Writers: John Paul Jones and Robert Plant
Producer: Jimmy Page
Recorded:1978, Polar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Released: August 15, 1979
| Players: | Jimmy Page – guitar Robert Plant – vocals John Paul Jones – bass, keyboards John Bonham – drums |
| Album: | In Through The Out Door (Swan Song, 1979) |
A ballad, “All My Love” was first heard on what became Led Zeppelin's final studio album of new material. The group disbanded following drummer John Bonham's death on September 25, 1980.
Bassist John Paul Jones dominated the album and this song in particular, playing a significantly larger role in terms of songwriting and arranging than on any previous Led Zeppelin album. He, in fact, shares writing credits on six of the album's seven songs. In Hammer Of The Gods, author Stephen Davis notes that “the fans recognized that it was John Paul Jones' album – subdued, dark, ominous.”
Jones later credited his expanded role to arriving at the studio earlier than the rest of the band.
In addition to Jones' classically-influenced keyboard solo, a key element to the song's success is an uncharacteristically mellow and sincere vocal turn from Robert Plant, which characterized the relaxed atmosphere of the recording sessions.
A 7:02 version of the song, which features a cold ending and longer vocal improvisations from Plant, exists on a tape reel labeled as “The Hook,” which is presumed to be a working title.
The In Through The Out Door album was released with six different covers, each depicting a “Dear John” scene in a seedy bar.
Plant still recalls the song fondly, citing it as one of Zeppelin's “finest moments.”
The song was a concert highlight during the band's brief 1980 European tour.
