Written by Jay Graydon, Glen Ballard & Clif Magness

“Insincere” is a beautiful power ballad. The song was co-written by David Foster’s old pal, Jay Graydon, with Glen Ballard (Alan Morrisette, Wilson Philips) and Clif Magness (Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson) for their collaborative effort, Planet 3. Planet 3’s album, A Heart From The Big Machine, was released in 1990. It was a solid AOR record with stellar songwriting and playing by the three, award-winning music makers.

The album featured Magness on tenor lead vocals, Graydon’s trademark guitars and Ballard on keyboards. Planet 3 disbanded soon after and the three top producers/songwriters went back to their usual studio work. Around 1997, “Insincere” was rescued by David Foster as he worked on songs for Japanese singer/actress Yukiko Ito’s (aka Yukiko Haneda) third cd eventually titled Good Times Bad Times.

Foster’s version of “Insincere” was rarefied and smooth compared to Planet 3’s rocking original. The Hitman’s keyboards gave the song a nocturne mood and perfectly supported Ito’s convincing performance. Here, and throughout the whole record, the singer gave solid proof of her talent and she sang in English with flattering results. The evocative mood of the track was enhanced by the late Jeremy Lubbock’s (1931-2021) pristine string arrangement.

Foster produced another ballad for Good Times Bad Times. “Could’ve Fooled Me” was co-written by Foster and Dennis Lambert. An article on “Could’ve Fooled Me” can be found in the archives. The album also featured good work by several other veteran producers including Humberto Gatica, Paul Anka, Phil Ramone (1934-2013) and Brooks Arthur (1936-2022).

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Yukiko Ito
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Saxophone: David Boruff

• Strings Arranged by Jeremy Lubbock
• Arranged by David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock
• Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

I’m not an angel, just a girl
But please understand
I’m not the kind who’d never lie
Most everything
You’ve heard is true
So boy now I come to you
A girl who has nothing left to hide

And what I’m saying to you now
Is how I really feel
And no matter what
You think of me
boy I’ll never be

Insincere
Wanting you is all I know
Heart and Soul
I can’t hold it back
So believe me when I say
That I’ll be there
No I won’t be insincere

Out on the Borderline of love
Some hesitate
But I’m gonna find my way across, ooh yeah
I never try to play it safe
It’s just the way I am
To want things
No matter what the cost

So if there’s any doubt about me
Baby make it clear
‘Cause I need you so completely
That I can’t be

Insincere
Wanting you is all I know
Heart and Soul
I can’t hold it back
So believe me when I say
That I’ll be there
No I won’t be insincere

‘Cause the strenght of this emotion
Is a river running free
And once my heart has spoken
Now you can believe in me

Insincere
Wanting you is all I know
Heart and Soul
I can’t hold it back
So believe me when I say
That I’ll be there
No I won’t be insincere

Yukiko Ito is a Japanese singer/actress who recorded her debut CD in LA, in 1990, working with A-list producers like Phil Ramone, Dennis Lambert, Brooks Arthur and David Foster. The record is truly enjoyable, a collection of pop songs written by, among others, Glen Ballard, Barry Manilow, Richard Marx and Paul Anka who also produced three songs including a beautiful version of his classic, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”, as a duet between Ito and the late, ultra-talented, Warren Wiebe. Foster appears as producer of two songs, the first one, “Insincere”, is a very nice cover of a Planet 3’s ballad that Ito sings with good style, helped by the rarefied arrangement and Jeremy Lubbock’s strings.

The other song is “Could’ve Fooled Me” and it is our song of the week. It is another pop ballad, this time around written and arranged by Foster with Dennis Lambert. The song is a bittersweet ditty that Ito delivers quite nicely underlined by Foster’s masterful keyboard playing and with the final touch of Dave Boruff’s tender saxophone solo.

This lovely song was also covered by the incredible Rachelle Ferrell on her “Rachelle Ferrell” cd released under George Duke’s production in 1992.

It remains to be said that among the other musicians and singers appearing on the cd there are John Robinson, Mike Landau, David Spinozza, Neil Stubenhaus, Carlos Alomar, Jeff Lorber and Bill Champlin who contribuites with his vocals to the beautiful “Say It”.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/couldve_fooled_me.mp3|titles=Could’ve fooled me|artists=Yukiko]

Lead Vocal: Yukiko Ito
Keyboards: David Foster
Synclavier Programming: Simon Franglen
Guitars: James Harrah
Saxophone: David Boruff
Arranged by David Foster & Dennis Lambert
Vocal produced by Brooks Arthur & David Foster
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

1st Verse

Don’t ask, what am I gonna do
‘Cause it hasn’t even started sinking in
Need time, time to think it through
How am I supposed to know where I begin?
Suddenly, I’m alone here
Loving me isn’t in your plans
Yesterday you were mine
And my heart was in your hands

Chorus

Could’ve fooled me
Turned out I was wrong
You knew all along
That one day you’d be leaving
Could’ve fooled me
I was so secure
Confident and sure we were meant to be
You could’ve fooled me

2nd verse

So sad, I’m the last to know
Would’ve bet my life we were going all the way
It’s too bad you didn’t let me go
If you were honest then, I’d be over you today
Now suddenly, I’m alone here
Loving me doesn’t feel so right
Yesterday you were mine
But we’re history tonight

Repeat Chorus

Bridge

There was no indication
No warning, no signs
I guess you could say that I…
I must have been blind

Repeat Chorus