Glorious Fool is a 1981 studio album by musician John Martyn. After a long association with Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

, this was Martyn's first album for WEA

Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

. The album was produced by Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

 and engineered by Nick Launay

Nick Launay

Nick Launay is an English record producer and recording engineer. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the world due to his current success with recent albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...

 and Steve Travell. The album is named for the title track satirizing Ronald Reagan's ascent to the White House as the 40th U.S. President.

Opening track "Couldn't Love You More" is a re-worked arrangement of the song that originally appeared on 1977's One World

One World (John Martyn album)

One World is a 1977 album by John Martyn. One of his more experimental works, it features atmospheric, reggae influenced rhythms and free-flowing, jazzy arrangements. Acclaimed for its collaborative spirit, the album includes contributions from Lee Perry on "Big Muff", and Steve Winwood...

. The original acoustic version is here re-recorded as a full-band track, featuring a guest appearance from Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...

. Clapton covered Martyn's "May You Never" on his 1977 album Slowhand

Slowhand

Slowhand is an album by Eric Clapton, released in 1977. It contained three of his most popular singles, the bluesy "Cocaine", the ballad "Wonderful Tonight" and the country-flavoured #3 U.S. hit "Lay Down Sally", as well as other songs that became Clapton classics on their own like "The Core" and...

. When Martyn was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Collins at the 2008 BBC Folk Awards, Clapton sent a message saying that he was "so far ahead of everything else it was inconceivable". "Couldn't Love You More", in its various forms, remained a fixture of Martyn's live performances. Irish Musician Lisa Hannigan

Lisa Hannigan

Lisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. She has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA...

 has described the song as one of her favourites, covering the song with Faultline

Faultline (musician)

Faultline is an electronic music project centred on producer David Kosten.This UK act's enigmatic music has background death threats, Dennis Hopper dialogue and cover versions sung by rock stars. Faultline is the recording moniker for David Kosten, who claims to have turned to samplers and...

 in 2006.

In August 1981, "Please Fall In Love With Me"/"Don't You Go" was released as a single.

More mainstream in production compared to Martyn's previous albums, and helped by promotion in the way of a 32-date UK tour, Glorious Fool charted at #25 on its release.

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Martyn

1. "Couldn't Love You More" – 3:59
2. "Amsterdam" – 5:27
3. "Hold On To My Heart" – 4:39
4. "Perfect Hustler"– 4:42
5. "Hearts And Keys" – 7:33
6. "Glorious Fool" – 4:58
7. "Never Say Never" – 4:56
8. "Pascanel (Get Back Home)" – 3:48
9. "Didn't Do That" – 4:20
10. "Please Fall In Love With Me" – 6:07
11. "Don't You Go" – 4:43

Personnel

• John Martyn: Vocals, Guitar
• Phil Collins
  Phil Collins
  Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
  
  : Drums, Vocoder and Additional Vocals, Piano on "Don't You Go"
• Alan Thomson: Bass
• Max Middleton
  Max Middleton
  David Maxwell "Max" Middleton . He is an English composer and keyboardist and was originally a docker on the Liverpool docks. Middleton is known for his work on the Fender Rhodes Electric piano, the Minimoog synthesiser and his percussive playing style of the Hohner Clavinet...
  
  : Keyboards
• Danny Cummings
  Danny Cummings
  -Musical biography:The first Latin percussion instrument that Danny Cummings ever acquired was a second-hand conga he persuaded his parents to buy him for his 21st birthday. "I remember thinking that black fiberglass drum marked the beginning of a new era for me," says Cummings...
  
  : Percussion
• Dick Cuthell
  Dick Cuthell
  Dick Cuthell is a British musician and record producer. He plays flugelhorn, cornet, and trumpet, amongst a range of other brass instruments, including tenor horn and valve trombone. Cuthell is best known for his work with The Specials and Rico Rodriguez. He also collaborated with bands such as...
  
   Flugel horn on "Hold on My Heart", Trumpet on "Didn't Do That"
• Eric Clapton
  Eric Clapton
  Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
  
  : Guitar on "Couldn't Love You More"