How Rachmaninoff Inspired Eric Carmen to Write ‘All By Myself’
When Carmen set out to write his now famous song, he assumed classical music was in the public domain – but he was mistaken.
In one of the most famous ballads of the 20th century, you can hear a melody by renowned Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Eric Carmen's 1975 hit song ‘All By Myself’ was written under the influence of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2.
"I was listening to Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto (written in 1901) and heard the melody, which I used for the verse," said the American musician.
For the chorus, Carmen used his own earlier song ‘Let's Pretend’.
Eric Carmen also drew on Rachmaninoff's music for his next hit, ‘Never Gonna Fall in Love Again’ (1976). This time, he turned to the third movement (Adagio) of Symphony No. 2.
Rachmaninoff's music deeply moved the American musician. He said it gave him "goosebumps" every time he heard it. And he wanted to share Russian classical music with a wider audience.
In Rachmaninoff’s music, Carmen found a melancholy that inspired him: “I can't imagine that Rachmaninoff was happy when he was writing the second symphony and second piano concerto… I don't think the anguish and angst of those melodies comes out of being peachy keen."
Carmen admitted that he initially made a legal miscalculation: he thought Rachmaninoff's music was already in the public domain. However, the Russian composer's heirs soon contacted him and they reached an agreement on royalties.
