| 'I'm Free' | |
|---|---|
| Single by the Rolling Stones | |
| from the album Out of Our Heads (UK) | |
| A-side | 'Get off of My Cloud' (USA) |
| Released | 25 October 1965 |
| Recorded | 6 September 1965 |
| Studio | RCA, Hollywood, California |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 2:24 |
| Label | London (45-LON 9792) |
| Songwriter(s) | Jagger/Richards |
| Producer(s) | Andrew Loog Oldham |
'I'm Free' is a song by the Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, first released as the final track on the UK Out of Our Heads album on 24 September 1965. It was also released at the same time as a single in the US and later included on the American December's Children (And Everybody's) album.
Rolling Stones versions[edit]
The Soup Dragons, from Scotland, were just the kind of indie thrasher band that would sing about shyness – and they did, on Hang Ten, to good effect. The spirit of the age looms large in the. The Soup Dragons Rock 1986; Listen on Apple Music. Listen on Apple Music. TITLE TIME; 1 Hang Ten! 2:15: 2 Just Mind Your Step Girl 1:47: 3.
The Rolling Stones recorded a re-worked acoustic version for their 1995 album Stripped, and performed a live version in the 2008 film Shine a Light, which was included on the accompanying live album.
In 2007 a remixed version of the original recording was used in a television commercial for the Chase Freedom credit card and in 2008 it was used in a UK commercial for a Renault SUV.
The original vinyl bootleg Live'r Than You'll Ever Be included a live version recorded in Oakland, California, in November 1969.
Music and reception[edit]
Rolling Stone magazine ranked 'I'm Free' as the 78th greatest Rolling Stones song, saying: 'A tambourine-spangled folk rocker with chime-y, Byrds-like guitar, this offhandedly libertarian tune wasn't a big hit, but it's one of the Sixties' most pliant anthems.'[1]The Guardian identified the song as an example of the improving songwriting of Jagger and Richards at the time, describing the song as 'gleefully hymning the arrogance of youth.'[2]
The song uses a line from the Beatles' 1964 song 'Eight Days a Week': 'Hold me, love me, hold me, love me.'
Personnel[edit]
- Mick Jagger – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Keith Richards – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Jones – rhythm guitar, organ
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar
- Charlie Watts – drums
- James W. Alexander – tambourine
The Soup Dragons version[edit]
| 'I'm Free' | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Soup Dragons featuring Junior Reid | ||||
| from the album Lovegod | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 3:58 | |||
| Label | Big Life | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jagger/Richards | |||
| The Soup Dragons featuring Junior Reid singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Scottish alternative rock/dance band the Soup Dragons covered the song in 1990. Their version featured a toasted verse by Junior Reid. The single became the band's biggest hit, reaching the top ten in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and charted in other countries as well. The Soup Dragons' version featured in the film The World's End.
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1990–91) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[3] | 9 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] | 26 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] | 38 |
| France (SNEP)[6] | 33 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 15 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 52 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] | 6 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 79 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[12] | 2 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[13] | 20 |
Other cover versions[edit]
- Pitbull covered this song (with additional lyrics) for the song 'Freedom', which was featured in the 2017 film Ferdinand
- Tichá dohoda released an unplugged version on their 1993 album UnplugGag.
References[edit]
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-758786-1296169707.jpeg.jpg "Soup")
- ^'100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
- ^Petridis, Alexis (2018-05-17). 'The Rolling Stones – every album ranked!'. The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
- ^'Australian-charts.com – The Soup Dragons – I'm Free'. ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^'Austriancharts.at – The Soup Dragons – I'm Free' (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^'Ultratop.be – The Soup Dragons – I'm Free' (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^'Lescharts.com – The Soup Dragons – I'm Free' (in French). Les classement single.
- ^'The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Soup Dragons'. Irish Singles Chart.
- ^'Dutchcharts.nl – The Soup Dragons – I'm Free' (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^'Charts.nz – The Soup Dragons – I'm Free'. Top 40 Singles.
- ^'Soup Dragons: Artist Chart History'. Official Charts Company.
- ^'The Soup Dragons Chart History (Hot 100)'. Billboard.
- ^'The Soup Dragons Chart History (Alternative Airplay)'. Billboard.
- ^'The Soup Dragons Chart History (Dance Club Songs)'. Billboard.
External links[edit]
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
The Soup Dragons | |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Genres | Indie pop, alternative rock, alternative dance, baggy |
| Years active | 1985–1995 |
| Labels | The Subway Organization, Raw TV, Sire, Big Life, Mercury |
| Associated acts | BMX Bandits, The High Fidelity, Future Pilot A.K.A., Superstar, Teenage Fanclub, The Primary 5, HiFi Sean |
| Past members | Sean Dickson Jim McCulloch Ian Whitehall Sushil K. Dade Ross A. Sinclair Paul Quinn |
The Soup Dragons were a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television show Clangers, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song 'I'm Free', which was a top five hit in the United Kingdom in 1990, and 'Divine Thing', a Top 40 hit in the United States in 1992.
History[edit]
The Soup Dragons formed in Bellshill, a town near Motherwell, in 1985.[1] The line up was Sean Dickson (vocals, lead guitar), Jim McCulloch (guitar, second voice) who replaced Ian Whitehall, and Sushil K. Dade (bass). The original drummer, Ross A. Sinclair, left the group after the first proper album, This Is Our Art, to pursue a career in art, and was replaced by Paul Quinn. Most of their songs were written by Sean Dickson.
The band recorded their first demo tape, You Have Some Too, after playing a few local gigs, and this was followed by a flexi disc single 'If You Were the Only Girl in the World'.[1]
The band signed to The Subway Organization in early 1986 and their first proper single (The Sun in the SkyEP) was Buzzcocks-inspired pop punk. The band's big breakthrough came with their second single for Subway, 'Whole Wide World',[2] which reached No. 2 on the UK Independent Chart in 1986.[3] Dickson and McCulloch also moonlighted in BMX Bandits at this time.[1] The band were signed by former Wham! co-manager Jazz Summers' label Raw TV with further indie hits (and minor UK Singles Chart hits) following during 1987 and 1988.[3][4] Over the course of six singles (the first three collected in 1986 on a U.S. only compilation, Hang Ten), they gradually developed a more complex rock guitar sound, which culminated in their first album proper This Is Our Art, now signed to major label Sire Records. After one single from the album 'Kingdom Chairs' they then returned to original label Raw TV and Big Life Records.
In the year following This Is Our Art their sound underwent a change from an indie rock sound, to the rock-dance crossover sound, this was mainly due to being without a drummer and buying a sampler and drum machine and experimenting with sound with the release of the album Lovegod. This change can be attributed to the rise of the ecstasy-fueled acid houserave scene in the UK. In 1990, they released their most successful hit single in the UK, 'I'm Free', an up-tempo cover of a Rolling Stones song with an added toasting overdub by reggae star Junior Reid, which reached number five.[4] The single also appeared on the soundtrack to British science fictioncomedy film The World's End.
Subsequent albums continued in their own style and In 1992 they enjoyed their biggest U.S. hit with 'Divine Thing' which reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] It also hit number three on the Modern Rock chart and its video was nominated by MTV as one of the year's best,[5] though beaten by Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.[6]
The Soup Dragons disbanded in 1995.[7] Paul Quinn joined Teenage Fanclub. Sushil K. Dade formed the experimental post rock group Future Pilot A.K.A. and is now a producer for BBC Radio 3.[8] Sean Dickson formed The High Fidelity, came out as gay, had a breakdown, then met his husband and established a successful career Djing as HiFi Sean.[9] Jim McCulloch joined Superstar, wrote and recorded music with Isobel Campbell, and formed the folk group Snowgoose. Ross A. Sinclair had a successful career in art, winning a number of international awards and becoming a Research Fellow at Glasgow School of Art.[10] He still makes music.[11]
The story of The Soup Dragons is traced as part of 2017 documentary Teenage Superstars.[12]
Discography[edit]
Soup Dragons Hang Ten
Albums[edit]
- Hang Ten! (1986)
- This Is Our Art (1988) [#60 UK]
- Lovegod (1990) [#7 UK / #88 US / #27 NZ[13]
- Hotwired (1992) [#74 UK / #97 US]
- Hydrophonic (1994)
The Soup Dragons Hang Ten
Compilations[edit]
- Hang Ten! (1987), Sire - compiles the tracks from the 'Hang-Ten!', 'Whole Wide World', and 'Head Gone Astray' singles
- 20 Golden Greats (compilation, 2012)
Singles[edit]
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[14] | (FLA) | ||||||||||||||
| 1986 | The Sun Is in the Sky EP | EP only | |||||||||||||
| 'Whole Wide World' | Hang-Ten! | ||||||||||||||
| 'Hang-Ten' | |||||||||||||||
| 1987 | 'Head Gone Astray' | ||||||||||||||
| 'Can't Take No More'[15] | This Is Our Art | ||||||||||||||
| 'Soft as Your Face' | |||||||||||||||
| 1988 | 'The Majestic Head' | ||||||||||||||
| 'Kingdom Chairs' | |||||||||||||||
| 1989 | 'Backwards Dog'[16] | Lovegod | |||||||||||||
| 'Crotch Deep Trash' | |||||||||||||||
| 1990 | 'Mother Universe' | ||||||||||||||
| 'I'm Free' | |||||||||||||||
| 'Mother Universe' (remixed version) | |||||||||||||||
| 1991 | 'Electric Blues'[17] | single only | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | 'Divine Thing' | Hotwired | |||||||||||||
| 'Pleasure'[18] | |||||||||||||||
| 1994 | 'One Way Street' | Hydrophonic | |||||||||||||
| '—' denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||||
References[edit]
Soup Dragons Hang Ten Lyrics
- ^ abcThompson, Dave (2000) Alternative Rock, Miller Freeman, San Francisco, ISBN0879306076, p.646-647
- ^hifisean (9 December 2007). 'The Soup Dragons - Whole Wide World' – via YouTube.
- ^ abLazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980 - 1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN0-9517206-9-4, p.213
- ^ abcStrong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN1-84195-335-0, p.515-6
- ^hifisean (8 December 2007). 'The Soup Dragons - Divine Thing' – via YouTube.
- ^MTV Music Awards 1992 Best Alternative Video category
- ^'I'm Free by The Soup Dragons'. songfacts.com. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
The band split in 1995.
- ^'BBC Blogs - BBC Radio 3 - Sushil K Dade'. www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/16/hifi-sean-i-was-consumed-with-guilt-interview-ft-excursions-sean-dickson
- ^Society, Contemporary Art. 'Ross Sinclair - Contemporary Art Society'. Contemporary Art Society. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^'Patricia Fleming Projects - A contemporary art gallery and studio based in Glasgow'. www.patriciaflemingprojects.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^Film, British Council. 'British Council Film: Teenage Superstars'. film.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^'Soup Dragons Lovegod New Zealand Charting'. charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
- ^ abRoberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 516. ISBN1-904994-10-5.
- ^Lilian De Munno (22 February 2006). '32 - Soup Dragons - Can't Take No More' – via YouTube.
- ^'The Soup Dragons - Backwards Dog'.
- ^hifisean (9 December 2007). 'The Soup Dragons - Electric Blues' – via YouTube.
- ^sjteich (22 August 2006). 'Soup Dragons - Pleasure' – via YouTube.
Soup Dragons Hang Ten Lyrics
External links[edit]
- Soup Dragons interview on set of Mother Universe video, Oct 1990 by Chris Hunt