View source for All I Ask of You

{{short description|1986 single by Sarah Brightman and Cliff Richard}}
{{for|the Marina Prior album of the same name|All I Ask of You (album)}}
{{pp-sock|small=yes}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = All I Ask of You
| cover      = Sarah Brightman - All I Ask of You.jpg
| alt        = A photograph displaying Cliff Richard laying his right arm over the shoulder of Sarah Brightman.
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Cliff Richard]] and [[Sarah Brightman]]
| album      = [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]
| B-side     = {{hlist|"The Phantom of the Opera Overture (Act II)"|"[[Only You (Pearl and Rusty)|Only You]]"}}
| released   = 26 September 1986
| recorded   = 1986
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Operatic pop]]
| length     = {{duration|m=4|s=11}}
| label      = [[Polydor]]
| writer     = {{hlist|[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]|[[Charles Hart (lyricist)|Charles Hart]]|[[Richard Stilgoe]]}}
| producer   = Andrew Lloyd Webber
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Cliff Richard]]
 | type       = single
 | prev_title = [[Born to Rock 'n' Roll (Cliff Richard song)|Born to Rock 'n' Roll]]
 | prev_year  = 1986
 | title      = All I Ask of You
 | year       = 1986
 | next_title = [[Slow Rivers]]
 | next_year  = 1986
}}
{{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Sarah Brightman]]
 | type       = single
 | prev_title = [[The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber song)|The Phantom of the Opera]]
 | prev_year  = 1986
 | title      = All I Ask of You
 | year       = 1986
 | next_title = [[The Music of the Night|The Music of the Night/Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again]]
 | next_year  = 1986
}}
{{External music video|type=single|header=Music video|1={{YouTube|I45UVhxmMjY|"All I Ask of You"}}}}
}}

"'''All I Ask of You'''" is a song from the 1986 English musical ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', between characters [[Christine Daaé]] and [[Viscount Raoul de Chagny|Raoul]], originally played on stage by [[Sarah Brightman]] and [[Steve Barton]], respectively. It was written by [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], [[Charles Hart (lyricist)|Charles Hart]] and [[Richard Stilgoe]], and solely produced by Lloyd Webber. An [[operatic pop]] piece, its lyrics serve as dialogue between the two characters and discuss themes such as commitment and romance. Like Lloyd Webber's song "[[The Music of the Night]]", "All I Ask of You" was compared to the music found in [[Giacomo Puccini]]'s 1910 opera ''[[La fanciulla del West]]''.

[[Music criticism|Critically]], the song has generally been regarded as one of the finest cuts made for ''The Phantom of the Opera''. It was released as a single by [[Polydor Records]] on 26 September 1986 on [[Gramophone record|7-inch]] and [[Gramophone record|12-inch]], performed by Brightman and [[Cliff Richard]]. The song achieved commercial success in several territories, including in Ireland and South Africa, where it topped the charts and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number three. It was later certified Silver in the latter country for shipments of 250,000 copies. "All I Ask of You" has been covered by multiple artists, including [[The Shadows]], Lloyd Webber's brother [[Julian Lloyd Webber|Julian]], [[Elaine Paige]], and [[Jackie Evancho]]. [[Susan Boyle]] and [[Donny Osmond]], [[Josh Groban]] and [[Kelly Clarkson]], and [[Marina Prior]] and [[Mark Vincent]] have also continued with duet versions of the song.

A notable cover of "All I Ask of You" was recorded by [[Barbra Streisand]] for her studio album ''[[Till I Loved You (album)|Till I Loved You]]'' (1988). It was released as the record's second single on 15 December 1988 by [[Columbia Records]] as a 7-inch, 12-inch, and [[Compact disc|CD]]. It was generally noted as a standout track on ''Till I Loved You'' and was commercially successful, entering the charts in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and on the United States' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary chart]].

== Background and release ==
[[File:2008-11-15 Эндрю Ллойд Уэббер.jpeg|left|thumb|160px|alt=Andrew Lloyd Webber during an interview in 2008.|[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], co-writer and sole producer of "All I Ask of You".]]
"All I Ask of You" was written and produced by [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], while [[Charles Hart (lyricist)|Charles Hart]] and [[Richard Stilgoe]] provided the lyrics for the track.<ref name="7-inch single" /> It was created specifically for the 1986 English musical ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', which was developed by Lloyd Webber and served as a live adaptation of [[Gaston Leroux]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|1910 novel of the same name]]. It is performed by characters [[Christine Daaé]] and [[Viscount Raoul de Chagny|Raoul]], where the former protests and asks for love of the latter.<ref name="Andrew Lloyd Webber" /> The song appears towards the end of [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)#Act I|Act I]], immediately after it is revealed that the two characters "have met again and felt a sexual attraction".<ref name="The Undergrounds of the Phantom of the Opera">{{harvnb|Hogle|2016|p=200}}</ref> The single version of "All I Ask of You" is performed by [[Cliff Richard]] and [[Sarah Brightman]], although Richard's vocals are replaced by [[Steve Barton]]'s during the musical production and its accompanying inclusion on the live album.<ref name="The Phantom of the Opera album">{{cite AV media notes |title=[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]] |others=Various artists |year=1986 |type=Liner notes |publisher=Polydor |id= PODV9}}</ref>

In the early 2000s, Lloyd Webber was sued by the estate of [[Giacomo Puccini]] for similarities between the former's song "[[The Music of the Night]]" (1986), also from ''The Phantom of the Opera'', and a melody titled "Quello che tacete" which was used in Puccini's 1910 opera ''[[La fanciulla del West]]''.<ref name="Gramophone article">{{cite news|last1=Stearns|first1=David Patrick|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/puccini-la-fanciulla-del-west|title=''La fanciulla del West'' review|work=[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone]]|date=December 2011|access-date=19 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822140518/https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/puccini-la-fanciulla-del-west|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="Independent article">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/la-fanciulla-del-west-opera-holland-park-london-43793.html|title=''La fanciulla del West'', Opera Holland Park London|last1=Seckerson|first1=Edward|author-link1=Edward Seckerson|work=[[The Independent]]|date=21 June 2004|access-date=19 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822133425/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/la-fanciulla-del-west-opera-holland-park-london-43793.html|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref> The matter was settled out of court between the two parties soon after the lawsuit was revealed.<ref name="Toronto Star article">{{cite news |first1= Richard |last1= Ouzounian |title= Aspects of Andrew |work= [[Toronto Star]] |date=2 January 2006 }}</ref> However, author John Snelson, who wrote a biography on Lloyd Webber in 2009, further compared "All I Ask of You" to the same aforementioned melody, citing similar "motivic connections" and "operatic and emotional cross-references" as his evidence.<ref name="Andrew Lloyd Webber">{{harvnb|Snelson|2009|p=180}}</ref>

[[Polydor]], an English-based record label, first released "All I Ask of You" as a single on 26 September 1986.<ref name="United Kingdom certification" /> It was distributed in several formats. The [[Gramophone record|7-inch]] single features the track plus [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "The Phantom of the Opera Overture (Act II)", which is performed by the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]].<ref name="7-inch single" /> The 12-inch version features the same two aforementioned songs, but it includes a second B-side "[[Only You (Pearl and Rusty)|Only You]]", which was featured in Lloyd Webber's 1984 musical ''[[Starlight Express]]''.<ref name="12-inch single" /> Along with its placement as the 13th track on the album for ''The Phantom of the Opera'', a [[reprise]] of "All I Ask of You" follows on the track listing. During the reprise, lead character [[Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)|the Phantom]], voiced by [[Michael Crawford]], provides vocals.<ref name="The Phantom of the Opera album" />

Besides the accompanying live album to the musical, Richard and Brightman's version of "All I Ask of You" was not featured on any [[compilation album]] or [[greatest hits album]] until Richard released ''[[Private Collection: 1979–1988]]'' in November 1988.<ref name="AllMusic Cliff Richard album review">{{cite web|last1=Thompson|first1=Dave|title=Cliff Richard – ''Private Collection: His Personal Best 1979-1988''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/private-collection-his-personal-best-1979-1988-mw0000469260|access-date=22 August 2017|website=AllMusic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906062611/http://www.allmusic.com/album/private-collection-his-personal-best-1979-1988-mw0000469260|archive-date=6 September 2017}}</ref> Brightman did not include "All I Ask of You" on any albums either until her compilation titled ''[[The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection]]'' was released in the United States in 1997.<ref name="The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection album">{{cite AV media notes |title=[[The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection]] |others=Sarah Brightman |year=1997 |type=Liner notes |edition=CD |publisher=[[Really Useful Group|Really Useful Records]] |id=314 539 330-2}}</ref>

== Composition and lyrics ==
Personnel working on the album for ''The Phantom of the Opera'' included recording engineer [[Martin Levan]], conductor Michael Reed, Steve Pierce on clarinet, and Richard Wall on trumpet. The [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]] was headed by Lloyd Webber and David Cullen whereas the musical direction was led by [[Harold Prince]] and David Caddick.<ref name="The Phantom of the Opera album" />

"All I Ask of You" is a [[piano ballad]];<ref name="Sheet music 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0118439|title=The Phantom of the Opera 'All I Ask of You' Digital Sheet Music|publisher=[[Alfred Music Publishing|Musicnotes.com]]|last1=Lloyd Webber|first1=Andrew|author-link1=Andrew Lloyd Webber|last2=Hart|first2=Charles|author-link2=Charles Hart (lyricist)|last3=Stilgoe|first3=Richard|author-link3=Richard Stilgoe|year=1986|access-date=20 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822094832/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0118439|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Ivie|first1=Devon|title=Kelly Clarkson and Josh Groban Destroy This Phantom of the Opera Ballad in Front of World's Most Intense Audience|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/11/groban-and-clarkson-cover-all-i-ask-of-you.html|website=[[Vulture.com]]|access-date=3 November 2015|date=25 August 2018}}</ref> according to the official sheet music published by [[Alfred Music Publishing|Alfred Publishing]], it is written in the key of [[D-flat major|D♭ major]] with the partners' vocals ranging from A♭<sub>3</sub> to A♭<sub>5</sub>. It contains a [[common time]] with a "heartfelt" [[tempo]] consisting of 60 [[beats per minute]].<ref name="Sheet music 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0100394|title=The Phantom of the Opera 'All I Ask of You' (Easy Piano) Digital Sheet Music|publisher=Musicnotes.com|last1=Lloyd Webber|first1=Andrew|last2=Hart|first2=Charles|author-link2=Charles Hart (lyricist)|last3=Stilgoe|first3=Richard|author-link3=Richard Stilgoe|year=1986|access-date=21 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101029/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0100394|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref> Author [[Ethan Mordden]] described the track's genre as [[operatic pop]] and noted the high vocals achieved by the singers.<ref name="The Happiest Corpse I've Ever Seen">{{harvnb|Mordden|2015|p=81}}</ref> Lyrically, Daaé's character is singing about her desire for romance when she demands, "Say you love me every waking moment".<ref name="Andrew Lloyd Webber" /> In exchange, Raoul claims that he can fulfill her wants as long as she will "let [him] be [her] freedom".<ref name="The Undergrounds of the Phantom of the Opera" /> In an additional comparison to Puccini's opera, John Snelson claimed that the song's lyrics contained similar symbolism to the music found in ''La fanciulla del West''; however, he stated that there were several differences between the two works. Although they both featured romantic symbolism, Snelson wrote that Puccini's work was much longer and 
contained a vocal-heavy delivery when compared to Lloyd Webber's work.<ref name="Andrew Lloyd Webber" />

== Reception ==
Author and music historian Ethan Mordden stated that the song contains "lyrical magnificence" and noted that its brilliance helped it "accomplish wonderful things" on stage.<ref name="The Happiest Corpse I've Ever Seen" /> The song was described as one of the biggest and most commercially successful hits from ''The Phantom of the Opera'' by the staff at ''Show Music''.<ref name="Show Music single review">{{cite journal|author1=''Show Music'' staff|title=New releases, from page 12|journal=Show Music|date=2002|volume=18|page=57|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkQJAQAAMAAJ|publisher=M.O. Preeo}}</ref>

"All I Ask of You" was commercially successful in several territories internationally. In the United Kingdom, it became Richard's 52nd top ten single by peaking at number three on 4 October 1986.<ref name="United Kingdom main" /> Its success allowed it to be listed on the year-end chart in that country, where it was ranked at number 31.<ref name="Year end United Kingdom main" /> The song was later certified Silver by the [[British Phonographic Industry]] on 1 October 1986 for shipments of 250,000 physical copies.<ref name="United Kingdom main" /> It topped the [[Irish Singles Chart]] for one week, replacing [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]]'s cover of "[[In the Army Now (song)|In the Army Now]]" (1986).<ref name="Ireland main" /> The song reached the same peak in South Africa on the country's [[Springbok Radio]] chart,<ref name="South African Charts 1969 - 1989" /> while in Australia, it peaked at number 24, according to the [[Kent Music Report]].<ref name="Kent Music Report" />

== Track listings ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''7-inch single'''<ref name="7-inch single">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "The Phantom of the Opera Overture (Act II)"'' |others=Cliff Richard, Sarah Brightman |year=1986 |type=Liner notes |edition=7" |publisher=[[Polydor]] |id=POSP 802}}</ref>
* A1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:11
* B1 "The Phantom of the Opera Overture (Act II)" <small>(performed by the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]])</small> – 2:42
{{col-2}}

'''12-inch single'''<ref name="12-inch single">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "The Phantom of the Opera Overture (Act II)"'' |others=Cliff Richard, Sarah Brightman |year=1986 |type=Liner notes |edition=12" |publisher=Polydor |id=885 336-1}}</ref>
* A1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:11
* B1 "The Phantom of the Opera Overture (Act II)" <small>(performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)</small> – 2:42
* B2 "[[Only You (Pearl and Rusty)|Only You]]" – 3:37
{{col-end}}

== Charts ==
'''Weekly charts'''
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1986–87)
! scope="col"| Peak<br> position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name="Kent Music Report">{{cite book|title=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992]]|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W |year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
| 24
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|1|artist=Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman|access-date=18 August 2017|rowheader=true|refname="Ireland main"}}
|-
! scope="row" | South Africa ([[Springbok Radio]])<ref name="South African Charts 1969 - 1989">{{cite web|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(R).html|title=South African Charts 1969 - 1989|publisher=rock.co.za|access-date=14 June 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108155716/http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(R).html|archive-date=8 January 2013}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|UK|3|date=19861019|access-date=7 May 2018|rowheader=true|refname="United Kingdom main"}}
|}

'''Year-end charts'''
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Chart (1986)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (Official Charts Company)<ref name="Year end United Kingdom main">{{cite web|url=http://www.mostynhouseschool.com/pg/80/top50/uk86.htm|title=End Of Year Chart&nbsp;– Top 50 Singles of 1986|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=28 November 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912040719/http://www.mostynhouseschool.com/pg/80/top50/uk86.htm|archive-date=12 September 2009}}</ref>
| align="center"|29
|}

{| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1987)
!Position
|-
|align="left"|Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/sPdqqRt.jpg|title=Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987|publisher=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Music Report]]|via=[[Imgur]]|access-date=11 December 2019}}</ref>
|align="center"|87
|}

== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=All I Ask of You|artist=Cliff Richard & Sarah Brightman|type=single|award=Silver|relyear=1986|access-date=21 August 2017|refname="United Kingdom certification"|id=380-509-1}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

== Cover versions ==
Several musicians have created their own versions of "All I Ask of You". [[The Shadows]] created an instrumental version of the song in 1989 for their covers album, ''[[The Shadows discography|Steppin' to the Shadows]]''.<ref name="Steppin to the Shadows">{{cite AV media notes |title=[[The Shadows discography|Steppin' to the Shadows]] |others=[[The Shadows]] |year=1989 |type=Liner notes |publisher=Polydor |id=839 357-2}}</ref> As a duet, [[Stephanie Lawrence]] and [[Carl Wayne]] included it on ''The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection'' in 1991.<ref name="The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection |others=Various artists |year=1991 |type=Liner notes |publisher=Pickwick Music |id=PWKS 4065}}</ref> It is covered by Webber's younger brother and [[cello]] player [[Julian Lloyd Webber|Julian]] on the 2001 album, ''[[Lloyd Webber Plays Lloyd Webber]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Clarke|1998|p=763}}</ref> A separate choral arrangement of "All I Ask of You" appears on [[The King's Singers]]{{'}}s ''Chanson d'Amour'' (1992).<ref name="Chanson d Amour">{{cite AV media notes |title=Chanson d'Amour |others=[[The King's Singers]] |year=1992 |type=Liner notes |publisher=[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] |id=09026 61427 2}}</ref> [[Elaine Paige]] released a solo version for ''Essential Musicals'' in 2006.<ref name="Essential Musicals">{{cite AV media notes |title=Essential Musicals |others=[[Elaine Paige]] |year=2006 |type=Liner notes |publisher=W14 Music |id= 1709789}}</ref> American vocalist [[Jackie Evancho]]'s version of "All I Ask of You" was included on her 2011 studio album ''[[Dream with Me]]'' and peaked at number four on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Billboard charts|Classical Digital Songs]] component chart following its release.<ref name="AllMusic Jackie Evancho album review">{{cite web|last1=Monger|first1=James Christopher|title=Jackie Evancho – ''Dream with Me''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-with-me-mw0002133132|access-date=22 August 2017|website=AllMusic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101710/http://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-with-me-mw0002133132|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="Billboard Classical Digital songs">{{cite magazine|author1=''Billboard'' staff|title=Billboard Digital Songs: Classical|magazine=Billboard|date=2 July 2011|volume=123|issue=23|page=47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qbr6WdsnLzQC|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|issn=0006-2510}}</ref>

On [[Susan Boyle]]'s album ''[[Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage]]'' (2012), she and featured artist [[Donny Osmond]] recorded a cover of "All I Ask of You"; in addition, Boyle also recorded two other Lloyd Webber compositions.<ref name="AllMusic Susan Boyle album review">{{cite web|last1=Erlewine|first1=Stephen Thomas|author-link1=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=Susan Boyle – ''Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/standing-ovation-the-greatest-songs-from-the-stage-mw0002436882|access-date=20 August 2017|website=AllMusic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101651/http://www.allmusic.com/album/standing-ovation-the-greatest-songs-from-the-stage-mw0002436882|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref> American singers [[Josh Groban]] and [[Kelly Clarkson]] performed the duet for the former's [[Musical theatre|musical]]-influenced seventh studio album, ''[[Stages (Josh Groban album)|Stages]]'' (2015).<ref name="AllMusic Josh Groban album review">{{cite web|last1=Erlewine|first1=Stephen Thomas|title=Josh Groban – ''Stages''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/stages-mw0002833773|access-date=18 August 2017|website=AllMusic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101703/http://www.allmusic.com/album/stages-mw0002833773|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="Time magazine cover review">{{cite magazine|last1=Waxman|first1=Olivia B.|title=Listen to Kelly Clarkson's and Josh Groban's Duet of 'All I Ask of You' from ''Phantom of the Opera''|url=https://time.com/3822662/josh-groban-kelly-clarkson-phantom-opera-all-i-ask-of-you/|access-date=21 August 2017|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=15 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903174013/http://time.com/3822662/josh-groban-kelly-clarkson-phantom-opera-all-i-ask-of-you/|archive-date=3 September 2016}}</ref> After its release, it entered and peaked on the [[Digital Songs|Pop Digital Songs]] in the United States at number 32.<ref name="Billboard Pop Digital Songs">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2015-05-16/pop-digital-songs |title=Chart search |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] [[Digital Songs|Pop Digital Songs]] |date=16 May 2015 |access-date=19 September 2013 |url-access=subscription  |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924210159/http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2015-05-16/pop-digital-songs |archive-date=24 September 2016}}</ref> Groban had previously performed "All I Ask of You" to [[David Foster]] during an audition to sing "[[The Prayer (Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli song)|The Prayer]]" live at the [[41st Annual Grammy Awards]] with [[Celine Dion]].<ref name="Hitman">{{harvnb|Foster|2009|p=162}}</ref> [[Marina Prior]] and [[Mark Vincent]], both Australian vocalists, covered it for their 2016 collaborative effort, ''[[Together (Marina Prior and Mark Vincent album)|Together]]''.<ref name="iTunes Marina Prior and Mark Vincent">{{cite web|title=Together – Marina Prior & Mark Vincent|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/together/1096602998|publisher=[[iTunes Store]] (AU)|access-date=20 August 2017|date=15 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906034016/https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/together/id1096602998|archive-date=6 September 2017}}</ref>

== Barbra Streisand version ==
{{Infobox song
| name       = All I Ask of You
| cover      = Barbra Streisand "All I Ask of You".png
| alt        = A black and white photograph of Streisand appears along with her name and the song title in white above and below her, respectively.
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Barbra Streisand]]
| album      = [[Till I Loved You (album)|Till I Loved You]]
| B-side     = {{hlist|"On My Way to You"|"[[Memory (Cats song)#Barbra Streisand version|Memory]]"|"[[Send In the Clowns]]"|"Life Story"|"Emotion"|"[[Make No Mistake, He's Mine]]"|"[[Since I Fell for You]]"}}
| released   = 15 December 1988
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      =
| length     = {{duration|m=4|s=02}}
| label      = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer     = {{hlist|Andrew Lloyd Webber|Charles Hart|Richard Stilgoe}}
| producer   = [[Phil Ramone]]
| prev_title = [[Till I Loved You (song)|Till I Loved You]]
| prev_year  = 1988
| next_title = [[What Were We Thinking Of]]
| next_year  = 1989
}}

=== Background and release ===
American singer [[Barbra Streisand]] recorded a cover of "All I Ask of You" for her 29th studio album, ''[[Till I Loved You (album)|Till I Loved You]]'' (1988).<ref name="Till I Loved You liner notes">{{cite AV media notes |title=[[Till I Loved You (album)|Till I Loved You]] |others=[[Barbra Streisand]]|year=1988 |type=Liner notes |publisher=[[Columbia Records|Columbia]] |id= CK 40880}}</ref> It was released as the album's second single on 15 December 1988 by [[Columbia Records]].<ref name="Till I Loved You Lyric Book">{{harvnb|Okun|1989|p=1}}</ref><ref name="Till I Loved You Lyric Book 2">{{harvnb|Okun|1989|p=25}}</ref><ref name="Press Release 2">{{cite journal|title=For Immediate Release: Barbra Streisand Releases 'All I Ask of You,' Second Single from 'Till I Loved You;' Song Taken from Broadway Smash, 'The Phantom of the Opera;' Albums Hits Top 10|date=13 December 1988|publisher=[[Columbia Records|Columbia Records Press & Publicity Department]]}}</ref> ''Till I Loved You'' is a [[concept album]] chronicling the different stages during a romantic relationship, where the beginning songs detail the good times and the final tracks discuss a painful breakup;<ref name="Barbra An Actress Who Sings">{{harvnb|Kimbrell|1989|p=401}}</ref> accordingly, "All I Ask of You" was placed as the record's sixth track.<ref name="Till I Loved You liner notes" /> It was produced by frequent Streisand collaborator [[Phil Ramone]]. Considering its placement on ''Till I Loved You'', it was noted by ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}}s Stephen Holden as the only song that is not a "nontheatrical pop tune".<ref name="New York Times album review">{{cite news|last1=Holden|first1=Stephen|title=Recordings; Barbra Streisand and the Showstopper Syndrome|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/06/arts/recordings-barbra-streisand-and-the-showstopper-syndrome.html|access-date=17 August 2016|work=The New York Times|date=6 November 1988|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817183112/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/06/arts/recordings-barbra-streisand-and-the-showstopper-syndrome.html|archive-date=17 August 2017}}</ref> Streisand would later include her cover on two of her [[greatest hits album]]s: ''[[A Collection: Greatest Hits...and More]]'' in 1989 and ''[[The Essential Barbra Streisand]]'' in 2002.<ref name="AllMusic review BS compilation">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-collection-greatest-hitsand-more-mw0000206164|title=Barbra Streisand – ''A Collection: Greatest Hits...And More'' |website=[[AllMusic]]|last1= Ruhlmann|first1= William|access-date=12 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic The Essential album review">{{cite web|last1=Ruhlmann|first1=William|title=Barbra Streisand – ''The Essential Barbra Streisand''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-barbra-streisand-mw0000213340|access-date=21 August 2017|website=AllMusic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101721/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-barbra-streisand-mw0000213340|archive-date=22 August 2017}}</ref>

Streisand's cover was released physically in several formats by Columbia Records. The standard edition 7-inch release featured [[A-side and B-side|B-side track]] "On My Way to You" while the promotional version used "All I Ask of You" as both the A-side and B-side.<ref name="Standard 7-inch single" /><ref name="Promotional 7-inch single" /> In Spain, a 7-inch record with no B-side was distributed.<ref name="Spain 7-inch single" /> Three different [[extended play]]s (EPs) were released in the United Kingdom. The 7-inch and 12-inch varieties included tracks such as "[[Somewhere (song)#Tom Waits Version|Somewhere]]", "[[Memory (Cats song)#Barbra Streisand version|Memory]]", "[[Send In the Clowns]], "On My Way to You", "Life Story", and "Emotion";<ref name="United Kingdom 7-inch EP" /><ref name="United Kingdom 12-inch EP 1" /> both of these editions were also released on [[Compact disc|CD]].<ref name="United Kingdom CD EP 1" /><ref name="United Kingdom CD EP 2" /> The limited edition EP featured "On My Way to You", "[[Make No Mistake, He's Mine]]", "[[Since I Fell for You]]", and a large colored poster of Streisand from the ''Till I Loved You'' photoshoots.<ref name="United Kingdom 12-inch EP 2" />

=== Reception ===
Stephen Holden called the song one of the "moments of sweeping majesty" on ''Till I Loved You''. He stated that Streisand "makes a powerful case [by] negotiating its octave vocal dives with a grand finesse while taking the song at a pleasingly brisk pace".<ref name="New York Times album review" /> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''{{'}}s Paul Grein highlighted the song as the greatest track on the album. He compared its dramatics to Streisand's 1981 single "Memory" and later wrote, "but [it] is much warmer and less grandiose. It's one of Streisand's greatest recordings".<ref name="Los Angeles Times album review">{{cite news|last1=Grein|first1=Paul|title=Pop Record Review: Post-'Broadway' Streisand Goes Lush and Romantic|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-26-ca-271-story.html|access-date=16 August 2017|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=26 October 1988|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304162914/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-10-26/entertainment/ca-271_1_broadway-album |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

The single did not enter the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in the United States, but it did reach the same publication's [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary chart]]. "All I Ask of You" also entered the charts in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In the former country, it peaked at number 56 after entering at number 79.<ref name="Netherlands 100" /> In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 77 and spent five weeks charting.<ref name="United Kingdom" />

=== Track listings and formats ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Standard 7-inch single'''<ref name="Standard 7-inch single">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "On My Way to You"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=Standard 7-inch |publisher=Columbia |id=38 08026}}</ref>
* A1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:02
* B1 "On My Way to You" – 3:43

'''Promotional 7-inch single'''<ref name="Promotional 7-inch single">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "All I Ask of You"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=Promotional 7-inch |publisher=Columbia |id=38 08026 PROMO}}</ref>
* A1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:02
* B1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:02

'''Spain 7-inch single'''<ref name="Spain 7-inch single">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=Spain 7-inch |publisher=[[CBS Records International|CBS]] |id=653011 7}}</ref>
* A1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:02

'''United Kingdom 7-inch and CD EP'''<ref name="United Kingdom 7-inch EP">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "Memory"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=United Kingdom 7-inch EP |publisher=CBS |id=BARB EP 3}}</ref><ref name="United Kingdom CD EP 1">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=United Kingdom CD EP (v. 1) |publisher=CBS |id= CPBARB3}}</ref>
* A1/1. "All I Ask of You" – 4:02
* A2/2. "[[Somewhere (song)#Tom Waits Version|Somewhere]]" – 4:51
* B1/3. "[[Memory (Cats song)#Barbra Streisand version|Memory]]" – 3:52
* B2/4. "[[Send In the Clowns]]" – 4:39
{{col-2}}

'''United Kingdom 12-inch and CD EP'''<ref name="United Kingdom 12-inch EP 1">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "Life Story"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=United Kingdom 12-inch EP |publisher=CBS |id=BARB EP 3}}</ref><ref name="United Kingdom CD EP 2">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=United Kingdom CD EP (v. 2) |publisher=CBS |id=653011 3}}</ref>
* A1/1. "All I Ask of You" – 4:02
* A2/2. "On My Way to You" – 3:43
* B1/3. "Life Story" – 5:02
* B2/4. "Emotion" – 4:59

'''United Kingdom 12-inch limited edition EP'''<ref name="United Kingdom 12-inch EP 2">{{cite AV media notes |title=''"All I Ask of You" / "[[Make No Mistake, He's Mine]]"'' |others=Barbra Streisand |year=1988 |type=Liner notes |edition=United Kingdom 12-inch EP, limited |publisher=CBS |id=BARB QT3}}</ref>
* A1 "All I Ask of You" – 4:02
* A2 "On My Way to You" – 3:43
* B1 "[[Make No Mistake, He's Mine]]" – 4:12
* B2 "[[Since I Fell for You]]" – 3:23
{{col-end}}

=== Charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1988–1989)
! scope="col"| Peak<br> position
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands ([[Dutch Top 40|Dutch Top 40 Tipparade]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1989/week-9|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 9, 1989|publisher=[[Dutch Top 40]]|language=nl|access-date=April 6, 2023}}</ref>
|21
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|56|artist=Barbra Streisand|song=All I Ask of You|rowheader=true|access-date=18 August 2017|refname="Netherlands 100"}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|77|date=19890218|access-date=18 August 2017|rowheader=true|refname="United Kingdom"}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|15|artist=Barbra Streisand|rowheader=true|access-date=18 August 2017|refname="US Adult Contemporary"}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of number-one singles of 1986 (Ireland)]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
*{{cite book|last1=Clarke|first1=Donald|title=The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=1998|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|isbn=978-0140513707}}
*{{cite book|last1=Foster|first1=David|author-link1=David Foster|title=Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts, and Winning Grammys|date=1 December 2009|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster|Simon and Schuster]]|isbn= 978-1-4391-6665-9}}
*{{cite book|last1=Hogle|first1=Jerrold E.|title=The Undergrounds of the Phantom of the Opera: Sublimation and the Gothic in Leroux's Novel and Its Progeny|date=30 April 2016|publisher=Springer|isbn= 978-1-1371-1288-0}}
*{{cite book|last1=Kimbrell|first1=James|title=Barbra, an Actress Who Sings: An Unauthorized Biography, Volume 1|date=1989|publisher=Branden Publishing Company|isbn=0-8283-1923-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/barbraactresswho00kimb}}
{{col-2}}
*{{cite book|last1=Mordden|first1=Ethan|author-link1=Ethan Mordden|title=The Happiest Corpse I've Ever Seen: The Last Twenty-Five Years of the Broadway Musical|date=7 April 2015|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn= 978-1-4668-9344-3}}
*{{cite book|last1=Okun|first1=Milton|title=Barbra Streisand: Till I Loved You|date=1989|publisher=Cherry Lane Music|isbn= 0-8952-4421-7}}
*{{cite book|last1=Snelson|first1=John|title=Andrew Lloyd Webber|date=2009|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-3001-5113-8|edition=illustrated, reprinted|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780300151138}}
{{col-end}}

{{Cliff Richard singles}}
{{Sarah Brightman}}
{{Barbra Streisand songs}}
{{Josh Groban}}
{{Kelly Clarkson songs}}
{{Andrew Lloyd Webber}}
{{Phantom of the Opera}}

{{good article}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:All I Ask of You}}
[[Category:1980s ballads]]
[[Category:1986 singles]]
[[Category:1986 songs]]
[[Category:1988 singles]]
[[Category:Barbra Streisand songs]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Love themes]]
[[Category:Polydor Records singles]]
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Sarah Brightman songs]]
[[Category:Songs from The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)]]
[[Category:Songs with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber]]
[[Category:Male–female vocal duets]]
[[Category:Songs with lyrics by Charles Hart (lyricist)]]