All This Time (Michelle McManus song) explained

All This Time
Cover:All This Time.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Michelle
Album:The Meaning of Love
Released:[1]
Recorded:2003
Genre:Pop
Length:4:23
Label:19 (BMG)
Producer:Steve Mac
Next Title:The Meaning of Love
Next Year:2004

"All This Time" is a song by Scottish singer Michelle McManus, released from her debut album, The Meaning of Love (2004). Written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ali Tennant, the single was released in January 2004 by 19, a subsidiary of BMG.

Background and recording

"All This Time" was written for the winner of the second and final series of Pop Idol in the United Kingdom, with last two acts in the show, Michelle McManus and Mark Rhodes, having both performed the song in the final. McManus went on to win and released "All This Time" as her debut single on 5 January 2004.

Reception

BBC Music writer Ruth Mitchell described the song as "epic", with a "glorious array of lush harmonies".[2] A Daily Record journalist called it "beautiful" and a "brilliant pop gem which is laced with a luxurious gospel feel".[3] Ian Hyland in the Sunday Mirror unfavourably compared McManus to previous Pop Idol winner Will Young but nevertheless rated the single 7/10.[4]

Conversely, Fiona Shepherd in The Scotsman described the track as a "tuneless dirge",[5] while an Entertainment.ie critic labelled it "a triumph of hype over substance".[6] Daily Telegraph critic Lynsey Hanley called the song "utterly forgettable" and "one of the lamest Pop Idol-sponsored efforts" and argued that it achieved the UK number-one position "on the back of the series' success".[7]

Chart performance

"All This Time" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 11 January 2004 and remained there for three weeks, later being included on her debut album, The Meaning of Love. Subsequent releases failed to duplicate its success, and McManus was dropped by BMG.[8]

Music video

The music video for "All This Time" was recorded in December 2003 and was released to UK Music Channels that same month. The video shows Michelle singing the song in front of a pure black background. The video also shows certain moments from Michelle's time in Pop Idol.

Track listing

European CD single[9]

  1. "All This Time"
  2. "On the Radio"

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Key Releases: Singles. Music Week. 25. 27 December 2003. January 5 [...] Pop Idol Winner tbc....
  2. Web site: The Meaning of Love. BBC Music. 31 May 2012.
  3. Web site: Singles & Albums: Single of the week. Daily Record. TheFreeLibrary.com. 9 January 2004. 29 September 2016.
  4. Hyland. Ian. 4 January 2004. Reviews: Hyland's Verdict - Singles. Sunday Mirror. Trinity Mirror.
  5. News: An emotional wreck. The Scotsman. Shepherd. Fiona. 13 February 2004. 2 June 2013.
  6. Web site: Michelle - The Meaning of Love. entertainment.ie. 23 February 2004. 31 May 2012.
  7. News: CD reviews: Viktoria Tolstoy and more. The Telegraph. Hanley. Lynsey. 16 February 2004. 2 June 2013.
  8. News: English. Paul. Michelle McManus: How I fought back from Pop Idol rejection to sing for the Pope. Daily Record. 4 September 2010. 15 May 2014.
  9. All This Time. Michelle McManus. 2004. European CD single liner notes. 19 Recordings. 82876 590652.
  10. Hits of the World – Eurocharts. Billboard. 116. 4. 39. 24 January 2004. 18 March 2020.
  11. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2004. UKChartsPlus. 7 July 2018.

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