Everybody's Somebody's Fool

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is a song written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield that was a No. 1 hit for Connie Francis in 1960. A polka-style version in German, "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel", was the first German single recorded and released by Connie Francis, and it reached No. 1 on the single chart in 1960 in West Germany.

Sheet Music for the composition Everybody's Somebody's Fool

Recording

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was written as a bluesy ballad, and the song was recorded at Olmstead Studios (NYC) during the 1960 recording session when Francis cut the song with the Joe Sherman Orchestra.

The arrangement performed by Connie Francis is noted for its organ introduction.

The song originally recorded by Connie Francis entitled "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is often confused with an earlier song of the same title written by Ace Adams and Lionel Hampton, which has been recorded by LaVern Baker, Red Garland, Michael Jackson, Etta James, the Heartbeats (No. 78/ 1957), Clyde McPhatter, Arthur Prysock, Little Jimmy Scott, Kay Starr, Dakota Staton, and Dinah Washington.

Chart performance

In the US, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was intended to serve as the B-side for the track "Jealous of You (Tango Della Gelosia)", which like Francis's precedent A-side hit "Mama" was a ballad of Italian origin. However, most American radio stations preferred to play "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and, while "Jealous of You" did reach No. 19, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 27 June 1960 and remained there the following week. The first of Francis's three US No. 1's, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was also ranked on the R&B chart at No. 2 and was the only one of Francis's major hits to cross over to the C&W charts where it peaked at No. 24.

A No. 5 hit in the UK, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was No. 1 in Australia for three weeks in July 1960 and in South Africa ranked as the No. 15 hit for that year.^[1] "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was also No. 1 in Norway for eight weeks.

"Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel"

In her autobiography Who's Sorry Now?, published in 1984, Francis mentioned that in the early years of her career the language barrier in certain European countries made it difficult for her songs to get airplay, especially in Germany. Francis continued that Germany's most popular singer, Freddy Quinn, often sold two to three million records per song, equivalent to about twelve million in the United States. Using this as the basis for her April 1960 recording, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", which had initially been written as a ballad, Francis convinced the songwriters to speed up the song's tempo and revive the innovative drum rhythm from Guy Mitchell's 1959 hit recording "Heartaches by the Number", which had been a No. 1 in Germany in its German cover version "Ich zähle täglich meine Sorgen" for Peter Alexander. Although "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" became her first No. 1 on the US charts, and its B-side "Jealous of you (Tango della Gelosia)" became a huge hit in Italy, it failed to make any impression on the German charts.

Veteran lyricist Ralph Maria Siegel penned a set of German lyrics, named "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" (which translates to "Love is a strange game"), which was subsequently recorded by several artists already established on the German market such as Siw Malmkvist - self-harmonizing as The Jolly Sisters - or The Honey Twins (a German duo despite their English name). When these versions also failed to score as hits, Francis decided to record the song in German herself contrary to her producers' wishes who had advised against it despite the fact that Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites had been such a huge success and she was currently planning a second Italian album as well as a Spanish album and an album in Hebrew and Yiddish. But Francis insisted on a German version of her own, and after some further friction between Francis herself, her producers and the managers of MGM Records, "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" was recorded in June 1960 with producer Arnold Maxin.

Release and chart success

When the recording was finished, MGM producers on both sides of the Atlantic renewed their doubts in the song. They believed the release would mean "career suicide"^[8] for Francis in Europe. However, Francis's unusual contract with MGM Records guaranteed her unlimited self-control over the release of her recorded material, and she persisted.

When executives of Polydor, distribution partner of MGM Records in Germany, pointed out that German listeners wouldn't be able to understand Francis' vocals during the first verse for the lack of correct pronunciation, Francis agreed to delete the first verse from the recording. After that, "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" was finally released in an edited version.^[9]

The song peaked at No. 1 in Germany for two weeks, as it did in many other countries and Francis would have six more No. 1 hits on the German charts and fifteen Top 10 hits.^[10] "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" became the best-selling single of 1960 in West Germany, where the original English version of the song also reached No. 25. Contrary to popular belief, Francis did not record any further foreign language versions of "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"; the German version is the only one recorded by herself although other artists have recorded further cover versions in various languages such as Portuguese, Swedish, or even Finnish.

The B-side of the single was "Robot Man" which had been a No. 2 for Francis on the UK charts earlier that year. Since it was an English-language recording, German audiences took almost no notice of it.

The unabridged version of "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" was released for the first time in 1964 in the U.S. on the album Connie Francis Sings German Favorites.

Other versions

"Little" Jimmy Scott recorded it with Lionel Hampton's band in the 1950's. Already in 1960 Ernest Tubb had a No. 16 US country hit with his rendition of the song, produced by Owen Bradley. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was remade in 1979 by Debby Boone, who had previously had Top 20 C&W hits with her Connie Francis hit remakes "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart"; however, Boone's version of "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" only reached No. 48 C&W. The song has also been an album cut for Lynn Anderson, Pat Boone,^[11][12] Margo, Jody Miller, Marie Osmond, Sandy Posey, Billy Vaughn, Kitty Wells and Bobby Vee.

Translated versions of the song include those made by Celly Campello (pt) (in Portuguese as "Alguém é bobo de alguém"), Marketta Joutsi and also Sinikka Lehtevä (in Finnish as "Pajunköyttä") and Siw Malmkvist (in Swedish as "Tunna skivor"). The Czech rendering "Až na severní pól" was recorded in 1962 as a duet by Yvetta Simonová (cs) and Milan Chladil (cs).

See also

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1960
• List of number-one hits of 1960 (Germany)
• List of number-one hits in Norway

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Connie Francis
U. S. albums on MGM Records	Who's Sorry Now? The Exciting Connie Francis My Thanks to You Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites Christmas in My Heart Connie's Greatest Hits Rock 'n' Roll Million Sellers Country & Western - Golden Hits Connie Francis Sings Fun Songs for Children One for the Boys Connie Francis Sings Spanish and Latin American Favorites Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites More Italian Favorites Songs to a Swinging Band Connie Francis at The Copa More Greatest Hits Connie Francis Sings "Never on Sunday" Connie Francis Sings Folk Song Favorites Connie Francis Sings Irish Favorites Do The Twist/Dance Party Connie Francis Sings "Second Hand Love" And Other Hits Country Music - Connie Style Connie Francis Sings Modern Italian Hits Connie Francis Sings Award Winning Motion Picture Hits Follow The Boys Greatest American Waltzes The Very Best Of Connie Francis (Connie's 15 Biggest Hits!) "Mala Femmena" And Connie's Big Hits From Italy In the Summer of His Years Looking For Love Connie Francis Sings German Favorites Connie Francis and Hank Williams, Jr. Sing Great Country Favorites A New Kind Of Connie Connie Francis sings "For Mama" When The Boys Meet The Girls Movie Greats of the 60s Connie Francis Live at The Sahara in Las Vegas Connie's Christmas Connie Francis and The Kids Next Door Love, Italian Style Happiness – Connie Francis On Broadway Today Grandes Exitos del Cine de los Años 60 My Heart Criest For You Hawaii Connie Connie & Clyde – Hit Songs of the 30s Connie Francis Sings Bacharach & David The Wedding Cake Connie Francis Sings the Songs of Les Reed
International albums	Connie Francis en El Patio Melodien, die die Welt erobern Somewhere, My Love
U. S. singles	Who's Sorry Now? Stupid Cupid/Carolina Moon Fallin'/Happy Days and Lonely Nights I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) My Happiness You Always Hurt the One You Love If I Didn't Care Lipstick on Your Collar Among My Souvenirs/God Bless America Mama Everybody's Somebody's Fool My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own/Malagueña Where the Boys Are Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart/Someone Else's Boy Together When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart) Don't Break the Heart That Loves You Vacation He Thinks I Still Care I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter/Al di là If My Pillow Could Talk In the Summer of His Years Be Anything (but Be Mine) For Mama Forget Domani Jealous Heart Love Is Me, Love Is You So Nice (Summer Samba) My Heart Cries for You Lonely Again I Don't Wanna Play House
International singles	Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel Ich komm' nie mehr von dir los Wenn ich träume Schöner fremder Mann Einmal komm' ich wieder Eine Insel für zwei Lili Marleen Jamais Tu' mir nicht weh Wenn du gehst Barcarole in der Nacht Ho bisogno di vederti
Notable songs	Volare Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Young at Heart Mein Herz weiß genau, was es will Once a Day The Shadow of Your Smile Strangers in the Night Misty Blue
Filmography	Where the Boys Are Follow the Boys Looking for Love When the Boys Meet the Girls
Related topics	Discography Bobby Darin Brenda Lee Patti Page Neil Sedaka Lesley Gore Carole King Ricky Nelson
Book: Connie Francis