"Fool" is a song by the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. It was annou ...

. The song was written by band-leader Paul Draper. It was recorded and produced by

Hugh Padgham Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 19 ...

with co-producer Michael Hunter during sessions for the group's third studio album. The song was released as the third and final single in early 2001 from the group's third album, ''

Little Kix ''Little Kix'' is the third album by English alternative rock band Mansun, released on 14 August 2000 and was the band's last studio album to be completed and released before their dissolution in 2003. Overview The album was recorded aboard th ...

''. The single disappointed commercially reaching the low peak of #28 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

during the typically quiet post-Christmas singles market. The music video for "Fool" was directed by

Phil Harder Philip Harder is a music video director and commercial director represented by Bob Industries in Santa Monica, California.Bobcentra ...

. Paul Draper was particularly dismissive of the track calling it his 'least favourite Mansun track'. Writing in the liner-notes to '' Legacy: The Best of Mansun'', he describes "Fool" as an ironic song inspired by a book on songwriting by

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", " By the Time I Get to Phoenix", " MacArthur Park", " Wichita Lineman", " Wo ...

. The song played a part in further straining relations between Draper and the label: '

Bowie Bowie may refer to: People * Bowie (surname), origin of the surname and a list of people with the surname, including particularly: ** James Bowie (c. 1796–1836), Texan revolutionary ** David Bowie (1947–2016), English singer, songwriter, and ...

intro, comical chorus lyrics and guess what? The label (

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 19 ...

) wanted it as a fucking single! I couldn't believe it.'

Track listing

Personnel

;Mansun * Paul Draper –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of th ...

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

Dominic Chad Dominic Chad (born 5 June 1972 in Exeter, Devon, England) is an English musician, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, arranger and co-writer of the rock band Mansun. Biography Early days Born in Exeter, Devon, Chad grew up in Maidston ...

–

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...

Stove King Steven William "Stove" King (born 8 January 1974 in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire) is an English musician, formerly the bassist for the rock band Mansun. King formed Mansun with Paul Draper, with whom he shared an interest in graphic design. His ...

–

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

Andie Rathbone Andrew "Andie" Rathbone (born 8 September 1969 in Chester) is an English drummer and former member of the rock band Mansun. Rathbone grew up in Blacon, Chester and played in various local bands including "The Wandering Quatrains" and "Jonti" an ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

;Production *

– producer ("Fool") * Mike Hunter – producer (all tracks except "Fool"), engineering (all tracks except "Fool"), mixing (all tracks except "Fool"), co-producer ("Fool") *

Mark 'Spike' Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheer ...

– mixing ("Fool") *

Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner"' ...

– band photograph * Alex Hutchinson (at Free Barrabas!) - design

Chart positions

References

{{authority control 2001 singles 2000 songs Mansun songs Songs written by Paul Draper (musician) Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham Parlophone singles Music videos directed by Phil Harder