It’s funny to think it, but even Ol’ Blue Eyes had to have a first hit.
You’re on the Sound Beat.
Sinatra recorded All or Nothing At All with the Harry James Orchestra in 1939. At the time he was a relative unknown in the biz, and wasn’t even credited on the tune. The record sold poorly but Sinatra took a shine to the tune, making it a regular audition piece. Over the next few years, he would become one of the hottest performers in music.
The early forties saw a musicians union strike, and professional musicians were prohibited from recording. There was no such restriction on previously recorded songs though. Columbia Records signed the red-hot Sinatra in ’43 and re-released the song that year. And you better believe they put his name on it.
This time around, the single stayed at the top of the charts for almost a year.