Freedom Suite
Encyclopedia
Freedom Suite is a the fifth studio album (a double album
) by rock
band The Rascals
, released in March 1969. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top LPs chart
and also reached number 40 on the Billboard Black Albums chart, the last Rascals album to appear there.
, as musicians were wont to produce at the time. Packaging included a shiny silver gatefold album cover
, colored sleeves with the song lyrics printed on them, and illustrations drawn by members of the group. The latter varied from idealistic visions of trumpeting angels to Eastern-influenced sketchings to drummer Dino Danelli
's faithful homage to El Greco
's Christ
. The inclusion of the instrumentals—one polished track ("Adrian's Birthday," named in honor of recording engineer Adrian Barber), one jam session ("Cute"), and a Danelli drum solo ("Boom")—seemed an effort by The Rascals to establish themselves as an "album" group rather than a "singles" group.
The first LP
of the set contained conventional songs, while the second contained instrumentals. Various session musician
s, including bassist Chuck Rainey
and saxophonists King Curtis
and David "Fathead" Newman
, augmented the band's normal line-up on several selections.
The album contained the Rascals' last #1 hit single "People Got To Be Free
," which was released in advance of the album in mid-1968. "Any Dance'll Do" and "Heaven" were also issued as singles. "People Got to Be Free" was inspired by the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Cavaliere was quoted in Billboard magazine, remarking "After King and Kennedy and what happened in Chicago, we just had to say something."
Prior to this album, the Rascals' primary vocalists Felix Cavaliere
and Eddie Brigati
co-authored most of the band's original songs. On Freedom Suite, however, that trend began to change, with Cavaliere credited as sole author of four of the album's vocal tracks. Brigati's songwriting and vocal contributions would continue to decline on subsequent albums.
. It also reached #40 on the Billboard Black Albums chart, the last Rascals album to appear there.
It was not especially well received; critic Lester Bangs
would later write that Freedom Suite suffered from "excess," while critic Dave Marsh
would later write that it "sowed the seeds of the group's demise, [as it] reflected an attempt to join the psychedelic craze."
Writing for Allmusic, critic Thom Jurek wrote of the album "if that outing [Once Upon a Dream] had been ambitious and even visionary, Freedom Suite, released in 1969 as the group's fifth album, was off the map. The band dug in and wrote a single LP's worth of solid tunes including a quartet of fine singles."
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
) by rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
, released in March 1969. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top LPs chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and also reached number 40 on the Billboard Black Albums chart, the last Rascals album to appear there.
History
Freedom Suite was an ambitious effort and something of a concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, as musicians were wont to produce at the time. Packaging included a shiny silver gatefold album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
, colored sleeves with the song lyrics printed on them, and illustrations drawn by members of the group. The latter varied from idealistic visions of trumpeting angels to Eastern-influenced sketchings to drummer Dino Danelli
Dino Danelli
Dino Danelli is best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group, The Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in history."...
's faithful homage to El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
's Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. The inclusion of the instrumentals—one polished track ("Adrian's Birthday," named in honor of recording engineer Adrian Barber), one jam session ("Cute"), and a Danelli drum solo ("Boom")—seemed an effort by The Rascals to establish themselves as an "album" group rather than a "singles" group.
The first LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
of the set contained conventional songs, while the second contained instrumentals. Various session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s, including bassist Chuck Rainey
Chuck Rainey
Chuck Rainey, is an American bass guitar session musician, known for playing with many well-known American musicians and acts, including Donald Byrd, Steely Dan, Quincy Jones, and Aretha Franklin.-Biography:Rainey's youthful pursuits included violin, piano and trumpet...
and saxophonists King Curtis
King Curtis
Curtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...
and David "Fathead" Newman
David Newman (jazz musician)
David "Fathead" Newman was an American jazz saxophonist.-Biography:Born in Corsicana, Texas, Newman's professional career as a musician began in 1954 as a member of the Ray Charles Band....
, augmented the band's normal line-up on several selections.
The album contained the Rascals' last #1 hit single "People Got To Be Free
People Got to Be Free
"People Got to Be Free" is a song released in 1968 by The Rascals. Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati and featuring a lead vocal from Cavaliere, it is an upbeat but impassioned plea for tolerance and freedom:...
," which was released in advance of the album in mid-1968. "Any Dance'll Do" and "Heaven" were also issued as singles. "People Got to Be Free" was inspired by the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Cavaliere was quoted in Billboard magazine, remarking "After King and Kennedy and what happened in Chicago, we just had to say something."
Prior to this album, the Rascals' primary vocalists Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
and Eddie Brigati
Eddie Brigati
Eddie Brigati is an American singer and songwriter.Most memorably, Brigati shared vocals, and played tambourine, in the pop group The Young Rascals from 1965 to 1970...
co-authored most of the band's original songs. On Freedom Suite, however, that trend began to change, with Cavaliere credited as sole author of four of the album's vocal tracks. Brigati's songwriting and vocal contributions would continue to decline on subsequent albums.
Reception
The album was RIAA-certified as a gold record on April 21, 1969, rising to #17 on the Billboard Top LPs chartBillboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It also reached #40 on the Billboard Black Albums chart, the last Rascals album to appear there.
It was not especially well received; critic Lester Bangs
Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism....
would later write that Freedom Suite suffered from "excess," while critic Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
would later write that it "sowed the seeds of the group's demise, [as it] reflected an attempt to join the psychedelic craze."
Writing for Allmusic, critic Thom Jurek wrote of the album "if that outing [Once Upon a Dream] had been ambitious and even visionary, Freedom Suite, released in 1969 as the group's fifth album, was off the map. The band dug in and wrote a single LP's worth of solid tunes including a quartet of fine singles."
Side One
- "America the Beautiful" (Felix CavaliereFelix CavaliereFelix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
) – 2:50 - "Me and My Friends" (Gene CornishGene CornishGene Cornish is an American guitarist and harmonica player. He is an original member of the popular 1960s blue-eyed soul band the Rascals. From 1965–70, the band recorded eight albums and had thirteen singles that reached Billboard's Top 40 chart...
) – 2:42 - "Any Dance'll Do" (Cavaliere) – 2:19
- "Look Around" (Eddie BrigatiEddie BrigatiEddie Brigati is an American singer and songwriter.Most memorably, Brigati shared vocals, and played tambourine, in the pop group The Young Rascals from 1965 to 1970...
, Cavaliere) – 3:03 - "A Ray of Hope" (Brigati, Cavaliere) – 3:40
Side Two
- "Island of Love" (Brigati, Cavaliere) – 2:22
- "Of Course" (Brigati, Cavaliere) – 2:40
- "Love Was So Easy to Give" (Cornish) – 2:42
- "People Got to Be FreePeople Got to Be Free"People Got to Be Free" is a song released in 1968 by The Rascals. Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati and featuring a lead vocal from Cavaliere, it is an upbeat but impassioned plea for tolerance and freedom:...
" (Brigati, Cavaliere) – 2:57 - "Baby I'm Blue" (Cavaliere) – 2:47
- "Heaven" (Cavaliere) – 3:22
Side Three
- "Adrian's Birthday" (Cavaliere, Cornish, Dino DanelliDino DanelliDino Danelli is best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group, The Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in history."...
) – 4:46 - "Boom" (Danelli) – 13:34
The Rascals
- Felix CavaliereFelix CavaliereFelix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
- organ, piano, lead vocals on most songs, backing vocals - Eddie BrigatiEddie BrigatiEddie Brigati is an American singer and songwriter.Most memorably, Brigati shared vocals, and played tambourine, in the pop group The Young Rascals from 1965 to 1970...
- conga drums and tambourine on "Cute", lead vocals on "Any Dance'll Do" and "Island of Love", backing vocals - Gene CornishGene CornishGene Cornish is an American guitarist and harmonica player. He is an original member of the popular 1960s blue-eyed soul band the Rascals. From 1965–70, the band recorded eight albums and had thirteen singles that reached Billboard's Top 40 chart...
- guitar, lead vocals on "Me & My Friends" and "Love Was So Easy to Give", backing vocals - Dino DanelliDino DanelliDino Danelli is best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group, The Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in history."...
- drums
Additional musicians
- Chuck RaineyChuck RaineyChuck Rainey, is an American bass guitar session musician, known for playing with many well-known American musicians and acts, including Donald Byrd, Steely Dan, Quincy Jones, and Aretha Franklin.-Biography:Rainey's youthful pursuits included violin, piano and trumpet...
, Richard Davis, Gerald Jemmott - bass guitar - David BrigatiDavid BrigatiDavid Brigati is an American singer.-Hi-Fives:David got his musical start as the lead singer of a doo-wop group known as the Hi-Fives. In 1958, the group recorded a number of songs on the Decca label. One of those recordings was entitled "Dorothy" and became a regional hit in the New York...
- backing vocals - King CurtisKing CurtisCurtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...
- tenor sax solo on "Of Course" - David NewmanDavid Newman (jazz musician)David "Fathead" Newman was an American jazz saxophonist.-Biography:Born in Corsicana, Texas, Newman's professional career as a musician began in 1954 as a member of the Ray Charles Band....
- tenor sax solo on "Adrian's Birthday"
Production
- Arif MardinArif MardinArif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
, Charles Morrow - arrangements - Adrian BarberAdrian BarberAdrian Barber is a musician / producer who is responsible for recording the Beatles "Gray Zone" Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.-Musician / electronics:...
, Tom DowdTom DowdTom Dowd was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Dowd worked on a virtual "who's who" of recordings that encompassed blues, jazz, pop, rock and soul records.- Early years :Born in Manhattan, Dowd grew...
, Don Casale - recording engineers