Free (Deniece Williams song)
Encyclopedia
"Free" is a popular 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 #2 on the Billboard Black singles chart and #25 on the Billboard Hot 100
and in the UK it stayed at #1 on the singles chart for two weeks in May 1977.
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
which was included on her album This Is Niecy
This Is Niecy
This Is Niecy is the debut album by Gary, Indiana singer Deniece Williams. Released in 1976 on Columbia Records. Produced by Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White along with Charles Stepney.-Reception:...
. Written by Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts and Susaye Greene
Susaye Greene
Susaye Greene , is an African-American singer, best known for being the last official member to join Motown girl group The Supremes, remaining in the group during its final years of existence from 1976 to 1977.-Early life and career:...
and produced by Maurice White
Maurice White
Maurice White is a Grammy Award–winning American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and Fred White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire...
(of Earth, Wind and Fire) and Charles Stepney
Charles Stepney
Charles Stepney was a producer, arranger, songwriter and musician famous for his Orchestral Psychedelic soul sound with Chicago's Cadet/Chess records in the 1960s/1970s and afterwards with Earth, Wind & Fire....
. "Free" was Williams' breakthrough single as it reached #2 on the Billboard Black singles chart and #25 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and in the UK it stayed at #1 on the singles chart for two weeks in May 1977.
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | U.S. Black Singles | 2 |
| 1976 | U.S. Pop Singles | 25 |
| 1977 | UK Pop Singles | 1 |
Covers
- ZhaneZhaneZhané was an American R&B/hip hop soul duo, best known for their 1994 hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which reached #6 in the U.S. Other popular hits include "Groove Thang" and minor hit "Sending My Love," both released in 1994...
performed the song as guest stars on the New York UndercoverNew York UndercoverNew York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
episode "Mama Said Knock You Out". - Billy MacKenzieBilly MackenzieWilliam MacArthur "Billy" Mackenzie was a Scottish singer, with a distinctive falsetto voice best known as a member of The Associates.- Biography :...
covered the song in 1991, on B.E.F.'s Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two. - Chanté MooreChanté MooreChanté Moore is an American R&B and jazz singer.-Biography:Born to a gospel minister, she grew up singing in the church and was heavily influenced by the music of George Duke and Lee Ritenour. While in high school, she decided to make a career of singing...
recorded "Free" for her 1994 album A Love SupremeA Love SupremeA Love Supreme is a studio album recorded by John Coltrane's quartet in December 1964 and released by Impulse! Records in February 1965...
, with a sampling of "Sail On" from the CommodoresCommodoresThe Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
. - Debelah MorganDebelah MorganDebelah Morgan is an American Singer and Songwriter. Morgan is best known for her hit single "Dance with Me," off of her third album, which reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100...
recorded an upbeat version of this song for her debut album DebelahDebelahDebelah is the first album of American singer Debelah Morgan. It was released in the United States by Atlantic Records on June 14, 1994....
in 1994. - In 1998, M-DocM-DocM-Doc is a rap artist and producer who was signed to RCA Records and Smash Records in the 1990s. He scored minor chart success with the singles "Free" and "It's a Summer Thang" featuring Chantay Savage...
's version of the song recorded for his album Young, Black, Rich and FamousYoung, Black, Rich and FamousYoung, Black, Rich and Famous is the third album by the rap artist, producer and songwriter M-Doc.The set felt somewhere between rap and R&B, and its ambitions were probably best realized on the lead single, which was a cover of the Deniece Williams' number one hit from 1977 "Free" M-Doc's version...
and released as the lead single charted at number sixty-one on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles. - Towa TeiTowa Teiis a DJ, artist and record producer in Yokahoma, Japan.Tōwa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the U.S. label Elektra Records in 1990, and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart"...
produced a track called "Free" heavily based on the song in 2002. - Urban jazzUrban jazzUrban jazz is the fusion of smooth jazz and R&B/hip-hop music. Urban jazz usually contains strong R&B percussion and bass lines. A few of the better known urban jazz artists are Boney James, Ronny Jordan, Nick Colionne, Wayman Tisdale, Najee, and Paul Jackson, Jr.Some of the more successful...
bassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Marcus MillerMarcus MillerMarcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
recorded "Free" for his 2007 album of the same nameFree (Marcus Miller album)Free is an album by Jazz bassist Marcus Miller. It was released in 2007.The album's title track is a cover of the 1977 Deniece Williams song. UK soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae provided lead vocals. "Higher Ground" is a song originally by Stevie Wonder, and "What Is Hip" was originally performed...
. Corinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
provided lead vocals. - SealSeal (musician)Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
recorded this song for his 2008 album Soul. - SerbianSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
female singer Bebi Dol recorded song for her cover albumCover Album-Tracklisting:#Misono to Utaou! Animedley I # #...
It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World. - DJ Nate used loops from the song for his JukeGhetto houseGhetto house, or booty house, is a type of Chicago House which started being recognised in its own right from around 1992 onwards. It features minimal 808 and 909 drum machine-driven tracks, and sometimes sexually explicit lyrics....
-track "Free" on the 2010 album Da Trak Genious. - Will Downing covered "Free" on his self titled debut album in 1988.
- Marcus MillerMarcus MillerMarcus Miller is an American jazz composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonist David Sanborn, as well as maintaining a prolific solo career...
covers "Free" with singer Corinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
on the albums "Free" (Released in 2007) and "Marcus" (Released in 2008).