All I Need – Jack Wagner | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#2) and Adult Contemporary (#1); 1985
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Not only did the stars of soap opera General Hospital draw legions of fans from their daily television appearance, two of them also attracted the ears of Top 40 listeners.
First out of the box was Rick “Noah Drake” Springfield whose recording career soared with Jesse’s Girl (#1) when he joined GH in 1981. Next up was Jack “Frisco Jones” Wagner who, three-and-a-half years after Rick, also appeared on the singles charts.
On the TV tube, Wagner/Jones joined General Hospital in 1983 as the leader of a fictitious band called Riff Raff. Jack’s looks and moves quickly caught the eye of GH‘s female audience, and the powers-that-be soon turned their attention to another outlet-of-opportunity: records.
Under the guidance of pop and rock music’s legendary Quincy Jones, Jack found himself in a real-life studio laying down All I Need. Although Need made big waves, follow-up records did not, and Jack continued his acting career, later appearing in the prime time soap Melrose Place.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Glen Ballard
- Clif Magness
Lyrics Written by:
- Glen Ballard
- Clif Magness
- David Pack
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).