Free Four
| "Free Four" | ||||||||||||
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| Single by Pink Floyd | ||||||||||||
| from the album Obscured by Clouds | ||||||||||||
| B-side | "Stay" (US single) "The Gold It's in the..." (Italian single) |
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| Released | 10 July 1972 (US single) 1972 (Italian single) |
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| Format | 7" | |||||||||||
| Recorded | February–March 1972 Château d'Hérouville, Pontoise, France |
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| Genre | Progressive folk, power pop, hard rock | |||||||||||
| Length | 4:16 3:30 (US single) |
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| Label | Harvest | |||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Roger Waters | |||||||||||
| Producer | Pink Floyd | |||||||||||
| Pink Floyd singles chronology | ||||||||||||
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"Free Four" is a Pink Floyd song written and sung by Roger Waters, from the album Obscured by Clouds.[1][2]
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Recording and lyrics [edit]
The song begins with a rock and roll count-in, but in this case Pink Floyd decided to play with words and record, "One, Two, FREE FOUR!" The song deals with themes that would become standard for Waters in albums following this, notably his father's death and the "evils" of the record industry.[3] Although the song is mellow during the lyrical portions, the guitar solo launches into a heavier tone, with a progression reminiscent of the instrumental "One of These Days". "Free Four" was released as a single in 1972 and reached FM radio's top 50 list. It seems to be an entirely atypical choice for airplay,[3] as it is one of Pink Floyd's most musically anomalous songs. Its sound recalls late-'60s Kinks' power pop with a melody reminiscent of solo Paul McCartney decorated by fuzz guitar riffs and handclaps recalling T. Rex's classic singles. According to an AMG reviewer's opinion, the sound of "Free Four" is also reminiscent of Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime".[4]
Track listing [edit]
- US release
- Italy release
- "Free Four" – 4:07
- "The Gold It's in the..." – 3:01 [6]
Personnel [edit]
- Roger Waters — bass guitar, lead and backing vocals, hand clapping
- David Gilmour — guitars
- Richard Wright — VCS3 synthesiser
- Nick Mason — drums and percussion
References [edit]
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
- ^ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
- ^ a b Manning, Toby (2006). "The Albums". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 165. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "Free Four - Pink Floyd : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Pink Floyd - Free Four / Stay (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com.
- ^ "Pink Floyd - Free Four / The Gold It's In The... at Discogs". Discogs.com.
External links [edit]
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This 1970s rock song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Pink Floyd songs
- 1972 singles
- Power pop songs
- Progressive rock songs
- Protest songs
- Songs about music
- Songs inspired by deaths
- Songs written by Roger Waters
- Song recordings produced by David Gilmour
- Song recordings produced by Roger Waters
- Song recordings produced by Richard Wright (musician)
- Song recordings produced by Nick Mason
- 1970s rock song stubs
