"Kissing a Fool" is a song written and performed by English singer and songwriter
George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
, released by
in 1988.
A ballad with minimal instrumentation and a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
feel, the song was written about Michael's insecurities as a soulmate and partner because of the baggage and reputation with which he came. According to Michael, the vocals were recorded a cappella in one take.
Aside from Michael's vocals, the song employs piano, guitar, bass, drums and a brass section. It was the seventh and final single to be released from the album ''Faith''. It was also the least successful, making number 18 on the
UK Singles Chart and becoming the first single in five not to make number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the
US. However, it reached number one on the
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...
and became a number 5 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, being regarded critically as one of his most vulnerable recordings and one of his best ballads. In 2021,
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
listeners voted "Kissing a Fool" as number 15 in their top 40 George Michael songs.
"Kissing a Fool" was Michael's last single for almost two years in the United Kingdom. It was later covered by
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...
on his
self-titled album and released as a single in the United States and reached No. 29 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart.
Writing
According to an interview published in the December 1987 issue of ''
International Musician and Recording World
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
'' magazine, Michael remembers writing "Kissing a Fool" en route to Japan for
Wham!
Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to ...
's 1984 tour (referring to
the Big Tour
The Big Tour was the second concert tour by English pop duo Wham!, launched in support of their multi-platinum second studio album ''Make It Big'', which sold over six million units in the US alone. The tour spanned 4 months between December 1984 ...
) in early 1985.
However, much like other songs Michael was writing at the time, it couldn't be used for Wham! due to certain restrictions in the duo's image; a solo album would be the best chance to use it (which, in that case, turned out to be the ''Faith'' album more than two years later).
Michael elaborated on the writing of "Kissing a Fool":
Track listing
7": UK / Epic EMU 7
# "Kissing a Fool" – 4:34
# "Kissing a Fool" (instrumental) – 4:34
12": UK / Epic EMU T7
# "Kissing a Fool" – 4:34
# "Kissing a Fool" (instrumental) – 4:34
# "A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III)" – 3:48
CD: UK / Epic CD EMU 7
# "Kissing a Fool" – 4:34
# "Kissing a Fool" (instrumental) – 4:34
# "A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III)" – 3:48
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Authority control
1987 songs
1988 singles
2003 singles
George Michael songs
Michael Bublé songs
Songs written by George Michael
Song recordings produced by George Michael
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Sophisti-pop songs
Columbia Records singles
Pop ballads