Brenda Lee - Fool Number 1

A smash hit that reached #3 on the Hot 100. It quickly became a country standard with many cover versions. Brenda's version was recorded at 16 years of age. After 50 years, It still sits high on a mountain top, unreached by any other singer. Released on 25 Sept 1961.

(words and music by Kathryn R. Fulton)
Am I fool number one or am I fool number two
How many other girls have been fooled by you
I suppose that the number is far from being small
And I'll bet that I'm the biggest fool of all

If I had the chance I guess I'd do it all again
I'd go down that same old road
even knowing at the end
You'll leave me when your heart hears
a new love call
So I guess that I'm the biggest fool of all

Am I fool number one or am I fool number two
How many other girls have been fooled by you
I suppose that the number is far from being small
And I guess that I'm the biggest fool of all

The B-side was "Anybody But Me" which was also a top 40 hit, reaching #31 on the Hot 100.

Mr C's Amazin' Fact #1
The hit records "Fool No. 1", "Break It to Me Gently", "Anybody But Me" and "So Deep" were recorded on the same night at the Bradley Studios in Nashville. (Session players were Grady Martin, Harold Bradley, Bob Moore, Buddy Harman, Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, with extra horns, a string section and the Anita Kerr Singers. Producer: Owen Bradley) . The date was 30 August 1961. Brenda Lee was 16 yrs old.

Amazin' Fact #2
On the previous day, August 29, Brenda Lee recorded three songs. Two went unreleased and the other track, "Here Comes That Feeling", went nearly unnoticed, peaking at #89 on the Hot 100. However, the song was released in the UK a couple of months later and became one of her biggest hits there, reaching #5 on the UK chart. The total for the two day session was five releases, five hits.

Amazin' Fact #3
Owen Bradley first heard Fool #1 on a demo tape by an unknown singer. Bradley thought the singer too "country", but he wanted the song for Brenda Lee. Brenda, in a 1962 interview, recalled the Fool #1 demo as "some girl and an out of tune piano". The Wilburn brothers were the song's publishers and would not release Fool #1 without a contract for the demo singer. Bradley finally gave in and signed the raw talent. Her name was Loretta Lynn. Supposedly, Bradley told Doyle Wilburn to "get all that Uncle Remus talk out of her" before they recorded. Later, Bradley remarked that it was the best deal he ever made. At this point in time, then, Owen Bradley was producing records for Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells.

Amazin' Fact #4
Brenda Lee recorded Fool #1 in four languages. Besides English, there is "La Première" in French, "Geh' Am Glück Nicht Vorbei" in German, and "Sono Sciocca" in Italian.

Amazin' Fact #5
The French, Italian and German versions of the song were recorded in one session on 30 November 1961 in Nashville. Brenda Lee has a great capacity for learning languages, but usually doesn't mention it. One evening, Brenda's own adult daughter was surprised to find her speaking fluent French to the maître d' .

Amazin' Fact #6
A few days after Brenda's session, Patsy Cline came in to do the vocal on a song that she could not complete some weeks earlier. She was experiencing severe pain due to injuries from an automobile accident. Now sufficiently healed, Cline's first take of the day was used on the record. The song was "Crazy" by Willie Nelson.

Amazin' Fact #7
Despite singing some monster hits with a country beat, Brenda Lee was shut out of the country market. "Fool #1", "As Usual", "Too Many Rivers" and "Coming on Strong" are considered "Kountry Klassics" today, but were not played on Country radio stations at the time. In fact, no Brenda Lee recording made the country charts between 1957 and 1969.

Amazin' Fact #8
Elvis Presley's first eleven hits for RCA were also hits on the country charts, but soon even his records were rejected by the establishment. He, like Brenda, was off the Country charts by the time the sixties rolled around.

Amazin' Fact #9
Fool No 1 reached only #38 in the UK. Brenda tended to have different hits in different countries.

Amazin' Fact #10
Fool stalled at number 3. Occupying the second spot was the classic "Runaround Sue" by Dion, a former #1 song. In the top spot was "Big, Bad John" by Jimmy Dean which somehow spent four weeks at the top (November 6 -- December 4, 1961), despite being a novelty song.

Hear Brenda and Loretta Lynn discuss the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkfgxThvDxY

Trivia:
Owen Bradley remembered the original title as "The Biggest Fool of All".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fool #1
• Fool Number One
• Live Performance
• Brenda Lee live
• Fool No. 1
• Fool No 1

[hirdy6]

I love the little dig she had at Elvis, cute how she just stands there and wiggles around nervously.

[MrCallipygous]

@hirdy6 For her tribute to the Big E, search for "Brenda Lee - Can't Help Falling in Love". In the description. I started to chronicle their history, but didn't complete the project.

[evetsgolb]

At the bridge uin between vs 1 and 2 she does a Elvia little salute ..Sounding like her idol a bit I think...I wonder what this former Porn wannabe..Ga ga

something or other would say if she were asked to compare her style to Brenda Lee's...and why there Ms Ga ga ..if you are such a talented songstress do you have to have such irritating and bizarre stage theatrics ..Just sing the bloody song...or maybe the truth would be self evident that your talent was left at the last Porn Shoot ala ga ga

[MrCallipygous]

@evetsgolb Yes, just for fun, Brenda put a little Elvis into her vocals sometimes (also some Jerry Lee, Fats, Buddy etc), but those guys were not her idols. Her favorite singer was Mahalia Jackson. She also idolized Judy Garland and Sophie Tucker. In her book, she told how nervous she was when she met Judy and Sophie.

[MrCallipygous]

@titostacos Francis probably sold more over her career. The websites usually just say "over 100 milion" sold for both ladies. Anyone have a better number? VFMusic assigns points to each record that charted. For the 1960s, they have Brenda as the #8 artist and Connie as #10. May not be fair since this does not include Connie's late 50's hits. At least, they both could sing which is more than people 50 years from now will say about today's pop tarts.

[gdl0748]

To even try to mention Lady GaGa in the same sentence with Brenda Lee makes me sick. Brenda Lee was a phenomenon before that no nothing was born.

[dogearable]

what a great song an brenda nails it dead on, how many beers were drank and tears that fell hearing these true life stories, most people have been struck by what this song says

[MARILLIONROCKER45]

Wow, I have not hear this song in many, many years. It brings back memories the year we moved to Chicago from Houston and a whole new world awaited. Love Brenda. She was awesome.

[11ags]

I LOVE BRENDA LEE

[dogearable]

this girl for her age was a superstar, perfect timing,big clear voice with feeling i love her

[Linniek100]

My First Most Favorite Singer. I was about 7 yrs. old at the time and now

that I am in my sixties, she still has the same affect on me....great melancholic voice.

[09bnunez]

alikah1,ella sang jazz, not love songs, she was a scat singer,,,jazz and scat was the popular song of the 30s and 40s for black singer in that era even blues,,ella sang blues also,,,

[Alikah1]

@09bnunez Correction: Best female (rock) singer! Best female singer of that (or maybe ANY) era was Ella Fitzgerald.

[hirdy6]

@evetsgolb Well put, 'just sing the bloody song', I love it!!!! Something Brenda has in spades that Ga Ga doesn't have is class, something you can't buy me friend.

[hirdy6]

@MrCallipygous Thanks for the tip I had a look and it's a fine tribute. Thanks also for sharing this material, I use it as an escape from Justin Bieber who my two daughters aged 7 and 12 love. The boy can hold a note but its always the same bloody one!!!! Seasons greetings to you and yours.