I have been working on this one since I can't remember when and it finally came together just now. I love the story the song tells about a girl he knows whose heart has just been broken and he is there to help her as a friend and inspire her. In an interview Chris confirmed the he had written the song to inspire his sister who had just been dumped by her boyfriend. Those lyrics were from the heart and I know that is why the song has become such a classic, even at the age of 18 I could relate to the sentiment. Lately I have been digging thru the singles that I have not yet remixed and realizing that I am revisiting a lot of music that deeply affected me and remembering a lot of things about growing up when I hear them. It's almost therapeutic.
The gravelly voice of Chris Rea was the perfect vehicle for those emotional lyrics and became his only Top 40 hit in the US peaking at #12 nationally in September of 1978. He never toured the US to promote it and that is why American audiences were not familiar with his music. I understand he still has not toured the US.
His career in the UK was blazing, with 27 UK charting tunes, Rea was hailed as the "English Springsteen". Christopher Anton Rea was born March 4, 1951 in Middlesbrough, England and did not consider a musical career until his early 20's when he learned to play slide guitar. In 1973 he began working with bands and at one gig, replaced the lead singer who was a no show.
He signed with Magnet Records who tried to change his name to Benny Santini to reflect his Irish Italian heritage, but Rea was not having that. He titled the 1978 album "Whatever Happened To Benny Santini" that was produced by Elton John's producer Gus Dudgeon who warmly wrapped that deep, rough hewn voice of his with a full orchestra was the perfect mix for "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" that topped the Adult Contemporary chart for one week and earned him a Grammy Nomination for best new artist.
The song turned out to be the only one he ever released that did not feature him on guitar. The production style led the American public to believe he was a piano playing singer/songwriter when in face he was a rock and roller.
He eventually scored in Europe with his new sound and has been quite successful since then, finding some popularity with 1986's "On The Beach" and even more with his greatest hits compilation that saw him re-recording his hits for the album in 1989, bringing him back briefly in the US.
In 1994 he had developed stomach ulcers and then peritonitis that almost killed him. He quit touring to heal and in 1996 began to score movies to positive reviews and increasing popularity. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000 and underwent a radical medical procedure that removed the gall bladder, bile duct and parts of the duodenum and pancreas. As a result, he has to take 34 pills and seven shots a day and developed diabetes. He had a stroke in 2016, quit smoking and slowly returned to touring.