April Fools (song)

Last updated
"April Fools"
Rufus Wainwright "April Fools".jpg
Cover art for US promotional CD single
Promotional single by Rufus Wainwright
from the album Rufus Wainwright
Genre Pop
Length5:01 [1]
Label DreamWorks
Songwriter(s) Rufus Wainwright
Producer(s) Jon Brion
Music video
"April Fools" on YouTube

"April Fools" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It originally appeared on his eponymous debut studio album, released by DreamWorks Records in May 1998. The song's music video was directed by Sophie Muller and features cameo appearances by Gwen Stefani and Melissa Auf der Maur.

Contents

"April Fools" appears on two other albums in Wainwright's discography— All I Want (2005) and Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright (2014)—as well as multiple compilation albums.

Composition

Jon Brion (pictured in 2004) produced "April Fools". Jon Brion (cropped).jpg
Jon Brion (pictured in 2004) produced "April Fools".

"April Fools" is an approximately five minute long pop song written and performed by Wainwright. Produced by Jon Brion, the track features Wainwright's vocals and a "powerful" piano performance over a drum track by Jim Keltner. [1] [2] AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald described "April Fools" as "essentially a love song" that can be interpreted as being "about people in general, or a simple, two-person relationship". [1] MTV's Kyle Anderson called the song "a bubbly little slice of cabaret rock that dances and swaggers". [3] In a 2010 interview published by The Daily Telegraph , Wainwright said of the song and his songwriting process:

April Fools came to me when I was in the bath. I stood up naked and sang it. Songs come to me at odd times. The only thing they have in common is that, when they do come, the moment has to be theatrical." [4]

During a 2020 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune 's David L. Coddon, Wainwright referred to "April Fools" as "one of [his] greatest possible hits". [5]

Recordings and live performances

"April Fools" originally appeared as the third track on Wainwright's eponymous debut studio album, released by DreamWorks Records in the United States on May 19, 1998. [1] That same year, a shorter version of the song was released as a promotional single by the label. [6] A live version of the song, from Wainwright's performance on KCRW, appears on the album Live on KCRW (1998). [7] "April Fools" has appeared on other albums in Wainwright's discography, including the DVD All I Want , released by Universal International in 2005, [8] and Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright , a greatest hits album released in 2014. [9] [10]

Compilation albums featuring "April Fools" include Basicbeats 101 (1998), [11] CMJ New Music, Vol. 59 (1998), [12] Everything Is Beautiful in Its Own Way (1998), [13] Los Angeles Independent Film Festival: 1998 Music Sampler (1998), [14] and Live at the World Cafe: Volume 9 (1999), which features a live recording of Wainwright's performance on WXPN's radio program World Cafe . [15]

In August 2017, Wainwright performed the song as a duet as a large concert in Montreal in conjunction with "Montreal 375". Footage of the concert subsequently aired in September on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during a one-hour special called Montreal in Symphony. [16]

Music video

WYWFtset.jpg
Melissa Auf der Maur.jpg
Gwen Stefani (top) and Melissa Auf der Maur (bottom) make cameo appearances in the song's music video, which was partly filmed in Stefani's house.

The music video for "April Fools", directed by Sophie Muller, was the first promoting Wainwright's debut album. It features the singer in Los Angeles "amidst a clique of classic opera characters" such as Madame Butterfly, attempting to prevent each of them from committing suicide or being murdered. However, in each instance he arrives too late. [17] [18] No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, a friend of Muller's, and Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, a high school acquaintance and former roommate of Wainwright's, make cameo appearances. Part of the video was filmed in Stefani's house. [1] Wainwright said of their involvement:

I grew up with Melissa, in Montreal. We went to high school together, we were actually in love, when we were young, but we never consummated, we were always too shy to get together. But I thought she was fascinating when I was a kid and I still think she's fascinating. So that was that connection. We lived together for a long time in L.A. right before we made the video, and Gwen [Stefani] was friends with the director Sophie Mueller [ sic ], and Gwen very graciously let us use her house, that's her house that it's filmed in, just cuz, whatever, she's a sweet, sweet girl. [17]

Reception

Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic described "April Fools" as "the most accessible song and recording" on the album, and "possibly one of the catchiest and most hook-filled choruses in contemporary pop memory". [1] He wrote: "As with many of [Wainwright's] songs, the wordplay here keeps the listener's attention, making this one of the most unique singles of the modern pop era." [1] Larry Flick, an editor for Billboard , selected the song as a "Critic's Choice", signifying a work that is "highly recommend[ed] because of their musical merit". [6] He called it "sophisticated without being pretentious" and contrasted it with the "tight and tediously formulaic playlists" of the time. [6] The song is included in Bruce Pollock's book Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era (2014). [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Doubt</span> American rock band

No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboardist Eric Stefani, Gwen's brother, was also a former member when the band started to release albums in 1992. Since the mid-1990s, trombonist Gabrial McNair and trumpeter Stephen Bradley have performed with the band as session and touring musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Stefani</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1969)

Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. She is a co-founder and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak", from their 1995 breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom, as well as "Hey Baby" and "It's My Life" from later albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Speak</span> 1996 single by No Doubt

"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt, featured on their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). Released as the album's third single in 1996 by Interscope Records, the song was initially written as a love song by lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother, former band member Eric Stefani. However, after several revisions, Gwen reworked the lyrics into a breakup song, reflecting the end of her seven-year relationship with bandmate Tony Kanal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufus Wainwright</span> Canadian-American singer-songwriter (born 1973)

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for a theatre piece by Robert Wilson.

<i>Want One</i> 2003 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Want One is the third studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records on September 23, 2003. The album was produced by Marius de Vries and mixed by Andy Bradfield, with Lenny Waronker as the executive in charge of production. Want One spawned two singles: "I Don't Know What It Is", which peaked at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Oh What a World". The album charted in three countries, reaching number 60 on the Billboard 200, number 130 in France, and number 77 in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate McGarrigle</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (1946–2010)

Kate McGarrigle was a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter, who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister Anna McGarrigle.

<i>Love. Angel. Music. Baby.</i> 2004 studio album by Gwen Stefani

Love. Angel. Music. Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani, released on November 12, 2004, by Interscope Records. Stefani, who had previously released five studio albums as lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, began recording solo material in early 2003. She began working on Love. Angel. Music. Baby. as a side project that would become a full album after No Doubt went on hiatus. Stefani co-wrote every song on the album, collaborating with various songwriters and producers including André 3000, Dallas Austin, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Neptunes and Linda Perry. The album also features guest appearances by Eve and André 3000.

<i>Want Two</i> 2004 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Want Two is the fourth album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The album was released on November 16, 2004. Four of the tracks on this album were released in the summer of 2004 as the EP Waiting for a Want on the iTunes music store.

<i>Rufus Wainwright</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright is the debut studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in the United States on May 19, 1998, through DreamWorks Records. It was produced by Jon Brion, with the exception of "In My Arms", which was produced and mixed by Pierre Marchand, and "Millbrook" and "Baby", which were produced by Brion and Van Dyke Parks. Lenny Waronker was the executive producer.

Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller is an English music video director who has directed over 300 music videos. She won a Grammy Award for Annie Lennox's 1992 Diva video album, and an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's song "Why" from the same album. In 1993, she received a BRIT Award for "Stay" by Shakespears Sister. She won another MTV Award in 1997 for "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. Muller is a longtime collaborator of Sade, Annie Lennox, Gwen Stefani, Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Garbage and Shakespears Sister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What You Waiting For?</span> 2004 song by Gwen Stefani

"What You Waiting For?" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Written by Stefani and Linda Perry, the song is the album's opening track and was released as Stefani's debut solo single. Lyrically, "What You Waiting For?" details Stefani's lack of inspiration and fear of producing the album, as well as her reaction to pressures exerted by her record label. It is primarily an electropop song and introduces Stefani's four backup dancers, the Harajuku Girls, who had a major input into the album's production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Stefani discography</span>

American singer Gwen Stefani has released five studio albums, two extended plays, 37 singles, six promotional singles, one video album, and 28 music videos. She has sold more than 30 million records worldwide. Stefani is also the lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, with which she has released several albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufus Wainwright discography</span>

The discography of Rufus Wainwright, a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, consists of eleven studio albums, six live albums, three compilations, three extended plays (EPs), three video albums, nine singles, and nine music videos. Wainwright's self-titled debut album was released through DreamWorks Records in May 1998. Wainwright reached number 24 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, and Rolling Stone named him 1998's Best New Artist. Wainwright's second album, Poses, was released through the same label in June 2001, resulting in a number one on the Heatseekers Chart and number 117 on the Billboard 200. With material recorded from the same session, Want One was released through DreamWorks in September 2003, and Want Two was released through Geffen Records in November 2004.

<i>Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright</i> 2014 greatest hits album by Rufus Wainwright

Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright, sometimes referred to simply as Vibrate: The Best Of, is the greatest hits album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released on February 28, 2014 in Australia and Ireland by Universal Music Enterprises and in other nations subsequently. The standard issue of the album includes eighteen songs from six of Wainwright's studio releases, including his self-titled debut album (1998), Poses (2001), Want One (2003), Want Two (2004), Release the Stars (2007) and Out of the Game (2012), plus soundtrack contributions and one previously unreleased track. The deluxe version includes a bonus disc with sixteen rare and unreleased recordings, both live and studio recorded. Featured are "Chic and Pointless", previously unreleased and produced by Guy Chambers, and "WWIII", a song that was co-written by Chambers and had not been released in a physical form until Vibrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misery (Gwen Stefani song)</span> 2016 single by Gwen Stefani

"Misery" is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her third solo studio album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). Initially released as a promotional single, it became the record's third and final single on May 23, 2016, when it was sent to hot adult contemporary radio. Stefani co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson, and Robin Frediksson, with the latter two serving as the producers. An electropop song, "Misery" uses digital hand clapping and an upbeat samba to produce a futuristic-sounding melody. The lyrics describe a lover who has recently started a relationship and is confused over what to think about it. Several critics drew comparisons between these lyrics to Stefani's personal and romantic life with her boyfriend, Blake Shelton.

"Dinner at Eight" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It originally appeared on his third studio album, Want One (2003).

"The Art Teacher" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It originally appeared on his extended play (EP), Waiting for a Want, released by DreamWorks Records in June 2004 as a preview of his fourth studio album, Want Two, which was released by Geffen Records in November 2004. The lyrics in the piano ballad describe a middle-aged woman's recollection of an unrequited love for her teacher. The song explores gender and sexuality, and its music has been compared to work by Philip Glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Eve (Gwen Stefani song)</span> 2017 song by Gwen Stefani

"Christmas Eve" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani from her fourth studio album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017). The song was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, and busbee, with the latter of the three handling production alongside Eric Valentine. It was the first song conceived for the album, and "originated from a run Stefani took in rural Oklahoma. Details about the song first emerged in August 2017, when its title appeared as a registered work on two global music databases. The song a slow-burning Christmas ballad with lyrics that reference the holiday season.

"Under the Christmas Lights" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Gwen Stefani for her fourth studio album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas (2017). It was written by Stefani, Justin Tranter, and busbee, who co-produced the song with Eric Valentine. The song was released alongside the rest of the album on October 6, 2017, through Interscope Records. Details about the track first emerged in August 2017, when the song title appeared as a registered work on BMI and GEMA. "Under the Christmas Lights" is a pop and Christmas song with a doo-wop melody and romantic lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobody but You (Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani song)</span> 2020 song by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani

"Nobody but You" is a song recorded by American singers Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani for the former's fifth compilation album, Fully Loaded: God's Country (2019). It was produced by Scott Hendricks and written by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, and Tommy Lee James. Following "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" (2016) and "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" (2017), "Nobody but You" marks Shelton and Stefani's third collaboration. The song was first revealed in October 2019, although Stefani's contributions remained a secret until a week prior to its release in December of the same year. It was sent to United States country music radio outlets by Warner on January 21, 2020, becoming the third single from the parent album. Promotional acoustic and live versions of the song were released to the public in March and June 2020, respectively.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ankeny, Jason. "Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Credits – Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright". Tidal . Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  3. ↑ Anderson, Kyle (April 1, 2020). "Plan Your April Fools' Day Pranks with Rufus Wainwright, Evanescence and Cinderella". MTV. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ Farndale, Nigel (June 30, 2010). "Rufus Wainwright interview". The Daily Telegraph . London. ISSN   0307-1235. OCLC   49632006. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  5. ↑ Coddon, David L. (October 15, 2020). "Arts & Culture Newsletter: Getting cozy with Rufus Wainwright". The San Diego Union-Tribune . Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Flick, Larry (August 29, 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles". Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 35. p. 29. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Live on KCRW – Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  8. ↑ "All I Want – Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  10. ↑ Cooper, Leonie (December 9, 2013). "Rufus Wainwright to release 'best of' collection". NME . London: Time Inc. UK. ISSN   0028-6362. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Basicbeats 101 – Various Artists". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  12. ↑ "CMJ New Music, Vol. 59 – Various Artists". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Everything Is Beautiful in Its Own Way – Various Artists". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Los Angeles Independent Film Festival: 1998 Music Sampler – Various Artists". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Live at the World Cafe Vol. 9 – Various Artists". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ "More than 80,000 already caught this incredible Montreal concert and this Sunday you can join them". CBC Arts. September 13, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Rufus Wainwright Kicks Off Tour, Explains Video Cameos". MTV. March 2, 1999. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  18. ↑ Lambert, Kellie (March 27, 2019). "For the Record: Song foolery". Republican-American . Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  19. ↑ Pollock, Bruce (March 18, 2014). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9781135463038. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.