Sheryl Crow recorded only two vocal parts throughout “All I Wanna Do” — the lead vocal presented on this track, and the harmony line overdub. However, the combination was enough to jumpstart her ascent to superstardom. Her performance is simple and raw, yet timeless and elegant.
Check out the harmony choices on each chorus: Crow eschews vocal convention by reversing the “traditional” roles of lead and harmony vocals. Note too how the harmony heard here includes more melodic variation, while the main vocal remains more static — the foundation of a truly killer hook.
Two takes of a giant-sounding 12-string acoustic guitar — one on the left, and one on the right. It’s an interesting mixing decision to leave the mics open while the musicians wait to begin their parts: producers and engineers commonly attempt to remove these moments, but on “All I Wanna Do,” you can discern the creaks of chairs and little bits of laughing and talking. These are imperceptible in the final mix of the song, but in this format you can hear them clearly, particularly the moment when acoustic guitarist David Baerwald practices his part a few seconds before jumping in for the real thing.
“All I Wanna Do” kicks off with a funky Baerwald guitar intro that wouldn’t be out of place in a disco track from the 1970s. Later we hear some warm double-stop licks straight out of the playbooks of Curtis Mayfield and Jimi Hendrix. A nice, round, hollow-body tone (as well as what sounds like a tube amp just on the edge of breakup) saturates the analog tape.
Producer Bill Bottrell’s lap steel is featured quite prominently in the mix. Its winding lines give “All I Wanna Do” a vaguely country-ish feel that was unique in pop/rock music at the time. It harkened back to an earlier era of Southern California music, when rock artists like Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds first embraced traditional country inspirations.
The lap steel also plays the B♭ to A descending figure that forms the intro motif of the song and reappears during the pre-chorus.”
Kevin Gilbert’s straight-ahead and funky Wurlitzer propels “All I Wanna Do” from underneath. This driving keyboard performance sounds fantastic both isolated and within the final mix.
Gilbert’s synth part doubles the B♭ to A phrase on what sounds like a string patch. It’s jarring how inorganic this isolated track sounds in comparison to the rootsy vibe of the other instruments, yet it sits well in the mix and essentially forms a mini-hook that was remarkably different from everything else on the radio at that time.
Kevin Gilbert’s wonderfully melodic bassline is so integral to “All I Wanna Do” that it’s hard to imagine the song resonating with so many without it. While the chord changes are simple and straightforward, the bass weaves through the middle of the mix, bouncing along and providing a melody of its own. Check out the octave pedal effect during the chorus; it’s essentially inaudible within the full mix.
Various percussion elements including handclaps, tambourine, agogo and a guiro, all combining to create a loose, funky and fun party atmosphere.
This Brian MacLeod drum groove is totally in the pocket, just a little behind the beat, and wouldn’t be out of place in a great disco track. The classic four-on-the-floor kick-drum pattern makes “All I Wanna Do” a dance tune at heart.
Released: August 3, 1993
Recorded at Toad Hall, 1993
Produced By Bill Bottrell
