''Fool Around'' is the debut album by American singer

Rachel Sweet Rachel Sweet (born July 28, 1962) is an American singer, television writer and actress. Early life and education Rachel Sweet was born in Akron, Ohio.Campbell, Mary (1979)Rachel Sweet: Busy Singer at 16, Made Debut at 5, Lewiston ''Daily Sun ...

. It was first released in the United Kingdom on October 13, 1978 by

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...

. The album was released in the United States in July 1979, by Stiff and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, with a revised track listing.

Track listing

All tracks are written by

Liam Sternberg Liam Sternberg (born July 28, 1949) is an American songwriter and producer who wrote the Bangles hit "Walk Like an Egyptian". Career Sternberg began his musical career as part of the late-1970s " Akron Sound" which included Devo and the Waitre ...

, except where noted.

UK edition

Side one # "Just My Style" – 3:15 # " B-A-B-Y" (

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

, David Porter) – 3:08 # "Who Does Lisa Like?" – 2:58 # "Wildwood Saloon" – 3:58 # " Stay Awhile" ( Mike Hawker,

Ivor Raymonde Ivor Raymonde (born Ivor Pomerance; 22 October 1926 – 4 June 1990) was a British musician, songwriter, arranger and actor, best known for his distinctive rock-orchestral arrangements for Dusty Springfield and others in the 1960s. Life and ca ...

) – 3:03 # "Suspended Animation" – 3:19 Side two # "It's So Different Here" – 2:48 # "Cuckoo Clock" – 2:46 # "Pin a Medal on Mary" ( Will Birch, John Wicks) – 3:08 # "Girl with a Synthesizer" – 2:36 # " Stranger in the House" (

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

) – 4:06

US edition

Side one # "B-A-B-Y" (Hayes, Porter) – 3:08 # " I Go to Pieces" (

Del Shannon Charles Weedon Westover (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990), better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his 1961 number-one ''Billboard'' hit " Runaway", which was covered la ...

) – 2:43 # "Who Does Lisa Like?" – 2:58 # "Wildwood Saloon" – 3:58 # "Stay Awhile" (Hawker, Raymonde) – 3:03 # "Suspended Animation" – 3:19 Side two # "Sad Song" (Mark Middler, Peter Mason) – 2:53 # "It's So Different Here" – 2:48 # "Cuckoo Clock" – 2:46 # "Pin a Medal on Mary" (Birch, Wicks) – 3:08 # "Stranger in the House" (Costello) – 4:06

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Musicians * Rachel Sweet – lead vocals, backing vocals * Ray Beavis –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

* Charley Charles – drums on "B-A-B-Y", "Stay Awhile", "Pin a Medal on Mary" and "Stranger in the House" *

Simon Climie Simon Climie (born 7 April 1957) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer. He is best known as the former lead singer of the UK duo Climie Fisher. Biography Climie was born in London. Beginning his career primarily as a songwr ...

–

finger snapping Snapping (or clicking) one's fingers is the act of creating a snapping or clicking sound with one's fingers. Primarily, this is done by building tension between the thumb and another (Middle finger, middle, Index finger, index, or Ring finger, ...

, hand

clapping A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), bu ...

, percussion * John "Irish" Earle –

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone (sometimes abbreviated to "bari sax") is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass saxophone, bass. It is the lowe ...

* Mickey Gallagher – piano on "B-A-B-Y", "Stay Awhile", "Pin a Medal on Mary" and "Stranger in the House" * Paul Gillieron –

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a small, high-pitched member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented in the 1840s by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax. Built in B♭ an octave above the tenor saxophone (or rarely, slightly small ...

penny whistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, a class of instrument which also includes the recorder and Native American flute. A tin whistle player is called a whistl ...

* Chris Gower – trombone * Dick Hanson – trumpet *

Lene Lovich Lili-Marlene Premilovich (born March 30, 1949), known professionally as Lene Lovich ( ), is an American-British singer. She first gained attention in 1979 with the release of her hit single "Lucky Number", which peaked at number 3 on the UK Sin ...

– backing vocals on "Just My Style" and "Cuckoo Clock" *

Brinsley Schwarz Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lo ...

–

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...

on "B-A-B-Y" and "Stranger in the House" *

(credited as "Pietro Nardini") – bass guitar, guitar, keyboards * Stiff Chorus – vocals on "Girl with a Synthesizer" * Mark Sugden – drums, percussion * Leah Sweet – finger snapping, hand clapping, percussion *

Norman Watt-Roy Norman Joseph Watt-Roy (born 15 February 1951) is an English musician, arranger and composer. Watt-Roy's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music as the bass ...

– bass guitar on "B-A-B-Y", "Stay Awhile", "Pin a Medal on Mary" and "Stranger in the House" Production * Roger Béchirian – mixing,

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...

* Guy Bidmead – mixing, recording * Barrie Guard – mixing and

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

on "I Go to Pieces" and "Sad Song" * David Mackay – production on "I Go to Pieces" and "Sad Song" * Bob Painter – recording *

Peter Solley Peter Solley (19 October 1948 – 16 November 2023) was an English musician and record producer. He recorded with Eric Clapton, Al Stewart and Whitesnake, as well as producing records for Ted Nugent, Oingo Boingo, Motörhead, The Romantics, Jo ...

–

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

ing on US edition * Liam Sternberg – production

Charts

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1978 debut albums Rachel Sweet albums Albums produced by David Mackay (producer) Stiff Records albums Columbia Records albums