All I Have To Give

Album: Backstreet's Back (1997)
Charted: 1 5
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Songfacts®:

  • This tender ballad of devotion was written by Full Force, an R&B group who wrote the #1 hit "Head To Toe" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. It was one of the first Backstreet Boys tunes to feature all the guys on lead vocals.
  • Howie Dorough, aka Howie D, was thankful to get his moment to shine on the song, which he calls his favorite tune of the Backstreet Boys' catalog. Before the boy band hit it big, Howie D was one of the lead singers of the group until Swedish hitmaker Max Martin was brought on board as producer. He brought New Jack Swing-ish edge to their sound that made the group famous but didn't suit Howie's voice, so he was often pushed to the background.

    Howie told Songfacts he credits Full Force for recognizing his potential on "All I Have To Give": "Full Force was working with us and they said, 'We hear all the voices here, but why doesn't anybody ever use Howie?' They were like, 'He sounds great, we need to put him on this.' So, they are the ones I always credit, and it's still one of my favorite songs."
  • Backstreet's Back was the group's second international album and, under the title Backstreet Boys, was their debut album in the US.
  • This won Video of the Year at the 1999 Teen Choice Awards.
  • The Backstreet Boys performed this on Saturday Night Live on May 15, 1999.
  • Full Force included the track on their 2014 album, Full Force: With Love From Our Friends, which features guest appearances by many of their R&B contemporaries. The BSB cover boasts Lil' G of Silk, Slim of 112, and Steve Russell of Troop.

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