"Freedom's Prisoner" is a song by British singer-songwriter
Steve Harley
Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice; 27 February 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still tours, albeit with frequent and significant personnel changes.
E ...
, which was released in 1979 as the only single from his second solo album ''
The Candidate''. The song, which was written and produced by Harley and Jimmy Horowitz, reached number 58 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
Background
Harley wrote and recorded "Freedom's Prisoner" and the rest of the material for ''The Candidate'' in 1979, after moving back to the UK from Los Angeles. Both "Freedom's Prisoner" and ''The Candidate'' were released in October 1979, but the album was not a commercial success. "Freedom's Prisoner" reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 75 for three weeks.
Speaking to the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...
'' in 1979, Harley spoke of his predictions for the song, stating, "I reckon the single is a top ten record". The limited commercial success of both the single and album resulted in EMI Records dropping Harley, leaving him without a record deal.
"Freedom's Prisoner" was recorded and mastered at
Abbey Road Studios, and mixed at Morgan Studios. The song features backing vocals from the English Chorale, who were directed by Robert Howes. Harley had asked Horowitz to find a choir for the plainsong parts, and in turn Horowitz booked the choir.
Release
"Freedom's Prisoner" was released by EMI Records on 7-inch vinyl in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The B-side, "One More Time", was taken from ''The Candidate'', and was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Horowitz.
Promotion
A music video was filmed to promote the single. Harley also performed the song on British children's television series ''
Tiswas
''Tiswas'' (; an acronym of "Today Is Saturday: Watch And Smile") was a British children's television series that originally aired on Saturday mornings from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982, and was produced for the ITV network by ATV.
It was c ...
''.
The song has been performed live by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel on numerous occasions. It was performed at the band's 1984 concert at the Camden Palace, London, which was filmed for TV and released on the VHS ''
Live from London'' in 1985. When the band returned to touring in 1989, the song was occasionally included in the set-list.
Critical reception
On its release, Pauline McLeod of the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...
'' described the song as a "raunchy rock 'n' roller with lots of gutsy vocals". Paul Sexton of ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'' wrote, "The hook comes before the vocals, with a call out melody. Downhill from there, but Harley's return may still be timely." In his review of "Freedom's Prisoner", Simon Ludgate of ''Record Mirror'' described it as a "great single" and added, "Corny but fun,
Dr Zhivago
''Doctor Zhivago'' is the title of a novel by Boris Pasternak and its various adaptations.
Description
The story, in all of its forms, describes the life of the fictional Russian physician and poet Yuri Zhivago and deals with love and loss during ...
-style Russian chorus and danceable melody clicks very nicely. That instant hook is just what Harley needs to get himself noticed again."
Dave Murray of the ''
Reading Evening Post
The ''Reading Post'' (until 2009, the ''Reading Evening Post'') was an English local newspaper covering Reading, Berkshire and surrounding areas. The title page of the paper featured the Maiwand Lion, a famous local landmark at Forbury Gardens. Th ...
'' considered "Freedom's Prisoner" to be "one of Harley's better singles, and likely to do well in the charts".
Chris Difford
Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze.
Musical career
Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written l ...
of
Squeeze
Squeeze or squeezing may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Squeeze'' (1980 film), a New Zealand film directed by Richard Turner
* ''Squeeze'' (1997 film), an American film directed by Robert Patton-Spruill
* "Squeeze" (''The X-Files''), an epis ...
reviewed the single for ''
Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...
'' and commented, "David Essex would turn in his Rolls if he heard this one. A contract filler perhaps." Paul Rambali of ''
New Musical Express
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music journalism, music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine tha ...
'' wrote, "By the time he finally decides what his music is supposed to be it's over anyway. It's too late Harley, your time is up. Suitable for airplay and not much else."
In a review of ''The Candidate'', Gary Paul of ''
Bedfordshire on Sunday
''Bedfordshire on Sunday'' (BoS) was a free local newspaper published in Bedfordshire, England. It was distributed as two editions, one covering the Borough of Bedford, the other edition serves Central Bedfordshire. The gross distribution was aro ...
'' described the song as "a non-stop, medium rock toe-tapper which has a lot going for it". In a retrospective review of the album,
Dave Thompson of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
described the song as "Harley's finest 45 in half a decade", and noted the song's "tidal wave of intriguing lyrics", "captivating chorus" and "a dynamic that was pure
Psychomodo
"Psychomodo" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley. It was released in 1974 as the lead single from their second studio album ''The Psychomodo''. "Psychomodo" was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and A ...
". He added, "When 'Freedom's Prisoner' single hit the airwaves, it would have taken a lot to convince the longtime fan that the man hadn't resparked all his old glories again, and was about to embark upon a musical journey as scintillating, and as fascinating, as that which launched him in the first place. It was also a total fluke, as the accompanying album proved itself to be little more than a clutch of substandard songs, glued together by alluring production alone."
Track listing
7-inch single
#"Freedom's Prisoner" – 3:51
#"One More Time" – 4:26
Personnel
*
Steve Harley
Steve Harley (born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice; 27 February 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel, with whom he still tours, albeit with frequent and significant personnel changes.
E ...
– vocals
* Jo Partridge,
Phil Palmer
Philip John Palmer (born 9 September 1952) is a rock sideman and session guitarist who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous artists. He is best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Dire Straits.
Biography
Palmer grew up in nort ...
, Nico Ramsden – guitar
*
John Giblin
John Giblin, is an active session musician, contributing mainly as an acoustic and electric bass player, and spanning genres of jazz, classical, rock, folk and avant-garde music. Best known as a studio musician, recording film scores and cont ...
– bass
*
Stuart Elliott – drums
* The English Chorale – choir backing vocals
* Robert Howes – choir director
Production
* Steve Harley, Jimmy Horowitz – producers
*
Haydn Bendall
Haydn Bendall (born 13 April 1951, Essex, England) is an English record producer, audio engineer and mixer. He was Chief Engineer at Abbey Road Studios for ten years and was awarded the Audio Pro Industry Excellence Award for Best Studio Engine ...
, Tony Clark – engineers
* Chris Blair – mastering
*
Mike Hedges
Mike Hedges (born 1953) is a British audio producer/engineer best known for his work with The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Manic Street Preachers. During his career, Hedges has worked with an eclectic roster of artists ranging from rock ...
– mixing
Charts
References
{{authority control
1979 songs
1979 singles
EMI Records singles
Steve Harley songs
Songs written by Steve Harley