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"For All We Know" is asoft rock song written for the 1970filmLovers and Other Strangers, with music byFred Karlin and lyrics by Robb Wilson (Robb Royer) and James Arthur Griffin (Jimmy Griffin), both from the American soft rock groupBread. It was originally performed, for the film's soundtrack, by Larry Meredith[1] and won theAcademy Award for Best Original Song in 1971.[1]
The best known version of the song is by American pop duothe Carpenters which reached No. 3 on theUSBillboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on theUSBillboard Easy Listening chart in 1971.
The song was also a hit forShirley Bassey at the same time in the United Kingdom. It has since been covered by various artists, includingPetula Clark.
| "For All We Know" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of artworks for US vinyl single | ||||
| Single byCarpenters | ||||
| from the albumCarpenters | ||||
| B-side | "Don't Be Afraid" | |||
| Released | January 15, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1970 | |||
| Genre | Pop[2] | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| Label | A&M1243 | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Jack Daugherty | |||
| Carpenters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Richard Carpenter ofCarpenters heard the song during an evening of relaxation at the movies while on tour. He decided it would be ideal for the duo. It became a hit for them in1971, reaching No. 3 on theBillboard Hot 100 singles chart, spending seven weeks in the Top 10, and No. 1 for three weeks on the USeasy listening chart.[3] It also became Carpenters' third consecutive top-five single in theBillboard Hot 100.
According to Richard, the intro was originally played on guitar. They had run intoJose Feliciano in a restaurant, who was a big fan of theirs and wanted to play on one of their records. They went into the studio and the intro was devised by Feliciano, using his nylon stringacoustic guitar. The next day, though, Richard got a phone call from Feliciano's manager, demanding that he be removed from the recording. Richard essentially did as requested and replaced Feliciano's guitar intro with that of Earle Dumler's oboe.[4] The other instruments heard on the song were recorded by session musicians later known asthe Wrecking Crew.[5][6]
When the original song was nominated for an Academy Award, the Carpenters were not allowed to perform it at the ceremony because they had not appeared in any film. At their request, the song was performed by British singerPetula Clark.
In 1972, Richard and Karen appeared on Tom Jones'sLondon Bridge Special, where they performed "For All We Know". This version was not released to the public until 2000, with the release of the compilationThe Singles: 1969–1981.
Weekly charts[edit]
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Note
The song became a hit in the UK for Welsh singerShirley Bassey in 1971, at the same time as the Carpenters' version, with the two songs competing for chart strength.[1] Bassey's version peaked at No. 6 during a 24-week chart run.[17] It also reached No. 20 in Ireland.[citation needed]
British singer, actress, and songwriterPetula Clark gave a heart-rending version of the song during her show at theAlbert Hall on February 6, 1983, in tribute to Karen Carpenter, who had died two days before.[18] She had previously recorded a studio version of the song in 1971 for the album,Petula '71.
| "For All We Know" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byNicki French | ||||
| from the albumSecrets | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Disco[19] | |||
| Length | 3:11 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | ||||
| Nicki French singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "For All We Know" onYouTube | ||||
English singerNicki French released a cover of "For All We Know" in 1995 via labels Bags of Fun and Love This, which was included on her debut album,Secrets (1995). The song peaked at No. 31 in Scotland, No. 42 on theUK Singles Chart and No. 89 in Australia. A music video was also produced to promote the single.
Steve Baltin fromCash Box wrote, "French follows up her surprisedance hit cover ofBonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' by giving the same treatment tothe Carpenters' 'For All We Know'. Sounding as ifDonna Summer could've done it, 'For All We Know' has a blatantdisco feel. Look for this to be a club smash that crosses over to appeal to many of the same fans that made 'Total Eclipse..' a smash."[19] Pan-European magazineMusic & Media commented, "Introduce new names through new workings of old songs, that's Bags of Fun's function for parent company Love This. French's second single is a jumpy dance version of a Carpenters hit."[20]
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 89 |
| Scotland (OCC)[21] | 31 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 42 |
| UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart (Music Week)[22] | 2 |
