Song:What Kind Of Fool Am I?
Album:The Very Best Of Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley was a triple threat as an actor, singer and songwriter. What Kind Of Fool Am I? is probably one of his best known songs from his 1961 musical Stop The World, I Want To Get Off. He was born Sept. 24, 1931 in London, England. His parents split up when he was a child and Newley was raised by his aunt and uncle in the countryside. He met retired music hall performer George Pescud who taught him performing. After WWII, Newley moved to London hoping to be discovered. His big break was as the Artful Dodger in David Lean's 1948 film Oliver Twist. After a stint in the army, he appeared frequently on radio. The film that made him a star in England was Idle On Parade in 1959 which was influenced by Elvis Presley being drafted. This led to a record contract with Decca and hit singles in England like I've Waited So Long, Why, Do You Mind and Strawberry Fair. So Newley could have been a pop star. But instead he created his own Broadway show with Leslie Bricusse Stop The World, I Want To Get Off. What Kind Of Fool Am I? closed the show and it became one of Newley's most popular songs. Many artists have covered it but the most notable was Sammy Davis Jr. Newley and Bricusse wrote many songs together including the theme for the 1964 film Goldfinger. This budget CD from Universal's British distributor Spectrum covers Newley's Decca recordings from 1959-65. Newley wasn't that active as a recording artist after that. But he continued to write shows and appear on stage, films and TV for decades. Anthony Newley died of cancer on Apr. 14, 1999 at age 67. Here's Anthony Newley performing What Kind Of Fool Am I? on The Hollywood Palace 1969.
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