Freeez
Freeez | |
---|---|
Origin | London, England |
Genres | Jazz-funk, electro, freestyle, post-disco |
Years active | 1978–1985 |
Labels | Beggars Banquet, Streetwise, City Beat, Virgin |
Past members | John Rocca Peter Maas Andy Stennett Gordon Sullivan Paul Morgan Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick |
Freeez were an English electronic music group, initially known as one of the UK's main jazz-funk bands of the early 1980s before transitioning to an electro style.[1] Initiated by John Rocca, Freeez consisted of various musicians, originally with Rocca and others such as Andy Stennett (keyboards), Peter Maas (bass guitar) and Paul Morgan or Everton McCalla (drums). They had an international hit with "IOU", and a UK top 10 with "Southern Freeez".[2]
Career
The jazz funk band Freeez started in North London in 1978.
Freeez's last and biggest hit (a top 5 hit in many countries around the world) was the song "
Freeez reformed during 1984 without John Rocca, or any of the other original members, other than Peter Maas.[2] 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 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 Stennett also recorded under other pseudonyms such Pictures and Pink Rhythm during 1985 and John Rocca went on to score two further solo number one
Later in 1993–94, 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 never achieved.[citation needed]
Late 2011 saw the first CD release of their 1980 debut album Southern Freeez. The CD came as a double 'expanded' two-disc set featuring 12-inch versions, remixes and rare demos as well as newly written inlay booklet featuring notes from John Rocca and Maas. Their second album Gonna Get You has also been reissued in the same way.
Discography
Albums
Year | Album title / Label | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] | |||||
1981 | Southern Freeez (Beggars Banquet) | 17 | |||
1983 | Gonna Get You (Beggars Banquet) | 46 | |||
I.O.U. (Streetwise, Beggars Banquet) | — | ||||
1984 | Anti-Freeez (Beggars Banquet) | — | |||
1985 | Idle Vice (Beggars Banquet) | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Singles
Year | Song title / Label | Peak chart positions | Certifications
| |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [6] |
US Dance [7] |
UK
[8] |
US R&B [7] |
NLD
[9] |
BEL [10] | |||
1980 | "Keep in Touch" (Pye) | — | — | 49 | — | — | — | |
"Stay" / "Hot Footin' It" (Pink Rhythm) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981 | "Southern Freeez" (Beggars Banquet) | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | |
"Flying High" (Beggars Banquet) | — | — | 35 | — | — | — | ||
"Anti-Freeez (Set Me Free)" / "Mountain Man" (Beggars Banquet) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982 | "One to One" (Beggars Banquet) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
1983 | "I.O.U." (Beggars Banquet) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 3 |
|
"Pop Goes My Love" / "Scratch Goes My Dub" (Beggars Banquet) | — | 5 | 26 | 47 | 24 | 10 | ||
" Love's Gonna Get You " (Beggars Banquet)
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1984 | "That Beats My Patience" (Beggars Banquet) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Train of Thoughts" (Beggars Banquet) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1987 | "I.O.U." (remix) (Citybeat) | — | 37 | 23 | — | — | — | |
"Southern Freeez" (remix) (Total Control) | — | — | 63 | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References
- ^ a b "Freeez | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
- ^ "Disco-funk.co.uk". Disco-Funk.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Beggars.com". Beggars.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b "Freeez Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "FREEEZ - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "FREEEZ - IOU". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ^ "FREEEZ - POP GOES MY LOVE". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ^ "Freeez - Southern Freeez". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "Freeez - I.O.U." bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2022.