Chain of Fools
{{For|the 2000 film|Chain of Fools (film)}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Chain of Fools
| cover = Aretha Fra.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Aretha Franklin
| album = Lady Soul
| B-side = Prove It
| released = November 1967
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=03}} (original unreleased recording)
{{Duration|m=2|s=47}} (released version)
| label = Atlantic
| writer = Don Covay
| producer = Jerry Wexler
| prev_title = (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
| prev_year = 1967
| next_title = (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
| next_year = 1968
}}
"Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues chart and number two on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
History
Asked by Jerry Wexler, producer with Atlantic Records, to create songs for Otis Redding, Covay recorded a demo of "Chain of Fools", a song he had written in his youth while singing gospel with his brothers and sisters. The recording featured Covay singing and playing guitar, overdubbed with himself singing background.
Listening to the demo, Wexler chose to place the song with Aretha Franklin rather than Redding.{{cite web|first=Ed |last=Hogan |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/chain-of-fools-mt0009109067 |title=Chain of Fools – Aretha Franklin | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |date=1967-06-23 |access-date=2016-09-30}} It became one of her chain of hit singles.
Reception
It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart, staying there for four weeks.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=215}} "Chain of Fools" also peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1968-01-20 |title=The Hot 100 Chart |magazine=Billboard |date=1968-01-20 |accessdate=2021-02-15}} It won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and later a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. In 2004, this song was ranked #249 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596094/chain_of_fools|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016124912/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596094/chain_of_fools|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 16, 2007|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|publisher=RollingStone.com|access-date=2008-07-25}} The trademark tremolo guitar licks at the introduction were played by Joe South.{{Gilliland|https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19834/m1/ |Show 52 – The Soul Reformation: Phase three, soul music at the summit. [Part 8] : UNT Digital Library}} The song was edited for LP & 45; the original long version appeared on the quadrophonic LP The Best of Aretha Franklin in 1973 (later released on a quadrophonic DVD by Rhino in 2010), and on the 1995 Rhino remastering of Lady Soul. Cash Box said that the song was "a smashing entry that will top both blues and pop charts" with "heavy rhythmic push, and an overwhelming vocal impact."{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |date=December 2, 1967 |page=22 |access-date=2022-01-12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1967/CB-1967-12-02.pdf |magazine=Cash Box}}
Live recordings have appeared on the albums Aretha in Paris (1968) and VH1 Divas Live (1998, with Mariah Carey).
Personnel
- Aretha Franklin – lead vocals and piano
- Jimmy Johnson and Joe South – guitars
- Spooner Oldham – Wurlitzer electric piano
- Tommy Cogbill – bass
- Roger Hawkins – drums
- The Sweet Inspirations, Carolyn Franklin, Erma Franklin & Ellie Greenwich – background vocals
Chart positions
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Charts
!Peak |
|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| RPM Magazine (Can.)'' Top 100
| style="text-align:center;"|4 |
| UK Singles Chart
|style="text-align:center;"|37 |
Notable cover versions
- In 1969, Finnish jazz singer Carola tried out rhythm & blues, recording a television video of "Chain of Fools". The tongue-in-cheek choreography by Heikki Värtsi included girl group dancing and Carola whipping a man in a cave.{{cite web|first=Steffen |last=Hung |url=http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?key=306784&cat=s |title=Carola [FI] – Chain Of Fools |website=Swisscharts.com |date=2007-04-16 |access-date=2016-09-30 }}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=http://www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=4&ag=26&t=5&a=4562 |title=Carolaa seitsemällä kielellä | Elävä arkisto |language=fi|website=Yle.fi |access-date=2016-09-30}}
- Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson each covered the song as Aretha Franklin, respectively, for the miniseries Genius: Aretha (2021) and the biographical film Respect (2021).https://playbill.com/article/hear-cynthia-erivo-sing-chain-of-fools-in-new-trailer-for-genius-aretha
Uses in pop culture
A character sings an excerpt from the song in the 2003 film School of Rock.{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508043630/https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/interview-maryam-hassan-school-of-rock-jack-black.html|archive-date=May 8, 2021|last1=Ivie |first1=Devon |title=Maryam Hassan Answers Every Question We Have About School of Rock |url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/interview-maryam-hassan-school-of-rock-jack-black.html |access-date=8 March 2024 |work=Vulture |date=21 January 2021 |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Aretha Franklin}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chain Of Fools (Song)}}
Category:Songs written by Don Covay
Category:Aretha Franklin songs
Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Category:Song recordings produced by Jerry Wexler