Everybody Plays The Fool by Aaron Neville

Every New Zealand #1 single…

6/10

Everybody Plays The Fool

#1 for 2 weeks from 4 August 1991

Aaron Neville

Aaron Neville is from New Orleans, of mixed African-American, white, and Choctaw heritage. His vibrato-laden, delicate tenor is instantly recognisable.

He released his first single in 1960, and he also recorded with three siblings as The Neville Brothers. Yet he only recorded sporadically until his breakthrough in 1989, when he duetted with Linda Ronstadt on four songs from her album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. ‘Don’t Know Much’ and Karla Bonoff‘s ‘All My Life’ both topped the adult-contemporary charts. The Neville Brothers were also enjoying a resurgence in popularity with 1989’s Yellow Moon, produced by Daniel Lanois.

Aaron Neville released Warm Your Heart in 1991, his first album after his success with Ronstadt. He covered Allen Toussaint, Randy Newman, John Hiatt, and Franz Schubert, but the lead single updated a 1970s soul classic.

Everybody Plays the Fool

‘Everybody Plays the Fool’ was written for Charlie Pride. Pride decided it wasn’t country enough. Pride said, ‘I’ll never be able to sell this as a country song. It’s more like a pop song.’

The Main Ingredient recorded the song instead, even though it deviated from their usual R&B sound. It was their first single to feature their new lead singer, Cuba Gooding, after Donald McPherson died from leukemia at 29.

Black stations refused to play the song, but it became a crossover pop hit. Released in June 1972, it reached #3 on Billboard, sold a million copies, was awarded a gold record, and was nominated for a Grammy as R&B song of the year.

My verdict

Neville’s cover adds a reggae tinge to the original. It feels too calculated to be exciting, but it’s a professional cover that showcases Neville’s distinctive voice.

A rinky-dink reggae cover.

David Fricke, Rolling Stone

Neville’s cover was huge in New Zealand. In hindsight, it’s not surprising – reggae/pop crossovers have always done well here. Bob Marley is venerated, while modern reggae/pop band Six60 are phenomenally successful, even though they’re not very interesting.

The Aftermath

Neville’s career peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, while he performed at the 2006 Superbowl with Dr John and Aretha Franklin.

• 1970s album reviews
• NZ #1 hits