Just Your Fool

"Just Your Fool"
Single by Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra
B-side "A-12"
Released 1954 (1954)
Format 10" 78 rpm record
Recorded New York City 1953
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length 2:49
Label Mercury (cat. no. 70251)
Writer(s) Buddy Johnson[1]

"Just Your Fool" (or "I'm Just Your Fool" as it was first titled) is a rhythm and blues-style song written and recorded by American jazz and jump blues bandleader/pianist Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra in 1953.[1] Called an "R&B anthem", the song features a big-band arrangement and his sister Ella Johnson on vocals—her "delicate and deceptively sweet phrasing was ideally suited to ballads such as this".[1] "I'm Just Your Fool" became a Billboard R&B chart record hit, reaching number six in 1954.[2]

Little Walter version

Little Walter recorded a Chicago blues adaptation of the song using the title "Just Your Fool". It was recorded in December 1960 in Chicago, with Walter (vocal and blues harp) and backing by Otis Spann (piano), Fred Robinson and Luther Tucker (guitars), Willie Dixon and/or Jimmie Lee Robinson (bass), and Fred Below or George Hunter (drums).[3][4] "Just Your Fool" was not released until 1962 by Checker Records (catalogue number 1013). Although he used lyrics and an eight-bar blues arrangement similar to Buddy Johnson,[5] the song is credited to Little Walter, also known as Walter Jacobs.[3]

Cyndi Lauper version

In 2010, American singer Cyndi Lauper recorded "Just Your Fool" for her album Memphis Blues. It features her vocals with harmonica by Charlie Musselwhite. The song was released as a single and became a record chart hit. She performed it live with Musselwhite on the third season finale of the Celebrity Apprentice reality game show.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Romano, Mark. "I'm Just Your Fool — Song Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Record Research, Inc. p. 223. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
  3. 1 2 Snowden, Don (1993). The Essential Little Walter (Media notes). Little Walter. MCA/Chess. p. 15. CHD2–9342.
  4. ↑ Glover, Tony; Dirks, Scott; Gaines, Ward (2002). Blues with a Feeling: The Little Walter Story. Routledge. p. 294. ISBN 978-0-415-93711-5.
  5. ↑ Dahl, Bill. "Buddy Johnson — Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
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