It was not love at first sight between Kenny Rogers and the hit song ‘All I Ever Need Is You.’ The country crooner didn’t want to record the song when it was initially offered to him. But despite his earlier dismissal, Rogers covered the song in 1979 with Dottie West.
‘All I Ever Need Is You’ was written by Jimmy Holiday and Eddie Reeves in 1971. Ray Charles, another country superstar of his time, initially recorded the hit single for his 1971 Volcanic Action of My Soul album. Another popular country singer, Sonny & Cher, made their own version before Kenny Rogers and Dottie West.
Rogers and West collaborated on this song and earned them the top charts. Not surprisingly, their cover song hit No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Meanwhile, it peaked No. 2 on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Canadian RPM Country Tracks.
For You
It made headlines when they included the recording on four albums, including Classics in 1979, Duets in 1984, 42 Ultimate Hits in 2004, and 21 Number Ones in 2006. Rogers and West’s ‘All I Ever Need You’ amazingly sold over 2,000,000 copies at its first inclusion in an album. Moreover, its least number of copies sold is at 500,000, which is still an impressive number for a country song.
The song talks about needing only one person in his life to make him move forward. Its sweet and romantic lyrics capture how listeners feel when they think about their partner. Couple with a true country upbeat melody, ‘All I Ever Need Is You’ is a real country classic worth listening to.
Rogers and West collaboration wouldn’t be possible if the former country superstar didn’t rethink recording ‘All I Ever Need Is You.’ If you want to relive their rendition, you can check it out below.
