Free Me (album)
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''Free Me'' is the second studio album by English singer
Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...
(credited mononymously as Emma), released on 9 February 2004 by
19 Recordings 19 Recordings Inc. (registered in the United Kingdom as 19 Recordings Ltd.) is a New York–based record label owned by 19 Entertainment. Founded in London by British entrepreneur Simon Fuller in 1999 as the music division of 19 Entertainment, th ...
. The album peaked at number seven on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and spawned three top-10 singles: " Free Me", " Maybe" and " I'll Be There". With this album, Bunton became the only former Spice Girl to have sold more copies of her second album than her first.


Background

In 2001, Bunton released her solo debut album '' A Girl Like Me'' through
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
. It spent over 12 weeks inside the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, peaking at number four and earning a gold certification by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI). It also produced her only solo chart-topper " What Took You So Long?" and the top-five single "
Take My Breath Away "Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film ''Top Guns soundtrack, performed by American new wave band Berlin and included on their album '' Count Three & Pray''. The song won the Academy ...
". Bunton explained that she left Virgin Records due to a lack of support from the label, citing a desire to work with a label "where I know people are going to be right behind me and work as hard as I do.'"


Composition

The album was inspired by 1960s sounds, such as bossa nova,
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
and
French pop French pop music is pop music sung in the French language. It is usually performed by singers from France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, or any of the other francophone areas of the world. The target audience is the francophone market (primari ...
. The album was largely produced by
Mike Peden Michael Peden is a British record producer, remixer and composer, best known for his work with the British musical duo Lighthouse Family. With his former band the Chimes, Peden had a hit single with their version of "I Still Haven't Found What ...
and
Yak Bondy Yak Bondy (born 8 July 1962 as Jerk Bondy in Goslar, Germany) is a London-based music producer, composer and visual artist. Bondy has been professionally involved in the music industry since the 1980s. After moving from Hannover (Germany) to Lon ...
, who have produced tracks for acts such as
S Club 7 S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, are a British pop group formed in 1998 by Simon Fuller after he was fired as manager of the Spice Girls. Original members were Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O'Meara, Ha ...
and
Lucie Silvas Lucie Joanne Silverman (born 4 September 1977) performing as Lucie Silvas, is a British singer-songwriter best known for her 2004 debut single " What You're Made Of", drawn from her first album ''Breathe In''—itself a hit in the Netherlands, ...
. Other contributions on the album are courtesy of
Cathy Dennis Catherine Roseanne Dennis (born 25 March 1969)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa; , p. 133 is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. She was discovered as a teenager by music manager Simon F ...
, Henry Binns, and Puerto Rican singer
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...
. The album was released via 19 Recordings, which is a division of 19 Management, the company owned by
Simon Fuller Simon Robert Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer. He is the creator of the Idols (franchise), ''Idols'' TV format, including the British series ''Pop Idol'' and the American ser ...
. Bunton 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 '60s 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, Bunton'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?'"


Singles

The album's lead single, " Free Me", was released in May 2003. The song immediately picked up airplay, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart. " Maybe" was released as the second single in October 2003, and also gained extensive airplay throughout the United Kingdom, peaking at number six. In January 2004, " I'll Be There" was released as the third single from the album. Like its two predecessors, it performed well on the charts, peaking at number seven on the UK chart. Later in the year, in May, "
Crickets Sing for Anamaria "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" is the English-language version of "Os Grilos" ("The Crickets"), a song written by Brazilian musician Marcos Valle with his brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" has been covered many times since, n ...
", was released as the fourth single. The song peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, both "Free Me" and "Maybe" were dance club regulars, reaching numbers four and six on the ''Billboard''
Hot Dance Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart, respectively.


Critical reception

''Free Me'' received generally positive reviews from music critics, many of whom approved of the use of sounds from the Motown and 1960s era.
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
said the album is "light and frothy, like a good cappuccino, but this time it's with the sugar taken out". General acclaim was given to the album by
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, who described the album as being the best Spice Girl-related record. He noted: "This music is stylish without being flashy, thanks in large part to the charmingly tuneful, sturdy songs (all but one bearing a writing credit from Emma). While Bunton may still have a small, sweet voice, she's developed a stronger presence on record, giving this album not just a face, but a fetching persona that's hard to resist". According to
Lynsey Hanley Lynsey Hanley (born 12 April 1976) is a British writer and academic. Biography Hanley was born in Solihull and grew up on a council estate in the suburb of Chelmsley Wood. She studied English at Queen Mary University of London. Hanley is ...
from newspaper ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', Bunton's new musical direction was "a brave move, given that high-sheen, saucy R&B is currently the main mode of expression for female pop performers, but Emma's lilting vocals and only faintly suggestive image suit this album's less aggressive style". "The album's got charm, grace and it's fun", said '' Q'' magazine. ''
Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'' magazine said it "mixes up bossa nova with
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
soundtrack" and that "Emma resembles a seductive
Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...
".


Track listing


Notes

* signifies an additional producer * signifies a remixer


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Free Me''.


Musicians

*
Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...
– lead vocals ; backing vocals * Charlie Russell – programming ; live drums ; drums, live programming *
Mike Peden Michael Peden is a British record producer, remixer and composer, best known for his work with the British musical duo Lighthouse Family. With his former band the Chimes, Peden had a hit single with their version of "I Still Haven't Found What ...
– bass ; percussion ; keyboards * Graham Kearns – guitars ; bass guitar * Helene Muddiman – keyboards ; backing vocals * Martin Hayles – keyboards *
Nick Ingman Nicholas Ingman (born 29 April 1948) is an English arranger, composer and conductor in the commercial music field. His collaborators include Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Björk, and the British X-factor. Born and educated in London, Ingman move ...
– orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting *
Gavyn Wright Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He is best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions (including Elton John, Simply Red, Bush, Mecano, ...
– orchestra leader * Paul Turner – bass ; guitar * Pete Gordeno – keyboards ; piano *
Yak Bondy Yak Bondy (born 8 July 1962 as Jerk Bondy in Goslar, Germany) is a London-based music producer, composer and visual artist. Bondy has been professionally involved in the music industry since the 1980s. After moving from Hannover (Germany) to Lon ...
– keyboards * Ralph Salmins – drums *
Frank Ricotti Frank E. Ricotti (born 31 January 1949) is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist. Early life and education Frank E. Ricotti was born in St Pancras, London, England; his father was a drummer. Bill Ashton, founder of the National ...
– percussion ; vibes *
Paul Clarvis Paul Clarvis (born 9 April 1963) is an English percussionist. Biography Born in Enfield, Clarvis was the late Leonard Bernstein's preferred percussionist in London and featured as a soloist on the last night of the Proms in 1996 in a concer ...
– percussion * Steve Pearce – bass * Hugh Burns – guitar *
John Parricelli John Parricelli (born 5 April 1959 in Evesham, Wychavon, Worcestershire, England) is a jazz guitarist who has worked mainly in the United Kingdom. Parricelli began his career as a guitarist in 1982. He was one of the founding members of the Brit ...
– guitar *
Friðrik Karlsson Friðrik Karlsson is an Icelandic musician and songwriter. He studied classical and jazz/rock guitar and had success with the group Mezzoforte in 1983 with the U.K. top 20 hit, "Garden Party". He has contributed to the soundtracks of musical ...
– guitar * Richard Studt – orchestra leader * Allan Simpson – guitar * Pete Trotman – bass guitar * Simon Clarke – flute * Siemy Di – percussion * Alastair Gavin – string arrangement * Danny Cummings – percussion * Phil Todd – flute * Simon Ellis – all keyboards, programming * Paul Gendler – guitar * John Thompson – bass guitar * Brett Morgan – drums * Lisa Daniels – backing vocals * Ray "Madman" Hedges – arrangement * Nigel Butler – arrangement * Fabien Waltmann – programming, guitars * Nicky Brown – piano,
Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...
*
Cathy Dennis Catherine Roseanne Dennis (born 25 March 1969)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa; , p. 133 is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. She was discovered as a teenager by music manager Simon F ...
– backing vocals *
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...
– vocals * Henrik Linnemann – flute * Tim Lever – all other instruments * Mike Percy – all other instruments * Toni Leo – backing vocals * Alex Clarke – additional programming * Steve Lewinson – all instruments (except piano and additional guitar), programming * Pete Lewinson – all instruments (except piano and additional guitar), programming * Paul "Harry" Harris – piano * Ian Lewinson – additional guitar *
The London Session Orchestra The London Session Orchestra was a film, TV, and pop orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1993 and led by Gavyn Wright and is known for its work on movies such as ''Run Lola Run'' (1998) ''V for Vendetta'' (2005), and '' Mission: Impossibl ...
– orchestra *
Simon Hale Simon Hale is a British composer, arranger, and keyboardist. Life Hale was born in Birmingham, England in 1964, being dually raised there and in South Manchester before moving to London, where he studied popular music at Goldsmiths College, Uni ...
– orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting


Technical

* Mike Peden – production ; mixing *
Mark "Spike" Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sheeran, ...
– mixing * Martin Hayles – recording ; engineering * Isobel Griffiths Ltd. – orchestra contractor * Richard Dowling – mastering * Yak Bondy – production * Dan Frampton – mixing * Steve Price – recording engineering * César Gimeno – engineering assistance * Boo Dan Productions – production, mixing * Simon Ellis – production * Tony Taverner – engineering * Jim Brumby –
Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-productio ...
* Ray "Madman" Hedges – production, mixing * Nigel Butler – mixing * Mark Emmitt – mixing * Cathy Dennis – production * Fabien Waltmann – production, additional recording *
Steve Fitzmaurice Stephen Fitzmaurice is an Irish mixer and producer based in London, England. His credits include albums for Depeche Mode, Seal, Sam Smith, Ian Brown, Kylie Minogue, Mónica Naranjo, Sting, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, The Kooks, Alicia Keys, U2, ...
– mixing * Richard Wilkinson – mixing assistance * Keith Uddin – recording * Phil Bodger – mixing * Tim Lever – production * Mike Percy – production * Dan Panton – engineering assistance * Steve Lewinson – production * Pete Lewinson – production * Lipso Facto – additional production * The Asian Sensation – mixing


Artwork

* Yacht Associates – art direction * Darren S. Feist – photography * Roger Dean – architectural photography * Core Digital – scanning, retouching


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


Notes


References

{{Authority control 19 Recordings albums 2004 albums Albums produced by Mike Peden Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios Emma Bunton albums