"All I Know" is a song written by American songwriter

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst ...

, first recorded by

Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, poet, and actor. He is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include one top-10 ...

on his 1973 debut solo album, ''

Angel Clare ''Angel Clare'', the debut solo studio album by Art Garfunkel, released on September 11, 1973, is his highest-charting solo album, peaking at No. 5. It includes his only Top 10 hit in the US as a solo artist, "All I Know", which peaked at No. 9 ...

,'' released 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 ...

. Instrumental backing was provided by members of the Wrecking Crew, L.A. session musicians. Garfunkel's version is the best known and highest-charting version, peaking at number nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart for four weeks in October 1973. Garfunkel's version begins with a solo piano, before he begins to sing. When the orchestration is beginning to fade out, the solo piano takes over, playing melodic passages to the song's end.

Reception

In his review for ''Allmusic,'' Joe Viglione wrote that Jimmy Webb's own version of the song, recorded for ''

Ten Easy Pieces ''Ten Easy Pieces'' is the ninth album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in October 1996 by Guardian Records. The album consists of new arrangements of some of Webb's most popular songs. Critical reception In his review for AllM ...

'' in 1996, had "none of the gloss" of Garfunkel's hit version, but more soul. Viglione continued:

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

The Linda Ronstadt connection

More recently, Webb invited

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

to join him in a duet version for his 2010 album ''

Just Across the River ''Just Across the River'' is the twelfth album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in June 2010 by Koch Records. The album features thirteen classic Jimmy Webb tunes performed by Webb with guest appearances by friends, collaborators ...

.'' Ronstadt had just announced her retirement from singing when Webb sent her an email describing his new CD of duets. Webb asked if she would sing "All I Know" with him, with just a guitar backup. Ronstadt called him and said, "Damn it, you've gotten me interested in that song." Webb later recalled, "There was a poignancy to that moment ... because I didn’t know if she'd ever sing again. Her voice sounds elegantly beautiful on 'All I Know' ... I loved the meticulous way she covered my voice."

Elsewhere in popular culture

The song continues to appear in popular culture. It was featured in the season 2 finale and the series finale of the American drama series ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

.'' Garfunkel's second rendition of the song was also used in a video montage in the ending credits of "The Grass Is Always Greener," Episode 12 in Season 3 of the American comedy-drama series ''

Boy Meets World ''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and famil ...

.''

Recorded versions

* Art Garfunkel on his album ''Angel Clare'' (1973) * Art Garfunkel on his album ''

Up 'til Now ''Up 'til Now'' is the third compilation album by Art Garfunkel. The album is a mixture of three previously released solo tracks (including a track from ''The Animals' Christmas''), seven new songs (including a duet with James Taylor and a track fr ...

'' (1993) *

Amy Holland Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and composer. Holland's music career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following h ...

and Michael McDonald on the soundtrack album ''One Life to Live'' (1994) * Jimmy Webb on his album ''

'' (1996) *

Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for cele ...

on his album '' Only One Life: The Songs of Jimmy Webb'' (2003) *

Five for Fighting Vladimir John Ondrasik III (born January 7, 1965), also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock ballads, such as the top 40 hits "Superman (It's Not ...

on the soundtrack album ''

Chicken Little "Henny Penny", more commonly known in the United States as "Chicken Little" and sometimes as "Chicken Licken", is a European folk tale with a moral in the form of a cumulative tale about a chicken who believes that the world is coming to an end ...

'' (2005) * Jimmy Webb on his album ''

Live and at Large ''Live and at Large'' is the eleventh album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in June 2007 by the Jimmy Webb Music Company. This is Webb's first live album. Critical reception In his review for AllMusic, Mark Deming called the al ...

'' (2007) *

Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in ''Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre o ...

on his album '' I Bought a Blue Car Today'' (2009) * Jimmy Webb and

on the album ''

'' (2010)

References

External links

Ultimate Guitar
(tabs) * {{authority control 1973 singles Art Garfunkel songs Michael McDonald (musician) songs Amy Holland songs Songs written by Jimmy Webb Pop ballads Song recordings produced by Roy Halee Male–female vocal duets 1973 songs Columbia Records singles