Free Me
| Free Me | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image Free_Me.jpg Album cover | ||
| Album by Emma Bunton | ||
| Released | March 9, 2004 - UK October 13, 2004 - Canada January 25, 2005 - US | |
| Recorded | Britian | |
| Genre | Pop | |
| Length | 45 min 30 sec | |
| Label | 19 Management | |
| Producers | Mike Peden, Yak Bondy | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| AMG | 4.5/5 | link |
| Amazon | 4.5/5 | link |
Free Me is the 2004 LP release from Emma Bunton, better known to some as "Baby Spice" in her Spice Girls days. The album was the second to follow her 2001 release, A Girl Like Me, and spent over twelve weeks inside the album chart, peaking at #6, and selling over 150,000 copies, earning gold award status. The album was widely acclaimed by critics as being the "best solo Spice album ever" due to its catchy and fun use of sounds from the Motown and 60's era. The album was produced by Mike Peden and Yak Bondy, who have produced albums for S Club 7 and Lucie Silvas to name but a few. Other contributions on the album courtesy of Cathy Dennis, Henry Binns, and Latin-American singer Luis Fonzi.
The first single, "Free Me", was released in the spring of 2003. The song immediately picked up airplay, and the single sold well in the UK, peaking at number five on the UK Top 40. "Maybe" was released as the second single in the autumn of 2003, and also gained extensive airplay throughout the UK, and peaked one position lower than its predecessor, at number six on the UK Top 40.
In the spring of 2004, the third single, "I'll Be There", and the album were released. The single, like its two predecessors, performed well on the charts, peaking at number seven, one position below "Maybe", and two positions below "Free Me". The album sold more copies in its first week then her debut solo record had, and would ultimately go on to outsell it by 25,000 copies.
Later in the year, the fourth single, "Crickets Sing for Anamaria", was released. Though not as catchy as its three predecessors, the song peaked at number fifteen on the UK Top 40, and was a moderate success.
In the US, Both "Free Me" and "Maybe" were dance club regulars. The songs peaked in the top three of the US Dance Club Play (number one and number three respectively).
The album has sold over one million copies worldwide.
| Contents |
Track listing
- "Free Me" - 4:27
- "Maybe" - 3:43
- "I'll Be There" - 3:24
- "Tomorrow" - 3:56
- "Breathing" - 4:03
- "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" - 2:46
- "No Sign of Life" - 3:38
- "Who the Hell Are You" - 3:19
- "Lay Your Love on Me" - 3:25
- "Amazing" (feat. Luis Fonzi) - 4:06
- "You Are" - 3:46
- "Something So Beautiful" - 3:44
Record release
The album was released on 19 Recordings, which is a division of 19 Management, the company owned by Simon Fuller. Emma says of the inspiration behind the album: "I've been listening to Motown since I was about five, and just loving it, being very passionate about the fact how it was all done live, and I thought, 'Hold on, I always talk about the fact I love 60's and Motown, so I thought I'd take elements of it, bits of it, and put it into my album, so that's exactly what I did." However, Emma's songs on this album mainly started life as a simple scribble. She says, "I have a little book beside my bed, where I put all my ideas for songs and stuff. It's kind of weird, 'cuz usually when I'm having a dream, I'll wake up, and I'll write something down, then I'll look at it again and think, 'God, what was I dreaming about?'"
Emma on the four singles
"Free Me": "I got to dress up like a Bond Girl in this video, which was great fun, and the director, Tim Royes, was great to work with. We shot this video in Rio just after the carnival had taken place, so it was just perfect."
"Maybe": "The 'ba da das' in this song are actually inspired from music in German porn movies that the writer, Yak Bondy, played to me... not the movies, but the music. It just had that kind of catchy, kinky, vibe to it, so I thought, 'Yeah, I'll take it!' The video is based around the movie Sweet Charity, and I always have such a laugh performing this song, 'cuz the dancing is mad!"
"I'll Be There": "Another great song, which just says it all, I think. The video was shot in Paris, and it was great to film. The guy I was with was very sweet, his name was Pierre, but it was absolutely freezing when we were shooting it! The story behind the video is that I'm seeing this guy, and I'm from England, he's from France, and I find out he steals cars... so it's kinda like, I'll be there for you, but I can't! It's still very cool though."
"Crickets Sing for Anamaria": "I came across this track on the Astrud Gilberto album when I was filming the "Free Me" video - and I took this at first, and was unsure of how I'd work it myself, but when I got my musicians in again, it all fell into place and I love the track. It's a perfect song for the summer."
Chart success
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | UK Albums Chart | 6 |
| 2004 | Brasilian Albums Chart | 26 |
| 2004 | Top Canadian Albums | 4 |
| 2005 | The Billboard 200 | 183 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Free Me" | UK Top 40 | 5 |
| 2005 | "Free Me" | US Dance Club Play | 1 |
| 2003 | "Maybe" | UK Top 40 | 6 |
| 2005 | "Maybe" | US Dance Club Play | 3 |
| 2004 | "I'll Be There" | UK Top 40 | 7 |
| 2004 | "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" | UK Top 40 | 15 |