Some of you old timers here might remember this song from over 10 years ago. It is a collab with Joanne Cooper from South Africa. It's a song that has an interesting POV on the poachers who are decimating the African Rhino herds.

I don't have the particulars on the original song as far as the tracks or the style used. I do recall that both Joanne and myself sang and contributed live piano and guitar with Band in A Box providing the rest.

Joanne contacted me recently with a version that she had done using AI to cover the original song and asked me what I thought. I took the stems and imported them into Sonar to work on them. I edited several tracks , while others were good to go, The ending is nothing like the AI handed her. I cleaned up quite a few things and also swapped out the voices for better AI voices. Yeah there's a few nits but hopefully they are not noticeable in a distracting way. I know how closely some of you folks will listen. I appreciate you.

Original :


New Cover version:


WAV: FOOL'S ERRAND

Fool’s Errand
Written & produced by Joanne Cooper & Herb Hartley

As the sun rises over distant mountains, two figures move quietly through the bush. What follows is a story of desperation, survival, and irreversible consequence.

Fool’s Errand is a narrative song inspired by the ongoing tragedy of rhino poaching in Africa — a quiet war fought at dawn, where livelihoods, morality, and extinction collide. It tells the story from the ground: measured footsteps, silent tracks, and the moment when everything changes.

Rhinos are now critically endangered. Without sustained protection and intervention, they face extinction within our lifetime.

This song is not about heroes or villains.
It’s about reality.
And the cost of giving up.

🎵 Written and produced by: Joanne Cooper & Herb Hartley
🎬 Visuals: Original cinematic imagery inspired by the lyrics
🌍 Theme: Wildlife conservation / Rhino protection

If this song moved you, please consider:

Sharing it to raise awareness
Supporting legitimate wildlife conservation organizations
Starting conversations that matter


Enjoy, and as always...
Feel free to comment.

PS: Joanne asked me to post this as she is headed out today on Holiday and didn't have the time.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.