Love Letters in the Sand’ (1931), ‘You Go to My Head’ (1938), and ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’ (1934). For his part, Sam M. Lewis is the author of the lyrics of ‘Rockabye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody’ (1918), ‘I’m Sitting on Top of the World’ (1924), ‘Dinah’ (1925), ‘In a Little Spanish Town’ (1930), ‘Street of Dreams’ (1931), ‘Just Friends’ (1931), and ‘Gloomy Sunday’ (1936).
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSTION REACHED |
|
|
1934.07.10 |
1934.08.18 |
8 |
3 |
Skinnay Ennis (voc) |
|
|
Isham Jones Orchestra |
1934.07.16 |
1934.08.18 |
2 |
16 |
Joe Martin (voc) |
|
Dinah Washington |
1962.??.?? |
1962.08.25 |
2 |
88 |
Dinah Washington (voc), Don Costa Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1953.12.14 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Ron Crotty (b), Joe Dodge (d) |
|
|
1958.02.08 |
Stan Getz (ts), Cal Tjader (vib), Vince Guaraldi (p), Eddie Duran (g), Scott LaFaro (b), Billy Higgins (d) |
|
|
1959.09.05 |
Paul Desmond (as), Jim Hall (g), Percy Heath (b), Connie Kay (d) |
|
|
Benny Carter Quartet |
1960.02.05 |
Benny Carter (as, ss), Jimmy Rowles (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Mel Lewis (d) |
|
1963.02.22 |
Dave Brubeck (p), Paul Desmond (as), Gene Wright (b), Joe Morello (d)
In
Carnegie Hall, New York |
|
|
1963.05.16 |
Johnny Coles (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), 'Big' John Patton (org), Grant Green (g), Ben Dixon (d) |
|
|
1963.11.27 |
Wes Montgomery (g), Mel Rhyne (org), George Brown (d) |
|
|
Cedar Walton Quartet |
1977.10.01 |
Cedar Walton (p), Bob Berg (ts), Sam Jones (b), Billy Higgins (d) |
|
Monty Alexander Trio |
1982.03.?? |
Monty Alexander (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b) In Satin Doll Club, Tokyo |
|
Wynton Marsalis |
1984.05.30 |
Wynton Marsalis (tp), Branford Marsalis (as, ts), Kent Jordan (fl), Kenny Kirkland (p), Ron Carter (b), Jeff 'Tain' Watts (d) |
|
Oscar Peterson, Benny Carter, Clark Terry & Ray Brown |
1995.01.16 |
Clark Terry (tp, fis), Benny Carter (as), Oscar Peterson (p), Lorne Lofsky (g), Ray Brown (b), Lewis Nash (d) |
|
Dave Brubeck |
2004.01.19 |
Dave Brubeck (p) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1949.03.22 |
Nat Cole (voc, p), Irving Ashby (g), Joe Comfort (b), Jack Costanzo (bon) |
|
|
1957.??.?? |
Nina Simone (p, voc) Jimmy Bond (b), Albert Heath (d) |
|
|
1958.02.20 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Ray Ellis (dir), Mel Davis (tp), Urbie Green, J.J. Johnson, Tommy Mitchell (tb), Philip Bodner, Tom Parshley, Romeo Penque, Ed Powell (r), Janet Putman (arp), Bradley Spinney (xil), Mal Waldron (p), Barry Galbraith (g), Milton Hinton (b), Don Lamond (d) |
|
|
Betty Roché |
1960.06.03 |
Betty Roché (voc), Jimmy Neeley (p), Wally Richardson (g), Michel Mulia (b), Rudy Lawless (d) |
|
1987.??.?? |
Susannah McCorkle (voc), Jimmy Heath (ts), Billy Taylor (p), Ted Dunbar (g), Victor Gaskin (b), Tony Reedus (d) |
|
|
Carol Sloane |
1988.10.28 |
Carol Sloane (voc), Kenny Burrell (g) |
|
Rosemary Clooney |
1990.10.16 |
Rosemary Clooney (voc), John Oddo Orchestra |
|
1992.09.11 |
Dianne Reeves (voc), Greg Osby (as, ss), Charles Mims (p), Kevin Eubanks (g), Chris Severin (b), Luis Conte (per), Smitty Smith (d) |
|
|
2011.02.?? |
Ann Hampton Callaway, Freddy Cole (voc), Frank Wess (as), Kenny Barron (p), Rodney Jones (g), Ben Wolfe (b), Lewis Nash (d) |
|
|
Ernestine Anderson |
2008.04.09 |
Ernestine Anderson (voc), Houston Person (ts), Lafayette Harris, Jr. (p), Chip Jackson (b), Willie Jones III (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'For All We Know' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL
TITLE |
TITLE IN
SPAIN |
YEAR OF
PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Next Stop, Greenwich Village |
Próxima parada, Greenwich Village |
1976 |
Dave Brubeck Quartet |
|
Drugstore Cowboy |
Drugstore Cowboy |
1989 |
Abbey Lincoln |
|
The Prince of Tides |
El príncipe de las mareas |
1991 |
|
|
For the Boys |
Ayer, hoy y por siempre |
1991 |
Bette Midler |
|
Forget Paris |
Olvídate de París |
1995 |
Billie Holiday |
|
Sabrina |
Sabrina (y sus amores) |
1995 |
|
|
The Bridges of Madison County |
Los puentes de Madison |
1995 |
Johnny Hartman |
|
Celebrity |
Celebrity |
1998 |
Ray Cohen |
|
Churchill: The Hollywood Years |
Los años dorados de Hollywood |
2004 |
Rod Melvin |
|
The Terminal |
La terminal |
2004 |
|
|
Roll Bounce |
Sobre ruedas |
2005 |
Donny Hathaway |