Everybody Plays the Fool

"Everybody Plays the Fool" is a 1972 song first recorded by American R&B group The Main Ingredient, and written by J. R. Bailey, Rudy Clark and Ken Williams. It was the first single released from the group's album Bitter Sweet, released with the B-side "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me?)". "Everybody Plays the Fool" was the group's highest charting hit single, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the fall of 1972. It also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and at No. 25 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.^[3] It was certified gold by the RIAA.^[4]

"Everybody Plays the Fool"
Side A of US single
Single by the Main Ingredient
from the album Bitter Sweet
B-side	"Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me?)"
Released	June 1972[1]
Recorded	1972
Studio	RCA Studio C (New York City)
Genre	Soul[2] R&B
Length	3:22
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	J. R. Bailey Rudy Clark Ken Williams
Producer(s)	Luther Simmons Tony Silvester
The Main Ingredient singles chronology
"Black Seeds Keep on Growing" (1971) "Everybody Plays the Fool" (1972) "You've Got to Take It (If You Want It)" (1972)

The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 1973 ceremony, losing to "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".

A 1991 cover of the song by Aaron Neville, from the album Warm Your Heart, was also successful, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 in New Zealand.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1972) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 44 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 6 US Billboard Hot 100[6] 3 US Easy Listening (Billboard) 25 US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard) 2 US Cash Box Top 100[7] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1972) Rank Australia[8] 136 Canada[9] 66 US Billboard Hot 100[10] 29 US Cash Box Top 100[11] 29

Aaron Neville version

"Everybody Plays the Fool"
Single by Aaron Neville
from the album Warm Your Heart
B-side	"House on a Hill"
Released	August 15, 1991
Length	4:25
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	J.R. Bailey Rudy Clark Ken Williams[12]
Producer(s)	Russell Kunkel George Massenburg Linda Ronstadt
Aaron Neville singles chronology
"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (1990) "Everybody Plays the Fool" (1991) "Somewhere Somebody" (1991)

Aaron Neville, 1990

American singer Aaron Neville recorded a cover version of "Everybody Plays the Fool" in 1991 which also hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching No. 8 in the fall of that year, and it spent 20 weeks on the chart.^[4][13] This was Neville's third Top 10 hit on the pop chart, following "Tell It Like It Is" (1967, No. 2) and his duet with Linda Ronstadt, "Don't Know Much" (1989, No. 2). Neville's single also went to No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart.^[3] In addition, it was a No. 1 single in New Zealand.

Critical reception

The song received a positive review from AllMusic. Alex Henderson felt that "Everybody Plays the Fool" showed that Neville still had plenty of warmth and charisma.^[12] Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that "the New Orleans soul brother has found the right catchy tune on a reggae beat to establish his enormous vocal acrobatics on EHR level again."^[14] David Fricke from Rolling Stone described the song as a "rinky-dink reggae cover".^[15]

Music video

Neville's music video was set in New Orleans, and featured an appearance of his niece, Arthel Neville.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1991) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[16] 52 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 19 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[18] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[13][20] 8 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[20] 1 US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) 2 US Cash Box Top 100[21] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1991) Rank Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[22] 28 New Zealand[23] 14 US Billboard Hot 100[24] 87