The Fool on the Hill

:"This article is about The Beatles' song, "The Fool on the Hill". For the novel by Matt Ruff, see Fool on the Hill (novel)."Song infobox
Name = The Fool on the Hill


Artist = The Beatles
Album = Magical Mystery Tour
Released = 27 November 1967 (US LP) 8 December 1967 (UK EP) 19 November 1976 (UK LP)
track_no = 2
Recorded = 25 September 1967
Genre = Psychedelic pop, folk
Length = 3:00
Writer = Lennon/McCartney
Label = Parlophone, Capitol, EMI
Producer = George Martin
prev = "Magical Mystery Tour"
prev_no = 1
next = "Flying"
next_no = 3"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by Paul McCartneycite book |first=Barry |last=Miles |authorlink=Barry Miles |title=Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now |year=1997 |pages=365-366 |publisher=Henry Holt & Company |location=New York |isbn=0-8050-5249-6] cite book |first=David |last=Sheff |title=All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono |year=2000 |pages=186 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |isbn=0-312-25464-4] (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and recorded in 1967. It was included on the "Magical Mystery Tour" EP and album, and presented in the "Magical Mystery Tour" film, with a promotional sequence shot near Nice, in France from 30-31 October 1967.

Origins

McCartney said of the song:

Alistair Taylor, in the book "Yesterday", reports a mysterious incident involving a man who inexplicably appeared near him and McCartney during a walk on Primrose Hill and then disappeared again, soon after McCartney and Taylor had conversed about the existence of God; this allegedly prompted the writing of the song.cite book |first=Steve |last=Turner |title=A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song |pages=143-144 |publisher=Harper Paperbacks |location=New York |isbn=0-06-084409-4]

McCartney played the song for John Lennon during a writing session for "With a Little Help from My Friends," and Lennon told him to write it down. McCartney didn't; he was sure he wouldn't forget it. In his 1980 interview with "Playboy", Lennon said, "Now that's Paul. Another good lyric. Shows he's capable of writing complete songs."

Recording

McCartney recorded a solo demo version of the song on 6 September 1967.cite book |first=Mark |last=Lewisohn |authorlink=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Beatles Recording Sessions |year=1988 |pages=123 |publisher=Harmony Books |location=New York |isbn=0-517-57066-1] This version was later released on the "Anthology 2" compilation.cite album-notes |title=Anthology 2 |albumlink=Anthology 2 |year=1994 |bandname=The Beatles |format=booklet |publisher=Apple Records |location=London |publisherid=31796 |pages=41,42] Recording began in earnest on 25 September, with significant overdubs by the Beatles on 26 September. Mark Lewisohn said that the 26 September version was "almost a re-make."cite book |first=Mark |last=Lewisohn |authorlink=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Beatles Recording Sessions |year=1988 |pages=126] A take from 25 September is also included on "Anthology 2". After another session on 27 September where McCartney added another vocal,cite book |first=Mark |last=Lewisohn |authorlink=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Beatles Recording Sessions |year=1988 |pages=127] the song sat for a month before flutes were added on 20 October.

Credits

*John Lennon – harmonica, maracas
*Paul McCartney – lead vocal, piano, recorder, bass guitar
*George Harrison – acoustic guitar, harmonica
*Ringo Starr – drums, finger cymbals
*Richard Taylor – flute
*Jack Ellory – flute:Credits per Ian MacDonaldcite book |first=Ian |last=MacDonald |authorlink=Ian MacDonald |title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties |year=1994 |pages=217-218 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |location=New York |isbn=0-8050-2780-7] Flautists also documented by Mark Lewisohn.cite book |first=Mark |last=Lewisohn |authorlink=Mark Lewisohn |title=The Beatles Recording Sessions |year=1988 |pages=127-129]

Critical reaction

Richie Unterberger of Allmusic said that "The Fool on the Hill" was the best of the new songs on "Magical Mystery Tour" aside from "I Am the Walrus".cite web |first=Richie |last=Unterberger |authorlink=Richie Unterberger |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:k06atr68kl5x |title=Review of "The Fool on the Hill" |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=2007-03-12] Tim Riley, a music critic who has contributed to NPR, was not impressed, and unfavorably compared the subject of this song to fools in Shakespeare. Riley wrote, "Possibilities in this song outweigh its substance—it's the most unworthy Beatles standard since 'Michelle.'"cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=17:513103 |title=Performers of "The Fool on the Hill |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=2007-03-12]

*In the Beatles' song "Glass Onion", the lyrics "I told you 'bout the Fool on the Hill/I tell you man, he's living there still."

*A 1968 cover by Sergio Mendes reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart [ [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=134 The Fool On The Hill by The Beatles Songfacts ] ] ; this version also spent six weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary chart. [Whitburn, Joel (1996). "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", 6th Edition. New York: Billboard Publications]

*Björk covered it (as "Alfur Út Úr Hól") on her 1977 album "Björk". Released when she was 11, the album consists of cover versions of famous songs sung in Icelandic. [cite web |url=http://unit.bjork.com/77island/early/index.htm |title=bjork: early |accessdate = 2007-03-12
last=Fritsch |first=Oliver |year=2001 |work=77ísland - complete discography |publisher=bjork.com]

*Sarah Vaughan covered the song in 1981 on her "Songs of the Beatles" album.

*Oasis referenced the song in a line from their 1997 #1 UK single "D'You Know What I Mean".

*John Williams (guitarist) covered a classical guitar version on "The Portait of John Williams" in 1982.

*Peter Cincotti used some of the song's musical cues as an introduction to his cover of "Nature Boy."

Trivia

* In April 1975, at the Homebrew Computer Club fourth meeting, Steve Dompier programmed his MITS Altair 8800 personal computer to play "The Fool on the Hill". The trick was that the output device was a nearby AM radio. Dompier had programmed his computer so that the Electromagnetic interference created by the primitive PC produced recognizable tones on the radio. [ [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=experts-cell-phone-screeching Article in AskTheExperts at SCIAM] ] [http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/comphist/comp1975.htm Chronology of Personal Computers] ]

Notes