CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway-Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green or simply Cee-Lo), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Green came to initial pr ...
from his third studio album, '' The Lady Killer''. The song was solicited to radio as the album's third single on March 8, 2011. The single version of the track features guest vocals from Canadian singer
Melanie Fiona
Melanie Fiona Hallim (born July 4, 1983) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.Philip Bailey
Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. Noted for his fo ...
. No music video was released for the song.
At the
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...
, "Fool for You" won in two categories:
Best Traditional R&B Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...
and
Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record five times, while Ba ...
.
Background
Green first premiered the new version of "Fool for You", featuring vocals from Fiona, by making it available as a free download via his official Facebook page. The song was released as a digital download and a CD single, with both releases featuring the song "Bridges", previously only available as an
Amazon MP3
Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and digital music store operated by Amazon. As of January 2020, the service had 55 million subscribers.
It was the first music store to sell music without digital rights manage ...
digital download.
A demo was originally done by
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award ...
for his album
Best Night of My Life
''Best Night of My Life'' is the fourth studio album by American singer and actor Jamie Foxx. It was released on December 21, 2010, by J Records. The album was supported by four singles in total; " Winner" featuring Justin Timberlake and T.I., " ...
but was given to
Cee-Lo
Cee-lo is a gambling game played with three six-sided dice. The name is derived from the Chinese name for the game, which is literally the numerical sequence four-five-six (). Although many variations exist, there are certain common rules, includ ...
instead.
Critical reception
Joshua Klein of
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
said Cee Lo Green "happily shares (the spotlight) with Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey on "Fool For You"."
Andy Kellman of
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote "The infectiously beaming "Fool for You," served with a choppy gait, carries as much pride as
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
' "
A Fool for You
"A Fool for You" is a bluesy, proto-soul single written and released by musician Ray Charles on Atlantic Records in 1955. The single was Charles' second number-one R&B hit.
Personnel
*Lead vocal and piano by Ray Charles
*Instrumentation by the ...
."
Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''.
Career Journalism
Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
of
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
found that "Fool for You" slides from silken ballad to gospel funk." Mike Diver of the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
acclaimed "Fool for You is the closest an artist of today will come to capturing the magic that made
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
such a captivating talent."
Track listing
*;CD single
# "Fool for You" (featuring
Melanie Fiona
Melanie Fiona Hallim (born July 4, 1983) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Credits and personnel
*Lead vocals – Cee Lo Green
*Producers – Jack Splash
*Songwriters – Callaway, Hallim, Jack Splash
*Label:
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...