"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" is a song written and performed by blues guitarist Elvin Bishop with Mickey Thomas on lead vocals. It appeared on Bishop's 1975 album Struttin' My Stuff, and was released as a single the following year.

Background

Bishop does not sing lead vocals on the track. He felt that his gravelly voice would not do the song justice; he invited vocalist Mickey Thomas, who was a background singer in his band at the time, to sing it. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in May 1976. The record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 23, 1976. In Canada, the song reached #22 on the singles chart and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The single reached #3 in the New Zealand Singles Chart. Based on his work with Bishop, Thomas was invited to become the lead singer for Jefferson Starship (which would later evolve into simply Starship).

In popular culture

The song is featured in the films Queens Logic (1991), Illtown (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Summer of Sam (1999), Big Daddy (1999), According to Spencer (2001), The Devil's Rejects (2005), The Family Stone (2005), Invincible (2006), The Education of Charlie Banks (2007), Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), Stand Up Guys (2012), Lovelace (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie (2017).

Style

In their 1990 essay "Rock and Sexuality", Simon Frith and Angela McRobbie suggest the song "lyrically captures" the distinction in rock music between "cock rock" and "teeny bop".

Personnel

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Cover versions