Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Free (Deniece Williams song)

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Released
  
March, 1976

Recorded
  
Autumn 1975

Label
  
Columbia

Format
  
7", CD single

Genre
  
Soul, R&B

Writer(s)
  
Deniece Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts, Susaye Greene

"Free" is a popular 1976 song by Deniece Williams which was included on her album This Is Niecy. Written by Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts and Susaye Greene and produced by Maurice White (of Earth, Wind and Fire) and Charles Stepney.

"Free" was Williams' breakthrough single as it reached No. 2 on the US Billboard R&B chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in the UK it stayed at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1977.

Covers

  • Zhané performed the song as guest stars on the New York Undercover episode "Mama Said Knock You Out".
  • Polish jazz musician Michał Urbaniak covered the song in Ecstasy (1978).
  • Billy MacKenzie covered the song in 1991, on B.E.F.'s Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two.
  • Chanté Moore recorded "Free" for her 1994 album A Love Supreme, with a sampling of "Sail On" from the Commodores.
  • Debelah Morgan recorded an upbeat version of this song for her debut album Debelah in 1994.
  • In 1998, M-Doc's version of the song recorded for his album Young, Black, Rich and Famous and released as the lead single charted at number sixty-one on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles.
  • Towa Tei produced a track called "Free" heavily based on the song in 2002.
  • Juanita Dailey covered the song from her first and only album of the same title, released in 1998.
  • In 2002, En Vogue performed the song on their concert DVD, Live in the USA.
  • Bassist Marcus Miller recorded "Free" for his 2007 album of the same name. Corinne Bailey Rae provided lead vocals.
  • Seal recorded this song for his 2008 album Soul.
  • Bebi Dol recorded song for her cover album Čovek rado izvan sebe živi.
  • DJ Nate used loops from the song for his Juke-track "Free" on the 2010 album Da Trak Genious.
  • Will Downing covered "Free" on his self-titled debut album in 1988.
  • In 2012, Skye Townsend, an independent R&B-soul and Pop artist covered and performed the song as a spoken-word poem featuring Wyann Vaughn. The song was featured on her debut EP album, Vomit.
  • UK singer Max Marshall done a cover in 2014 titled "be free"
  • The Pale Fountains covered the song in 1983 and it appears on their album "Longshot For Your Love"
  • English Soul-tronica band Queen's Troubadour did a remake of Williams' song titled "Free '14"

    • References

    Free (Deniece Williams song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA