Looking for Freedom (song)
Encyclopedia
"Looking for Freedom", with music by Jack White
and lyric by Gary Cowtan, came out as a single
from David Hasselhoff
in 1989 (originally released in 1978 with German singer Marc Seaberg). The song held the No. 1 positions in the former West Germany
for 8 weeks and in Switzerland
for 4 weeks. Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
ranked it at #98 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that Hasselhoff "testifies to the power of music — horrible, horrible music — to unite and uplift us all."
Schlager
'Auf der Straße nach Süden' performed in 1978 by Tony Marshall
. Neither was it a revamped Irish folk song, as once stated by David Hasselhoff on a TV talk show.
The composer was Jack White (German) and "Looking for Freedom" was the original title and lyric of the song, written by Gary Cowtan (British). It was already finished before Jon Athan began writing the German lyric. The later recorded German version sung by Tony Marshall was released some weeks after the original version sung by Marc Seaberg. The misleading factor was that Marc Seaberg was a new artist in 1978, whereas Tony Marshall was already an established star. Both of these versions, recorded at Hansa Studio 2 in Berlin, used the same instrumental tracks and some of these were again used on David Hasselhoff's 1989 version, which was completed in Los Angeles. All three versions were produced by Jack White.
dansband
, pop
and country
singer Kikki Danielsson
covered
the song on her 2006 album I dag & i morgon
. Even if the lyrics don't fit on her background, she performs the original words.
In 2006, German
basketball
player Dirk Nowitzki
joked that he sings the song before free throw
s.
A Norwegian
Telephone company Telenor launched their new subscription "Djuice Freedom" and in their commercial, David Hasselhoff was shown singing the song, and the voice over said: "David Hasselhoff is looking for freedom, Are you?"
CD maxi
12" maxi
Jack White (producer)
Jack White is a music composer and producer.- Musical work :White started out as a songwriter/producer for German singers in the early 70s and then developed an international style mainly as a producer...
and lyric by Gary Cowtan, came out as a single
Single (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...
from David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
in 1989 (originally released in 1978 with German singer Marc Seaberg). The song held the No. 1 positions in the former West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
for 8 weeks and in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
for 4 weeks. Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
ranked it at #98 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that Hasselhoff "testifies to the power of music — horrible, horrible music — to unite and uplift us all."
Lyrics
The song is about a rich man's son who wants to make his own way in the world, rather than to have everything given to him. Contrary to popular belief and although those two songs are linked, it was not a cover version of the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
'Auf der Straße nach Süden' performed in 1978 by Tony Marshall
Tony Marshall (singer)
Tony Marshall is a German Schlager and opera singer.Born in Baden-Baden as Herbert Anton Bloeth , Marshall trained as an opera singer in Karlsruhe, graduating in 1965...
. Neither was it a revamped Irish folk song, as once stated by David Hasselhoff on a TV talk show.
The composer was Jack White (German) and "Looking for Freedom" was the original title and lyric of the song, written by Gary Cowtan (British). It was already finished before Jon Athan began writing the German lyric. The later recorded German version sung by Tony Marshall was released some weeks after the original version sung by Marc Seaberg. The misleading factor was that Marc Seaberg was a new artist in 1978, whereas Tony Marshall was already an established star. Both of these versions, recorded at Hansa Studio 2 in Berlin, used the same instrumental tracks and some of these were again used on David Hasselhoff's 1989 version, which was completed in Los Angeles. All three versions were produced by Jack White.
Cover versions and uses in the media
SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
dansband
Dansband
Dansband is a Swedish term for a band that plays dansbandsmusik . Dansbandsmusik is often danced to in pairs. Jitterbug and foxtrot music are often included in this category. The music is primarily inspired by swing, schlager, country, jazz, and rock...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Kikki Danielsson
Kikki Danielsson
Ann-Kristin "Kikki" Danielsson is a Swedish country, dansband and pop singer. Sometimes, she also plays the accordion and she has also written some lyrics. She is also famous for yodeling in some songs. Kikki Danielsson gained her largest popularity in the Nordic region from the late 1970s until...
covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
the song on her 2006 album I dag & i morgon
I dag & i morgon
I dag & i morgon was released on April 12, 2006, and is a compilation album from Swedish pop and country singer Kikki Danielsson. The album also contains four new-released recordings: "Yesterday Once More", "Looking for Freedom", "Blue Virgin Isles" and The Eagles' classic "New Kid in Town", which...
. Even if the lyrics don't fit on her background, she performs the original words.
In 2006, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
joked that he sings the song before free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s.
A Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Telephone company Telenor launched their new subscription "Djuice Freedom" and in their commercial, David Hasselhoff was shown singing the song, and the voice over said: "David Hasselhoff is looking for freedom, Are you?"
Track listings
7" single- "Looking for Freedom" — 3:55
- "Looking for Freedom" (instrumental) — 3:55
CD maxi
- "Looking for Freedom" (maxi version — vocal) — 5:32
- "Looking for Freedom" (single version — vocal) — 3:55
- "Looking for Freedom" (single version — instrumental) — 3:55
12" maxi
- "Looking for Freedom" (maxi version — vocal) — 5:32
- "Looking for Freedom" (single version — vocal) — 3:55
- "Looking for Freedom" (single version — instrumental) — 3:55
Peak positions
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 12 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1989) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Platinum | 1989 | 500,000 |