One Direction’s album Four has been a longtime favorite for Directioners since its release in 2014. The track “Fool’s Gold” in particular is still a beloved song to this day. But a new book about One Direction’s legacy in the music industry reveals that “Fool’s Gold” could have turned out very differently if the songwriters hadn’t kept their word to the boy band.
Written by Billboard‘s co-chief content officer and journalist Jason Lipshutz, A Whole Lotta History features new interviews with One Direction’s biggest collaborators. From producers to songwriters, these conversations share new details about the group’s most beloved songs. It’s within these pages that the songwriting team Jamie Scott and Mozella (real name Maureen Anne McDonald) revealed that Adele initially wanted to record “Fool’s Gold” for herself.
Scott and Mozella wrote eight songs on Four, but “Fool’s Gold” caught the pop star’s attention immediately. Around that time, Adele was quietly working on what would become her 2015 album 25.
According to the songwriters, Adele contacted them about “Fool’s Gold” unexpectedly. “I remember getting a call from Adele, saying, ‘I just heard this song that you wrote for One Direction!’” Scott said, per People.
“Fool’s Gold” Was a Crucial and Beloved Track On One Direction’s 2014 Album ‘Four’
According to Mozella, it’s possible Adele heard the song from Ryan Tedder, who was working with the pop star on 25. Mozella guessed that Jamie Scott played the demo for Tedder, and Adele fell in love with it once she heard it.
“Basically, [Adele] heard it and was like, ‘I love this!’” said Mozella. “But [Scott] had already promised it to the boys, so we couldn’t take it back.”
Had Scott and Mozella not promised “Fool’s Gold” to One Direction, it most likely would have gone to Adele. From there, it would have ended up on 25, alongside tracks like “Hello”, “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”, and “Water Under the Bridge”.
Mozella recalled “Fool’s Gold” as something “special—just this real, honest, raw song.” Most likely, it would have fit with what Adele was doing at the time. Her third album possessed more maturity than her first two, but her songs still dealt in raw, soul-baring themes.
Still, imagining Four without “Fool’s Gold” may be an insurmountable task for One Direction fans. Four reached No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and the U.K. album charts, cementing One Direction’s impact on the music industry. For a generation of listeners, “Fool’s Gold” was an important part of that legacy.
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