I Feel Free
Encyclopedia
"I Feel Free" is a song first recorded by British rock group Cream
. The song's lyrics were written by Pete Brown
, its music by Jack Bruce
. It was the first track on the US issue of their debut album, Fresh Cream
(1966), and the band's second hit single
(the first being "Wrapping Paper
"). As with all tracks on Cream's US debut, producer's credit went to Robert Stigwood
.
"I Feel Free" showcases the band's musical diversity, effectively combining hard blues-rock
with psychedelic pop
.
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
by Robert Stigwood
and John Timperley. Stigwood made the decision to omit the song on the British release of Fresh Cream
, and instead released it as a single.
on December 17, 1966 at #50, hit its highest position on January 28, 1967 at #11, and was last seen on March 4, 1967 at #49; the song spent a total of 12 weeks on the charts.
in 1987 on her second solo album, Heaven on Earth, produced by Rick Nowels
. It was the fourth single released from the album, only released in the United States in the formats of CD single
, 7" single and 12" single. The 7" record has the song "Should I Let You In?" on the B-side, while the 12" record includes an extended mix and a dub
version. It peaked at number 88 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
. The extended version of the song was used in the 1988 film License to Drive
.
was featured on a Renault 21
commercial and became his only charter on the UK Singles Chart appearing for only one week at #95.
's box set 'Dreams'.
The Amboy Dukes
, guitarist Ted Nugent
's band in the late 1960s and early 1970s, included the song on their eponymous debut album
.
David Bowie
performed this song during his Ziggy Stardust
tour in 1972. Twenty-one years later, Bowie recorded the song for his Black Tie White Noise
album. This featured guitarist Mick Ronson
on a Bowie recording for the first time since 1973. Bowie's version was also included on a radio promo release of the single "Jump They Say
". A live version, recorded , at Kingston Polytechnic
, London
, was released on the semi-legal album RarestOneBowie
in 1994.
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
covered the song on their 1972 album "The Bridge In Blue".
Mark King
of Level 42
covered the track for his 1984 debut solo album Influences & it was released as a single which failed to make the UK charts.
Marcella Detroit
, aka Marcy Levy, covered "I Feel Free". She co-wrote "Lay Down Sally
" and worked with Eric Clapton during his solo career in the 70s and 80s. This was released on her and Elton John
's duet single, "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing," in 1994.
The Foo Fighters
included the song on their 2005 DOA
single, and also on Best Buy
exclusive E.P., Five Songs and a Cover
. Foo Fighters
' version features drummer Taylor Hawkins
on vocals, and the usual frontman Dave Grohl
on drums.
Gregorian
's 2006 album Masters of Chant Chapter V
includes this song in Gregorian style.
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
. The song's lyrics were written by Pete Brown
Pete Brown
Peter Ronald Brown is an English performance poet and lyricist.Best known for his collaborations with Jack Bruce, Brown also worked with The Battered Ornaments, formed his own group Pete Brown & Piblokto!, and worked with Graham Bond and Phil Ryan. Brown also writes film scores and formed a film...
, its music by Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
. It was the first track on the US issue of their debut album, Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream is the debut studio album by British supergroup Cream. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood's new "Independent" Reaction Records label, released in the United Kingdom as both a mono and stereo version on 9 December 1966, the same time as the single release of "I Feel...
(1966), and the band's second hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
(the first being "Wrapping Paper
Wrapping Paper
"Wrapping Paper" is a song with music composed by Jack Bruce and lyrics by Pete Brown, performed by Cream and originally released as a single in 1966 with "Cat's Squirrel" as the B side. It is featured on The Very Best of Cream...
"). As with all tracks on Cream's US debut, producer's credit went to Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
.
"I Feel Free" showcases the band's musical diversity, effectively combining hard blues-rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
with psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop is a psychedelic musical style inspired by the sounds of psychedelic folk and psychedelic rock, but applied to a pop music setting...
.
Background
"I Feel Free" was recorded in September 1966 at Ryemuse Studios. The track was recorded on an AmpexAmpex
Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
Reel-to-reel, open reel tape recording is the form of magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording medium is held on a reel, rather than being securely contained within a cassette....
by Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood
Robert Stigwood is an impresario and entertainment entrepreneur who relocated to England in 1954...
and John Timperley. Stigwood made the decision to omit the song on the British release of Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream
Fresh Cream is the debut studio album by British supergroup Cream. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood's new "Independent" Reaction Records label, released in the United Kingdom as both a mono and stereo version on 9 December 1966, the same time as the single release of "I Feel...
, and instead released it as a single.
Single track listings
| Name | Location | Format | Record Label | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "I Feel Free" b/w "N.S.U." | UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
7" 45rpm | Reaction 591 011 | December 1966 |
| "I Feel Free" b/w "N.S.U." | US United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
7" 45rpm | Atco Atco Records ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who... 6462 |
December 1966 |
| "I Feel Free" b/w "N.S.U." | Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
7" 45rpm | Polydor Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... 59 058 |
1966–1967 |
| "I Feel Free" b/w "White Room White Room "White Room" is a song by British "supergroup" Cream. The song was a psychedelic rock number written by bassist Jack Bruce and poet Pete Brown. It originally appeared on the US release of their double album, Wheels of Fire, by Atco Records in July 1968 and was released as a single in September 1968... " |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
7" 45rpm | RSO RSO Records RSO Records was a record label, formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood in 1973. The "RSO" stands for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. The company's main headquarters were at 67 Brook Street, in London's Mayfair... 2090 535 |
1970 |
| "I Feel Free" b/w "Badge Badge (song) "Badge" is a song performed by Cream, written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison. It was included as a track on Cream's final album, Goodbye. Peaking at number 60 on Billboard's Hot 100, "Badge" was a minor hit after its release as a single in April 1969... " |
UK | 7" 45rpm | Polydor POSP 812 | 1986 |
Chart position
"I Feel Free" first entered the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on December 17, 1966 at #50, hit its highest position on January 28, 1967 at #11, and was last seen on March 4, 1967 at #49; the song spent a total of 12 weeks on the charts.
Belinda Carlisle version
The song was covered by Belinda CarlisleBelinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
in 1987 on her second solo album, Heaven on Earth, produced by Rick Nowels
Rick Nowels
Richard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
. It was the fourth single released from the album, only released in the United States in the formats of CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
, 7" single and 12" single. The 7" record has the song "Should I Let You In?" on the B-side, while the 12" record includes an extended mix and a dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
version. It peaked at number 88 on the U.S. 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...
. The extended version of the song was used in the 1988 film License to Drive
License to Drive
License to Drive is a 1988 teen adventure film starring Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Heather Graham, Carol Kane, Richard Masur, Michael Manasseri and Nina Siemaszko. The screenplay was written by Neil Tolkin and directed by Greg Beeman....
.
Jack Bruce version
In 1986, a solo version by Jack BruceJack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
was featured on a Renault 21
Renault 21
The Renault 21 is a large family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1986 and 1994. It was also sold in North America through American Motors dealers as the Renault Medallion and the Eagle Medallion...
commercial and became his only charter on the UK Singles Chart appearing for only one week at #95.
Other cover versions
The Second Coming covered the song, which later appeared on The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
's box set 'Dreams'.
The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes were an American rock music band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and for launching the career of Ted Nugent...
, guitarist Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
's band in the late 1960s and early 1970s, included the song on their eponymous debut album
The Amboy Dukes (album)
The Amboy Dukes is the first studio album released by The Amboy Dukes featuring Ted Nugent. It was released in November 1967 on Mainstream Records .A remastered CD reissue was released in 1992 by Mainstream Direct Ltd...
.
David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
performed this song during his Ziggy Stardust
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
tour in 1972. Twenty-one years later, Bowie recorded the song for his Black Tie White Noise
Black Tie White Noise
Black Tie White Noise is an album by David Bowie. Released in 1993, it was his first solo release in the 1990s after spending time with his hard rock band Tin Machine, retiring his old hits on his Sound+Vision Tour, and marrying supermodel Iman Abdulmajid. This album featured his old guitarist from...
album. This featured guitarist Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
on a Bowie recording for the first time since 1973. Bowie's version was also included on a radio promo release of the single "Jump They Say
Jump They Say
"Jump They Say" is a song by David Bowie from his album Black Tie White Noise. It was released as a first single from the album in March 1993....
". A live version, recorded , at Kingston Polytechnic
Kingston University
Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, was released on the semi-legal album RarestOneBowie
RarestOneBowie
RarestOneBowie is a David Bowie compilation. This semi-legal release was one in the series of mid-nineties releases by MainMan, Bowie's former management company during the seventies...
in 1994.
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge
Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their million selling rendition of Jimmy Webb's "The Worst That Could Happen" .-History:...
covered the song on their 1972 album "The Bridge In Blue".
Mark King
Mark King (musician)
Mark King is an English musician. He is most famous for being the lead singer and bassist of the band, Level 42. In the early 1980s King popularized the 1970s-era slap and pop style for playing the bass guitar by incorporating it into pop music.-Early life:King was brought up on the Isle of Wight,...
of Level 42
Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
covered the track for his 1984 debut solo album Influences & it was released as a single which failed to make the UK charts.
Marcella Detroit
Marcella Detroit
Marcella Detroit is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She was a member of the band Shakespears Sister, along with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama. Detroit's soprano voice provided lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay," which was No...
, aka Marcy Levy, covered "I Feel Free". She co-wrote "Lay Down Sally
Lay Down Sally
"Lay Down Sally" is a single by Eric Clapton, written by Eric Clapton, Marcy Levy, and George Terry. It appeared on his November 1977 album Slowhand, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is a country blues performed in the style of J. J...
" and worked with Eric Clapton during his solo career in the 70s and 80s. This was released on her and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's duet single, "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing," in 1994.
The Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
included the song on their 2005 DOA
DOA (song)
-Video:The video for the single shows the band in a 360° revolving room and on a train where objects act as if the train is rotating. The band said that the video made them feel ill and they felt like wetting themselves. It was directed by Michael Palmieri....
single, and also on Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
exclusive E.P., Five Songs and a Cover
Five Songs and a Cover
Five Songs and a Cover is an EP released by the Foo Fighters in 2005. Released on November 20, 2005, it was exclusively distributed to Best Buy retail stores....
. Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
' version features drummer Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins
Oliver Taylor Hawkins is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters....
on vocals, and the usual frontman Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
on drums.
Gregorian
Gregorian
Gregorian might refer to:* The thought or ideology of Pope Gregory I or Pope Gregory VII *Things named for Pope Gregory I:**Gregorian chant** Gregorian mass**Brotherhood of Saint Gregory...
's 2006 album Masters of Chant Chapter V
Masters of Chant Chapter V
Masters of Chant Chapter V is the seventh album by German band Gregorian. It was released on March 31, 2006.Note that the album The Dark Side was also released in Oceania under the name Masters of Chant V...
includes this song in Gregorian style.
Other
- A Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
based appliance company named Warners' Stellian, which is a frequent television sponsor of Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
TV broadcasts, uses the song as its theme in its TV commercials. - "I Feel Free" was the first song ever played on legendary rock station WBCN in Boston, Massachusetts at approximately 10 p.m on March 15, 1968. It was also the second to last song played on the night of August 11, 2009, leading up to the station's format and callsign change.
- CreamCream (band)Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
's recording is featured in the 1983 period piecePeriod piece-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
Purple HazePurple Haze (film)Purple Haze is a 1982 dramedy about Matt Caulfield, a college student who is expelled for smoking cannabis, and subsequently drafted to Vietnam in the summer of 1968.- Plot summary :...
. - In December 2008, ComcastComcastComcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
started using the 1966 version on TV ads for its Triple Play combo of cable TV, broadband internet, and phone service.