Freedom (Wham! song)
Encyclopedia
"Freedom" is a song by British
pop duo Wham!
in 1984, becoming the group's second UK #1 hit. It was written by George Michael
, one half of the duo.
in the USA. George had then gone to #1 with a solo single, "Careless Whisper
".
"Freedom" was #1 in the UK for three weeks and featured on the album Make It Big, which was issued at the same time. "Freedom" was the 10th biggest selling single of 1984. This song also reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US the following year. The lyrics are full of the turmoil one experiences of staying in a destructive relationship where one partner loves another more than the other "part-time love just brings me down" and the inevitable hurt this causes. A situation that Michael finally appears to resolve in the song 'Faith' where he is building the confidence to meet someone new and get the 'freedom' he has been dreaming of.
The music video also features the band touring around Beijing, China.
The single was also released as a square picture disc, with a the record being white and having a picture of Michael on the right side.
"Freedom" was covered in 1999 by New Zealand
girl group TrueBliss
on their debut album Dream
. It was released as the TrueBliss's final single in September 1999. It was also covered by The Supernaturals
in 1997.
The song was used in a Japanese commercial for Maxell
audio cassettes, with altered lyrics. ("I can't wait to see you, why don't you come here no more?")
The melody of the song was used by George Michael as an introduction to his song, "Faith
", played on a church organ.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop duo Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
in 1984, becoming the group's second UK #1 hit. It was written by George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, one half of the duo.
History
Wham! had already enjoyed a successful 1984 by the time Freedom was released in August of the year. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" had given them their first UK #1 and had then reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the USA. George had then gone to #1 with a solo single, "Careless Whisper
Careless Whisper
"Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...
".
"Freedom" was #1 in the UK for three weeks and featured on the album Make It Big, which was issued at the same time. "Freedom" was the 10th biggest selling single of 1984. This song also reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US the following year. The lyrics are full of the turmoil one experiences of staying in a destructive relationship where one partner loves another more than the other "part-time love just brings me down" and the inevitable hurt this causes. A situation that Michael finally appears to resolve in the song 'Faith' where he is building the confidence to meet someone new and get the 'freedom' he has been dreaming of.
The music video also features the band touring around Beijing, China.
The single was also released as a square picture disc, with a the record being white and having a picture of Michael on the right side.
"Freedom" was covered in 1999 by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
girl group TrueBliss
TrueBliss
TrueBliss were a New Zealand pop girl group formed in April 1999. The band were formed on the popular television show Popstars, which aired on TV2 for nine weeks in the search for a new girl group...
on their debut album Dream
Dream (TrueBliss album)
Dream is New Zealand pop band TrueBliss's first and only album, released in 1999 in New Zealand on the Columbia Records label.-Album information:The lead single, "Tonight", was a number one hit in New Zealand and the biggest-selling single of 1999 there...
. It was released as the TrueBliss's final single in September 1999. It was also covered by The Supernaturals
The Supernaturals
The Supernaturals were a five-piece guitar based pop band from Glasgow, Scotland. Fronted by singer-songwriter James McColl, they signed to Parlophone in 1996, and had a string of singles which were taken from their three albums and four EPs. Other members included Mark Guthrie, Derek McManus and...
in 1997.
The song was used in a Japanese commercial for Maxell
Maxell
, commonly known as Maxell, is a Japanese company which manufactures consumer electronics. The company's notable products are batteries -- the company's name is a contraction of "maximum capacity dry cell" -- and recording media, including audio cassettes and blank VHS tapes, and recordable optical...
audio cassettes, with altered lyrics. ("I can't wait to see you, why don't you come here no more?")
The melody of the song was used by George Michael as an introduction to his song, "Faith
Faith (George Michael song)
"Faith" is a #1 song, written and performed by George Michael, released as a single on Columbia Records, from his 1987 Faith album. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1988....
", played on a church organ.
12": Epic / TA 4743 (UK)
- "Freedom [Long Version]" (7:14)
- "Freedom [Instrumental]" (5:10)
- Note "Long Version" is mislabeled as "Long Mix"
12": Maxi-Single (US)
- "Freedom [Long Mix]" — (6:16)
- "Hearbeat [Instrumental]" — (4:42)
- "Freedom [Instrumental]" — (5:10)
Chart performance
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 9 |
| Switzerland | 5 |
| Norway | 1 |
| Austria | 23 |
| France | 16 |
| Australia | 3 |
| UK | 1 |
| US (1985) | 3 |