Fool (If You Think It's Over) (1978) 11/10/20

Here's an example of a “Great Song of the '70s” that was hated by the songwriter and the artist who recorded it—both of whom happened be be Chris Rea.

His complaints?

#1: It's in the wrong key.

#2: It was supposed to be a Memphis Blues song, not a sunny California ballad.

#3: He played guitar on it and he never played guitar.

#4: He had no say in the production of his own record.

#5: It bombed when it was released in England, so obviously complaints #1-4 were valid.

I was almost afraid to highlight “Fool (If You Think It's Over)” since he hated it so much...but in the end, to slightly misquote Shakespeare, “Methinks he doth protested too much.” Plus, the back story is sweet, if nothing else.

Chris' sister Paula was devastated when her first real romance came to an end, and Chris wrote the song to cheer her up. (Awww...)

It may have bombed in England, but in 1978, it went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary Charts in both the US and Canada. It also reached #12 on Billboard's Hot 100, and #15 on the Canadian Top 40.

Chris later told the tale of traveling home over Christmas of '78, flat broke and dejected about the song and his career. When he and his wife Joan arrived at the house on which he was about to lose the mortgage, the electricity and heat had been turned off.

BUT...he obviously hadn't been paying attention to what was happening across the pond...because when he got around to checking the mail, there was just one envelope—which contained a residual check large enough to buy a Ferrari! :-)

I guess that made HIM a Fool to think it was over! :-)

“Fool (If You Think It's Over):” A Great Song of the '70s!”