A Fool in Love
| "A Fool in Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Louis, Missouri) | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:30 | |||
| Label | Sue Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ike Turner | |||
| Producer(s) | Ike Turner | |||
| Ike & Tina Turner singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"A Fool in Love" is the debut single by
"A Fool In Love" is one of the first R&B recordings to successfully cross over to the pop charts and became a million-seller. Music journalist Kurt Loder deemed it "the blackest record to creep into the white pop charts since Ray Charles's gospel-styled 'What'd I Say.'"[5]
Background
In 1956, Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm had a reputation as one of the liveliest bands in the
Bullock was renamed "Little Ann" by Turner and she tried in vain to become the lead vocalist of the band, but Turner already had a bevy of other singers on his roster.[6] She made her debut on Turner's single, "Boxtop," released on Tune Town Records in 1958. The song also featured vocalist Carlson Oliver and Turner who sang the bass-baritone.[5]
Recording and release
In March 1960, Turner took his band to Technisonic Studios to record a song he had written titled "A Fool in Love" for Art Lassiter.[4] Lassiter's background vocalists Robbie Montgomery, Frances Hodges, and Sandra Harden were known as the Artettes.[7] They were present for the recording session, but Lassiter failed to show up to record the song.[8] Turner recalled that he had lent Lassiter $80 for new tires on his car and he never returned.[8] Bullock, who knew the song from rehearsals, suggested that she sing the song.[4][9] Turner already paid for the studio time so he decided to record a demo with Bullock and the Artettes. He had intentions of erasing Bullock's vocals in the event that Lassiter returned to record.[4][8][10]
After Turner played the record during a gig at Club Imperial in St. Louis, a local disc jockey asked him to send it to Juggy Murray, president of R&B label Sue Records, in New York.[4] Murray was impressed by Bullock's vocals and suggested that Turner keep her vocals on the record. Convinced it was a hit, Murray offered Turner a $20,000 advance for the song.[11] Turner changed Bullock's stage name from "Little Ann" to "Tina Turner," giving her the name of Tina because it rhymed with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. Paranoid that she would leave him like his previous vocalists, he trademarked the name as a form of protection so that if she left him, he could replace her with another singer.[4]
"A Fool In Love" was released on Sue in July 1960, and soon became the top selling record in St. Louis.[12] On August 15, the single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides.[13] By fall it had crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 17, 1960. The record became the duo's first million-seller and they embarked on a grueling tour of one-nighters to promote the song which included performances at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in New York City. They made their first national TV appearance on American Bandstand, when Bullock was over eight months pregnant, on October 3, 1960.[5]
The song was included on their debut album The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner (1961). Turner produced similar sequels such as "Crazy In Love" (1962) by Robbie Montgomery and the Ikettes, "Wake Up" (1963) from the album Don't Play Me Cheap, and "Am I A Fool In Love" (1964) from the compilation The Soul of Ike & Tina.
Personnel
- Background vocals: The Artettes (Robbie Montgomery, Sandra Harding, and Frances Hodges)
- Bass guitar: Jesse Knight Jr.
- Composer lyricist: Ike Turner
- Drums: T.N.T. Tribble
- Lead vocals: Tina Turner
- Piano: Fred Sample
- Producer: Ike Turner
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard |   [14] |
| Cash Box | B+[15] |
Billboard (August 1, 1960): "A bluesy rocker. The chanters use a touch of gospel style in the screaming passages."[14]
Cash Box (August 6, 1960): "Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm are stirring instrumental support for Tina's belting blues delivery. An enticing rhythmic with a bright future."[15]
Reissues
"A Fool In Love" was reissued on the album
Turner would re-record the song herself for the soundtrack of the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do With It.
Chart performance
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[16] | 27 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[13] | 2 |
| US Billboard Honor Roll of Hits[17] | 27 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[18] | 19 |
Covers
A live version by Ike & Tina featuring the then current Ikettes was released on the album In Person in 1969.
Tina Turner performed "A Fool In Love" during her early solo tours in the late 1970s. She recorded a rendition of the song for the 1993 soundtrack album What's Love Got to Do with It. She later performed it during her Twenty Four Seven Tour and on the TV show Ally McBeal in 2000.
"A Fool In Love" is an often-covered song on singing competition shows. Contestants
References
- ^ a b "Record Reviews - The Cash Box Pick of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box: 10. November 19, 1960.
- ^ Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
...punctuating her performance with roof-raising shrieks, blending blues and gospel, fighting through the hurt she's enduring ...
- ^ Gleason, Ralph J. (November 16, 1969). "Tina Turner - A Triumph of Instant Ecstasy". San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle. p. 37.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85227-850-2.
- ^ ISBN 9780670808731.
- ISBN 1-878067-08-7.
- OCLC 41320202.
- ^ ISBN 1461626021.
- ^ Cooperman, Jeannette (February 26, 2010). "A Conversation With Robbie Montgomery". St. Louis Magazine.
- ISBN 978-0313340451.
- ISBN 978-1-904316-24-4.
- ^ "Top Selling Records Reported By Retail Outlets" (PDF). Cash Box: 6. August 15, 1960.
- ^ a b "Billboard Hot R&B Sides" (PDF). Billboard. August 15, 1960. p. 42.
- ^ a b "Reviews of New Pop Records - Rhythm & Blues" (PDF). Billboard. August 1, 1960. p. 56.
- ^ a b "Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 6, 1960.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. October 17, 1960. p. 36.
- ^ "Honor Roll of Hits" (PDF). Billboard. October 17, 1960. p. 33.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 10/22/60". cashboxmagazine.com.
