Free (Deniece Williams song)

"Free"
Single by Deniece Williams
from the album This Is Niecy
Released	March, 1976
Format	7", CD single
Recorded	Autumn 1975
Genre	Soul, R&B
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Deniece Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts, Susaye Greene
Producer(s)	Maurice White, Charles Stepney

"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 chart for two weeks in May 1977.^[1][2]

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1976	US R&B	2
1976	US Billboard Hot 100	25
1977	UK Singles Chart	1

^[1][3]

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.^[4]
• 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.^[5][6]
• Seal recorded this song for his 2008 album Soul.^[7]
• Bebi Dol recorded song for her cover album Čovek rado izvan sebe živi.^[8]
• 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.
• Marcus Miller covers "Free" with singer Corinne Bailey Rae on the albums "Free" (Released in 2007) and "Marcus" (Released in 2008).
• 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

1. Andy Kellman. "This Is Niecy - Deniece Williams | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 339. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
3. "ChartArchive - Deniece Williams". Retrieved 2014-03-28.
4. "Young, Black, Rich and Famous - M-Doc | Awards". AllMusic. 1998-10-27. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
5. "Free overview". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
6. "Jazz Vibes by Ginger Dee". Atlantajazz.info. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
7. "Free - Deniece Williams | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
8. "Bebi Dol - Čovek Rado Izvan Sebe Živi (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.