The quality of the song Fool To Cry has recently been brought to my attention several times in recent months by the DJ David Jensen. He is always insistant that this song reflects the Stones at their very best and i must say when lined up alongside the many classics on his show it stands up very well.
It's a ballad that Stones fans have never really taken to their hearts
it's also not a favourite of Keith's as he notoriously fell asleep while playing it on stage at one time.
I actually think Keith's subtle playing along with the occasional falsetto vocals add greatly to the effectiveness of the song.
Maybe the less than typical lyrics contribute to its less popular standing amongst fans. I think it's great all the same.
Maybe it's time for a reappraisal.

It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

Worth checking out the early version of Fool To Cry with Mick on electric piano and Nicky Hopkins also on piano. Recorded at Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany,
December 12, 1974.

Static In The attic - Midnight Beat CD 084

ROCKMAN

To me it sounds one of those efforts when Mick tries a bit too much to be trendy and radio play oriented... Like "Emotional Rescue" few years later (or Satanic Majesties a decade earlier). To understand those recordings, you really need to grasp the context of their release (if only to understand their Top Ten positions). Personally I have always find it very difficult to like both of those songs, although I dig the idea of doing something different and shock their conservative fans...(although I have the feel that Mick is more willing to gather new fans or tries to show that he is still current - or that he wants to be that).

By the way, what is the musical inspiration of "Fool To Cry"? Carpenters?


- doxa

This is one I used to hate and now love.
The last 30 seconds alone are worth the hole track (the Dm G A7 progression), too bad they cut it soooo short.
The solo is absolutely brilliant (Perkins?).
The chords harmonization must have been "inspired" by Hopkins.
And ... yes I do love Mick's falsetto!

C

Rockman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Worth checking out the early version of Fool To
> Cry with Mick on electric piano and Nicky Hopkins
> also on piano. Recorded at Musicland Studios,
> Munich, Germany,
> December 12, 1974.
>
> Static In The attic - Midnight Beat CD 084
>
> ROCKMAN


Yeah, that's a great version. Listen to the guitar solo at the end!!! "how about that one?"

If Mick hadnt been keeno on top positions the band would have died in '72 after Exile.

YEAH!!! I wouldn't give ya a bum steer!!

ROCKMAN

liddas Wrote:
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> > This is one I used to hate and now love.
> The last 30 seconds alone are worth the hole track

I was going to say the exact same. Turns into a real funky RnB groove at the end. I'd like to see them play this live. The Paris 76 version is outstanding. Has some of the best soloing I've ever heard from Keith.

karl

'Don’t forget, if you’re on your bike, wear white'

I have no use for this nerve cringing song. The lryics are awful as well. "And it makes me wonder why?" What the F...? Give me break

CF

The first Stones single I ever bought and I still like it. I agree, the Paris version is excellent, maybe they should pull it out of the hat for the next tour as I can't remember the last time they played it live (once on the V.L tour?)

Yeah my vote is for
the Static in the
Attic version -seems
more spontaneous, gritty,
has some real soul. Official
version is okay by me but is
more commercial, contrived
in comparison. Dunno why
the Stones do this.
Maybe for the $$$?

dire

After all these years this song is more beautiful than ever. Very wistful. Very romantic.

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Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

Totally Agree!!!

Quote
Rockman
Worth checking out the early version of Fool To Cry with Mick on electric piano and Nicky Hopkins also on piano. Recorded at Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany,
December 12, 1974.

Static In The attic - Midnight Beat CD 084

ROCKMAN

I will check that out!!

Quote
Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

KC and the Sunshine Band? They sang "That's the Way I Like It", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", and "Get Down Tonight."

None of those songs are as introspective or melancholy as "Fool to Cry." KC and the Sunshine Band was a feel-good dance band. "Fool to Cry" is soulful, the ruminations of a hard-working man with a young daughter who finds solace in the arms of a woman on the poor side of town. The song dances on the edge of tragedy. You can feel the man's sorrow and his regret for what might have been, not to mention his love for his little daughter. No way could KC and the Sunshine band put all that in a song. No way!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020-11-09 02:35 by Pietro.

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Pietro

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Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

KC and the Sunshine Band? They sang "That's the Way I Like It", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", and "Get Down Tonight."

None of those songs are as introspective or melancholy as "Fool to Cry." KC and the Sunshine Band was a feel-good dance band. "Fool to Cry" is soulful, the ruminations of a hard-working man with a young daughter who finds solace in the arms of a woman on the poor side of town. The song dances on the edge of tragedy. You can feel the man's sorrow and his regret for what might have been, not to mention his love for his little daughter. No way could KC and the Sunshine band put all that in a song. No way!

What about KC's "Please don't Go" ???

Real tender. I liked this one.
It's soppy but I'm okay with that.
I thought the 70's synth lush organ was Cool.
I just like a lot of Stones ballads.
Then again I listened to Respectable today and not Fool to Cry but this is tempting me.
I'll scout around to see if another fan left some totally ace live version.

Lol...@Pietro - I was referring to Mick's singing and his attempt at falsetto, not the song itself.
But keep in mind, I wrote that post over 15 years ago!!!
Funny thing though, I stand by every word.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-11-09 05:10 by Hairball.

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Chris Fountain

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Pietro

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Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

KC and the Sunshine Band? They sang "That's the Way I Like It", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", and "Get Down Tonight."

None of those songs are as introspective or melancholy as "Fool to Cry." KC and the Sunshine Band was a feel-good dance band. "Fool to Cry" is soulful, the ruminations of a hard-working man with a young daughter who finds solace in the arms of a woman on the poor side of town. The song dances on the edge of tragedy. You can feel the man's sorrow and his regret for what might have been, not to mention his love for his little daughter. No way could KC and the Sunshine band put all that in a song. No way!

What about KC's "Please don't Go" ???

Exactly exactly. "Please Don't Go" blows "Fool to Cry" out of the water.

An absolute favorite of mine. Ranks among my top Stones tracks that I’ll listen to over and over.

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MileHigh

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Chris Fountain

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Pietro

Quote
Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

KC and the Sunshine Band? They sang "That's the Way I Like It", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", and "Get Down Tonight."

None of those songs are as introspective or melancholy as "Fool to Cry." KC and the Sunshine Band was a feel-good dance band. "Fool to Cry" is soulful, the ruminations of a hard-working man with a young daughter who finds solace in the arms of a woman on the poor side of town. The song dances on the edge of tragedy. You can feel the man's sorrow and his regret for what might have been, not to mention his love for his little daughter. No way could KC and the Sunshine band put all that in a song. No way!

What about KC's "Please don't Go" ???

Exactly exactly. "Please Don't Go" blows "Fool to Cry" out of the water.

yeah, hate to say it but I love Please Don't Go...over Fool to Cry.

I felt that Memory Motel should have clearly been the top single for this album, not Fool To Cry. Major missed opportunity by the band.

Lovely production ..... Mick
probably just aping many of the
black singers who've used falsetto style for years ...

Mick game ta take on father daughter stuff
after livin thru that high fueled year of seventy three ....

Funny aint it ... ya often reads these critics
sooking that Mick should write grown up stuff
but here he was layin it out in seventy four .... Love Ya Mick



ROCKMAN

Never really got into it. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I skip it. Basically, that's the only song on B&B that fitted as a single with the approach to make it into the charts. B&B's not one of their best albums, so why should FTC should have made better?

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Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

Isn't KC the singer of KC and the Sunshine Band?

At the time of Black and Blue the Stones' rockers were especially brutal and the ballads especially feather-weight,in a good way. The Stones were like Muhammed Ali - they floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee.

The tenderness of Fool to Cry set up Crazy Mama perfectly. What a great value 7" single that was!

I love the way Fool to Cry builds and builds. Sure the lyrics are silly but i think they reflect Jagger's predicament at the time, knowing the bands best years were behind them and mired in a haze of booze and drugs....a man whose every last wish had ben granted but still felt empty and dissatisfied - a Fool To Cry. That's how I read it anyway.

One of my favourites!

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treaclefingers

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MileHigh

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Chris Fountain

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Pietro

Quote
Hairball
It's an embarrassing song to the Stones legacy.

I love the guitars though, and the groove by Charlie and Bill really gets going strong midway.

But it's Micks vocals that ruin it for me . They are silly and contrived, wanting to sound like the singer from KC and the Sunshine band.

KC and the Sunshine Band? They sang "That's the Way I Like It", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", and "Get Down Tonight."

None of those songs are as introspective or melancholy as "Fool to Cry." KC and the Sunshine Band was a feel-good dance band. "Fool to Cry" is soulful, the ruminations of a hard-working man with a young daughter who finds solace in the arms of a woman on the poor side of town. The song dances on the edge of tragedy. You can feel the man's sorrow and his regret for what might have been, not to mention his love for his little daughter. No way could KC and the Sunshine band put all that in a song. No way!

What about KC's "Please don't Go" ???

Exactly exactly. "Please Don't Go" blows "Fool to Cry" out of the water.

yeah, hate to say it but I love Please Don't Go...over Fool to Cry.

It's the other way around, Stones inspired KC as this song was released in 1979, Black And Blue was released in april 1976.

HHHHHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
Geeeez ya just gotta laugh dont ya Max .....

Thanks for that Maxy boy ... .....



ROCKMAN