I'm Free (Rolling Stones song)
| "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
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
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
- 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
| "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
| 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 |
Notable cover versions
- Pitbull covered this song (with additional lyrics) for the song “Freedom,” which would be used in the 2017 movie Ferdinand
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "The Soup Dragons – I'm Free". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "The Soup Dragons – I'm Free" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "The Soup Dragons – I'm Free" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "The Soup Dragons – I'm Free" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Soup Dragons". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "The Soup Dragons – I'm Free" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "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.
