"All in Love Is Fair" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

recorded for his sixteenth studio album, ''

Innervisions ''Innervisions'' is the sixteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on August 3, 1973, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. A landmark recording of Wonder's "classic period", the album has bee ...

'' (1973). Written and produced by Wonder, it was released as a

7" single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

in Brazil in 1974. The song is a pop

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

with lyrics that describe the end of a relationship through the use of clichés. Critical reaction to the song was varied: Matthew Greenwald of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that it was among Wonder's "finest ballad statements", but

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

felt that the singer's performance was "immature". Wonder has included it on several of his

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

s, including the most recent, 2005's '' The Complete Stevie Wonder''. American vocalist

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

released "All in Love Is Fair" as a single in 1974 for her fifteenth studio album, ''

The Way We Were ''The Way We Were'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents wrote both the novel and screenplay based on his college days at Cornell University and his ...

'' (1974).

Tommy LiPuma Tommy LiPuma (July 5, 1936 – March 13, 2017) was an American music producer. He received 33 Grammy nominations, 5 Grammy wins, and his productions sold over 75 million albums. LiPuma worked with many musicians, including Barbra Streisand, Miles ...

handled the production for the 7" single release by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. Among

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, Greenwald called her version "unforgettable", and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' Stephen Holden wrote that it was "almost as interesting" as Wonder's original. Commercially, the song peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States at number 63, and Canada's Top Singles chart at number 60. The song has been recorded by a number of other artists, including

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

, Nancy Wilson and

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Innervisions ''Innervisions'' is the sixteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on August 3, 1973, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. A landmark recording of Wonder's "classic period", the album has bee ...

'', released on August 3, 1973 by

Tamla Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

. Despite not being released as a commercial single in his native country of the United States, Tapecar Records and Tamla released it as a

sometime in 1974, exclusively in Brazil. It was paired alongside the opener track for side one of ''Innervisions'', "Too High", a song about

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

. The song is written in the key of

D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed for t ...

with Wonder's vocals ranging from C₄ to A₅; the vocal is accompanied by Wonder himself on

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

, acoustic piano and drums, and by Scott Edwards on

electric bass The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck The ...

. The lyrics of the composition describe two people who are nearing the end of their relationship; Wonder purposely uses "cliché lines" to get his point across and to prove the clichés true. A pop

, "All in Love Is Fair" was compared to the works of

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

by Lenny Kaye of ''

'' and the editors at ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

''. Lawrence Gabriel, author of ''MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide'', described the track as a "classic" pop song. Janine McAdams from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' found "dramatic intensity" within the lyrics, "I should have never left your side / The writer takes his pen / To write the words again / That all in love is fair". Author Herb Jordan included the track's lyrics in his book ''Motown in Love: Lyrics from the Golden Era''; they were placed under the section for songs in which the lyrics detail "lessons of love".

Reception and further promotion

AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald found "All in Love Is Fair" to be among Wonder's "finest ballad statements", which contained "one of the most graceful and memorable hooks from the era". Brian Ives of radio.com described it as a "beautiful and sad piano ballad" that he thought could have come from the Broadway stage.

disliked Wonder's balladry singing in "All in Love Is Fair", and considered his performance to be "immature". In contrast, author James E. Perone wrote that there was "no better example" of a "pure, autobiographical-sounding vocal showpiece for Stevie Wonder". After its initial release in 1973, Wonder placed "All in Love Is Fair" on several of his later albums. It was included on the

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

compilation ''Baddest Love Jams, Vol. 2: Fire & Desire'' in 1995. Wonder's fourth box set, ''

At the Close of a Century ''At the Close of a Century'' is a box set album of Stevie Wonder's greatest hits from the 1960s through the 1990s. The box set spans four CDs and the songs are placed in chronological order. It features nearly all of his most critically acclaime ...

'' (1999), also featured the song. In that same year it was featured on ''Ballad Collection'', and in 2005 it was selected for inclusion on '' The Complete Stevie Wonder''.

Track listing

Personnel

* Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, piano,

, drums * Scott Edwards – electric bass

Barbra Streisand version

Background and recording

American vocalist

recorded a version of "All in Love Is Fair" for her fifteenth studio album, ''

'' (1974). Shortly following the commercial success of her previous single, "

began compiling tracks for the singer's then-upcoming fifteenth studio album (''The Way We Were''). Since time was limited, the majority of the tracks were taken from material recorded by Streisand as much as seven years previously. According to the liner notes of her 1991

Just for the Record Just for the Record may refer to: * "Just for the Record" (''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)''), a 1969 episode of the British television series * ''Just for the Record'' (Barbara Mandrell album), 1979 * ''Just for the Record'' (Ray Stevens albu ...

'', the only tracks specifically created for the album were "All in Love Is Fair", "The Way We Were", "Being at War with Each Other", and "Something So Right". "All in Love Is Fair" was recorded on December 14, 1973, at United Recorders Studios in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. It was released in March 1974 as a

through

, and would later be paired alongside Streisand's previous single, "

", on a 7" single released in 1975, also by Columbia, in the United States and Canada.

Reception

The staff at ''Billboard'' described Streisand's cover as a "musical gem", while author Allison J. Waldman enjoyed Streisand's personal take on it. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said that "the ballad beauty from Stevie Wonder's ''Innervisions'' album gets its definitive female reading from the superstar." Greenwald from AllMusic liked the singer's cover and wrote of the song's hook, "Streisand's performance – particularly her phrasing of this line – is unforgettable". Stephen Holden from ''Rolling Stone'' compared her rendition to Wonder's version and wrote that it was "almost as interesting as the original". Streisand's version of "All in Love Is Fair" achieved moderate commercial success in the United States and Canada. It debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on March 30, 1974, at number 81, becoming the week's "Hot Shot Debut", or the publication's highest entry position for that particular listing. It climbed the chart for an additional three weeks before reaching its peak position on April 20 of the same year, at number 63. The following week, Streisand's rendition dropped to number 75, after which it left the Hot 100. On the

Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

, which was then titled the Easy Listening chart, "All in Love Is Fair" peaked at number 10. On Canada's official chart, compiled by ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'', it debuted at number 99 for the week of April 6, 1974. It soared twenty places the following week, and two weeks later, on April 27, it reached its peak position at number 60. It also lasted a total of five consecutive weeks in this country.

Promotion

"All in Love Is Fair" has been included on numerous albums released by Streisand. Its first appearance after ''The Way We Were'' was on ''

Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2 ''Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2'' is the second greatest hits album recorded by American vocalist Barbra Streisand. It was released on November 15, 1978 by Columbia Records. The album is a compilation consisting of ten commercially ...

'' (1978). She also included it on ''Just for the Record'' (1991) and ''

The Essential Barbra Streisand ''The Essential Barbra Streisand'' (retitled ''The Ultimate Collection'' in some European countries) is the fifth greatest hits album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on January 29, 2002, by Columbia Records. The compilation features ...

'' (2002).

Charts

Track listings and formats

;United States and United Kingdom 7" single * A1 "All in Love Is Fair" – 3:50 * B1 Medley: " My Buddy"/" How About Me" – 4:09 ;United States promotional 7" single * A1 "All in Love Is Fair" (Stereo) – 3:50 * B1 "All in Love Is Fair" (Mono) – 3:50

Other versions

* In 1974 Nancy Wilson recorded it as the title track for her 39th studio album, ''

All in Love Is Fair "All in Love Is Fair" is a song by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder recorded for his sixteenth studio album, ''Innervisions'' (1973). Written and produced by Wonder, it was released as a 7" single in Brazil in 1974. The song is a pop ba ...

''.

's Jason Ankeny called Wilson's recording "sensual" and declared that it "wouldn't be out of place on Motown or

Philadelphia International Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. I ...

". * In 1974

Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Mike Berniker Michael Berniker (June 30, 1935 – July 25, 2008) was an American record producer who was recognized with nine Grammy Awards over the course of his career for his work on albums with such performers as Perry Como, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Jo ...

for production. It was included in her 2001 compilation album ''At Her Finest''. * In 1974

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...

's rendition was featured on his album ''If She Walked Into My Life''. * In 1975

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

recorded the song for her album

Good, Bad but Beautiful ''Good, Bad but Beautiful'' is a 1975 album by Shirley Bassey. In the first half of the decade, Bassey recorded nine albums, with three making the top ten. In March 1975, Bassey released a compilation that became her highest-charting album to dat ...

. * In 1975

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

performed it live and included it on her concert DVD ''Dionne Warwick: Live in Cabaret July 18th 1975'' (released 2008). *

recorded a version for his 1976 album ''This Is Brook Benton''. * Vibraphonist

Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

singer

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

recorded it on their 1982 studio album ''

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

'', Tjader's final studio recording on

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

in 1982. The album peaked at 25 on ''Billboards Jazz Albums chart. * American trombonist

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

and The World of Trombones recorded his own instrumental version of "All in Love Is Fair" for his 28th studio album, ''Spirit of the Horn'' (2002) which was recorded live at

Manchester Craftsmen's Guild Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG) is a nonprofit art, education, and music organization established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1968. Courses include ceramics, photography, digital arts, and painting to over 500 young people each year and 3 ...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 3–5, 2002. * The song is included on Michael McDonald's 2003 album ''

'', and was included in his 2009 concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, prompting John L Walters of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' to write: "Surely you can't go wrong with songs as fantastic as Stevie Wonder's "I Believe" and "All in Love Is Fair".

References

Works cited * * * * * * {{authority control 1970s ballads 1973 songs 1974 singles Pop ballads Songs written by Stevie Wonder Columbia Records singles Tamla Records singles