Freeez
Encyclopedia
Freeez were a United Kingdom
dance music
group
from London
, known initially as one of the UK's main jazz-funk
bands of the early 1980s. Initiated by John Rocca
, Freeez consisted of various musician
s, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennet (keyboards
, Peter Maas (bass guitar
) and Paul Morgan or Everton Mcalla (drum
s). 1988 to 1990, he became a member of the electronic band Electra
.
album, "Keep in Touch
" (1980), included guitarist
Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick
, the initiator of the musical band Incognito
. Freeez is perhaps remembered best for its UK Top 10 song "Southern Freeez
", which included guest vocals
by Ingrid Mansfield Allman. In the UK, the band was contracted with the recording company
Beggars Banquet Records
.
The song "I.O.U.
", written, produced and mixed by Arthur Baker
(known then for his work with Afrika Bambaataa
), was also used for the 1980s breakdance movie
, Beat Street
. It scored two weeks at number one in the Billboard Dance
chart, scoring among songs by such people as Madonna
, Michael Jackson
and David Bowie
, and was number 2 in the UK Singles Chart
during the summer of 1983. It was followed by other releases from the album such as "Pop Goes My Love" / "Scratch Goes My Dub", which scored the U.S. Top 5. During 1987 a remix
of "I.O.U." scored number 18 on the U.S. dance chart, plus number 23 in the UK Singles Chart
.
Freeez reformed during 1984 without Rocca, or any of the other original members, other than Peter Maas. With a new style and almost a new group altogether, Maas worked with Louis Smith who assumed the duties of keyboard player, co-writer and programmer with Billy Crichton as songwriter and guitarist. The new Freeez then recorded an album, Idle Vice (1985) at Studio number 2 at Abbey Road Studios
in the same room where the Beatles
made their recordings. "That Beats My Patience
" was the first single from the album. Smith later to became a session keyboard player and toured with the rock music band The Escape Club
who had U.S. number one song "Wild, Wild West" and several other U.S. Top 10 successes. He also recorded as one half of Bass Kruncher with main guitarist John Holliday from The Escape Club.
Rocca and Stennet also recorded under other pseudo names such Pictures and Pink Rhythm during 1985.
Later in 1993/94 Peter Maas and Paul Morgan took the Freeez format again and reformed as the Dazzling Urbanites adding Poly Koutrouzas (Vocals) and Max Rutherford (Guitars) to the lineup. Despite extensive preparation and rehearsals in North London (Dukes Avenue, Muswell Hill) the original success was sadly never achieved.
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...
dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, known initially as one of the UK's main jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
bands of the early 1980s. Initiated by John Rocca
John Rocca
John Rocca became known first as a dance music performer, remixer and record producer. During the early 1980s, John Rocca formed, played with, wrote for, produced and managed his first musical band, Freeez, with success...
, Freeez consisted of various musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennet (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Peter Maas (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Paul Morgan or Everton Mcalla (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s). 1988 to 1990, he became a member of the electronic band Electra
Electra (band)
Electra was an electronic musical band founded by Paul Oakenfold in close collaboration with his friend his friend Steve Osborne. Electra was made up of Paul Oakenfold, Nick Divaris, John "Johnny" Rocca and Micky in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
.
Career
Freeez's first singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
album, "Keep in Touch
Keep In Touch
"Keep in Touch" is the debut single and first song by British jazz-funk/dance band Freeez under the name "Pink Rhythm".After that, they signed to Beggars Banquet Records which at that time was a small, rising company.-Chart performance:...
" (1980), included guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick
Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick
Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick is a British guitarist, bandleader, composer and record producer. He has led the British acid jazz band Incognito since its formation in 1979. With Incognito, he has released fourteen studio albums as well as a number of live albums, remix albums and compilation albums...
, the initiator of the musical band Incognito
Incognito (band)
Incognito is a British band, as well as one of the members of the United Kingdom's acid jazz movement. Their debut album, Jazz Funk, was released in 1981, with thirteen more albums following, the last of which, Transatlantic RPM, was released in 2010....
. Freeez is perhaps remembered best for its UK Top 10 song "Southern Freeez
Southern Freeez (song)
In May, 1987, the song was remixed and re-released by the label Total Control. The remix reached number #23 in the British singles chart.-Cover Versions:UK Soul Singer Beverley Knight covered 'Southern Freeez' for her 2011 album 'Soul UK.'...
", which included guest vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
by Ingrid Mansfield Allman. In the UK, the band was contracted with the recording company
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
.
The song "I.O.U.
I.O.U. (song)
"I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit.The song scored #2 in the UK Singles Chart earlier in 1983 before reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S., giving them their only chart-topping single on any chart in America. It...
", written, produced and mixed by Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker (musician)
Arthur Baker is an American record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and the British group New Order.-Early career:...
(known then for his work with Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
), was also used for the 1980s breakdance movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Beat Street
Beat Street
Beat Street is a 1984 drama film, following Wild Style in featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s; breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti.-Plot:...
. It scored two weeks at number one in the Billboard Dance
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart, scoring among songs by such people as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and was number 2 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
during the summer of 1983. It was followed by other releases from the album such as "Pop Goes My Love" / "Scratch Goes My Dub", which scored the U.S. Top 5. During 1987 a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of "I.O.U." scored number 18 on the U.S. dance chart, plus number 23 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Freeez reformed during 1984 without Rocca, or any of the other original members, other than Peter Maas. With a new style and almost a new group altogether, Maas worked with Louis Smith who assumed the duties of keyboard player, co-writer and programmer with Billy Crichton as songwriter and guitarist. The new Freeez then recorded an album, Idle Vice (1985) at Studio number 2 at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in the same room where the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
made their recordings. "That Beats My Patience
That Beats My Patience
"That Beats My Patience" is a non-charted song by British group Freeez from album "Idle Vice", released by Beggars Banquet Records.-UK & French single:# A "That Beats My Patience" - 5:50# B "All The Way", "Tell Me What To Do" - 11:08-Credits:...
" was the first single from the album. Smith later to became a session keyboard player and toured with the rock music band The Escape Club
The Escape Club
The Escape Club began in 1983 as an English pop rock band based in London. The band was composed of former Mad Shadows members' lead singer/rhythm guitarist Trevor Steel and guitarist John Holliday, along with former Expressos members bassist Johnnie Christo and drummer Milan Zekavica...
who had U.S. number one song "Wild, Wild West" and several other U.S. Top 10 successes. He also recorded as one half of Bass Kruncher with main guitarist John Holliday from The Escape Club.
Rocca and Stennet also recorded under other pseudo names such Pictures and Pink Rhythm during 1985.
Later in 1993/94 Peter Maas and Paul Morgan took the Freeez format again and reformed as the Dazzling Urbanites adding Poly Koutrouzas (Vocals) and Max Rutherford (Guitars) to the lineup. Despite extensive preparation and rehearsals in North London (Dukes Avenue, Muswell Hill) the original success was sadly never achieved.
Singles
| Year | Song Title / Label | U.S. Club Play Singles Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
U.S. R&B singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1980 | "Keep In Touch Keep In Touch "Keep in Touch" is the debut single and first song by British jazz-funk/dance band Freeez under the name "Pink Rhythm".After that, they signed to Beggars Banquet Records which at that time was a small, rising company.-Chart performance:... " (Pye) |
- | 49 | - |
| July 1980 | "Stay" / "Hot Footin' It" (Pink Rhythm) | - | - | - |
| February 1981 | "Southern Freeez Southern Freeez (song) In May, 1987, the song was remixed and re-released by the label Total Control. The remix reached number #23 in the British singles chart.-Cover Versions:UK Soul Singer Beverley Knight covered 'Southern Freeez' for her 2011 album 'Soul UK.'... " (Beggars Banquet) |
- | 8 | - |
| April 1981 | "Flying High Flying High (Freeez song) "Flying High" is the third single from Freeez' debut album "Southern Freeez"."Flying High" performed moderately well in the UK, peaking at #26 on the UK Singles Chart -1981:-Credits:*Bass guitar by Peter Maas*Drums by Paul Morgan... " (Beggars Banquet) |
- | 35 | - |
| November 1981 | "Anti-Freez (Set Me Free)" / "Mountain Man" (Beggars Banquet) | - | - | - |
| June 1982 | "One To One One to One (song) "One to One" is the fourth single by British jazz-funk band Freeez. The single was released by Beggars Banquet.Although the single failed to chart, the song appeared on the band's greatest hits album, "Anti-Freeez", in 1984.... " (Beggars Banquet) |
- | - | - |
| June 1983 | "I.O.U. I.O.U. (song) "I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit.The song scored #2 in the UK Singles Chart earlier in 1983 before reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S., giving them their only chart-topping single on any chart in America. It... " (Beggars Banquet) |
1 | 2 | 13 |
| October 1983 | "Pop Goes My Love"/"Scratch Goes My Dub Pop Goes My Love/Scratch Goes My Dub 7" vinyl* UK, Spanish and German-Charts:-Credits:*Written by Maas, Rocca, Stennett, and Baker*Produced and mixed by Arthur Baker**Mixed at Unique**Engineers: Frank Heller, Jay Burnett*Recorded at Unique, Vanguard; Daily Planet, NYC... " (Beggars Banquet) |
5 | 26 | 47 |
| November 1983 | "Love's Gonna Get You" (Beggars Banquet) | - | - | - |
| 1984 | "That Beats My Patience That Beats My Patience "That Beats My Patience" is a non-charted song by British group Freeez from album "Idle Vice", released by Beggars Banquet Records.-UK & French single:# A "That Beats My Patience" - 5:50# B "All The Way", "Tell Me What To Do" - 11:08-Credits:... " (Beggars Banquet) |
- | - | - |
| "Train of Thoughts" (Beggars Banquet) | - | - | - | |
| January 1987 | "I.O.U." (remix Remix A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song .... ) (Citybeat) |
37 | 23 | - |
| May 1987 | "Southern Freeez" (remix) (Total Control) | - | 63 | - |
Albums
| Album Title / Label | Release date | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| Southern Freeez Southern Freeez (album) Southern Freeez is debut album by the British jazz-funk band Freeez, released in 1981 by Beggars Banquet.-Track listing:All songs written by Freeez except where noted.#"Mariposa" - 5:40#"Carrabean Winter" - 5:15... (Beggars Banquet) |
February 1981 | - | - | 17 |
| Gonna Get You Gonna Get You Gonna Get You is the second album by the British jazz-funk/post-disco group Freeez, released in United Kingdom on 1983 by Beggars Banquet, and in Japan on 1984 by Victor Musical Industries.... (Beggars Banquet) |
October 1983 | - | - | 46 |
| I.O.U. (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) | 1983 | - | - | - |
| Idle Vice (Beggars Banquet) | 1984 | - | - | - |
See also
- ElectraElectra (band)Electra was an electronic musical band founded by Paul Oakenfold in close collaboration with his friend his friend Steve Osborne. Electra was made up of Paul Oakenfold, Nick Divaris, John "Johnny" Rocca and Micky in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart