Some songs come fully formed, others take years to find their feet. C’batch’s “If There Was Ever A Fool (One of a Cast of Many)” is a case in point of the latter. It’s a song that brings together a guitar solo which was first recorded in 2012 and lyrics which were written years later. It’s inspired by the end of a friend’s relationship and takes a very observational approach to love, looking at the rather questionable decisions people make when the emotions get the better of them. It doesn’t go down the “classic” heartbreak route at all, instead embracing irony, dark humour and a real fascination with the ridiculousness of human behaviour. The title alone suggests that there’s rarely just one fool when it comes to love.
it’s a very interesting piece of work in that it’s got the expressive electric guitar right at the heart of a much wider cinematic type arrangement. There’s a great deal of atmosphere, a very broad orchestral approach and plenty of soul, rock, ambient, art pop etc. which gives it a very dramatic, almost theatrical quality. That sense of drama is in direct contrast to the lyrical content which is looking at its characters with a far more pointed and at times rather cheeky eye. It’s that very tension which gives the record such a distinct character. It’s not just a song about a relationship that’s broken, it’s a piece of musical storytelling which can take its subject very seriously without necessarily taking all the characters quite so seriously. The end result is a very distinctive piece of work.
C’batch has over 40 years of musical experience to his name and is a composer, guitarist and producer with a wide range of experience in R&B, soul, dance, funk, reggae and jazz. He’s had a number of published works to his name including Sinnamon’s “I Need You Now” and NV’s “Let Me Do You”. He co-founded Stevette Music, Inc. with his wife Yvette in 1984 and through that company he’s been continually revisiting and reworking material from his back catalogue. The Vault series is a direct result of that and this single is a very good example of it. It’s an improvisation from 2012 and a story from a long time ago which have finally come together in 2026 to create a release that is both very much of the past and yet somehow very fresh. It’s accompanied by a music video and “If There Was Ever A Fool (One of a Cast of Many)” is out on October 31st 2026 with a very cinematic and very unusual take on the complexities of love.
Killer Quote
“Sometimes a song takes years to find its story and sometimes a story takes years to find its music.”
website, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube
About the Author
English