I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)
| "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Kenny Loggins | ||||
| from the album Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture | ||||
| B-side | "Welcome to Heartlight" | |||
| Released | June 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 3:47 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Kenny Loggins singles chronology | ||||
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"I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" is a song recorded by American recording artist Kenny Loggins, composed by Loggins, Dean Pitchford, and produced by Loggins and David Foster. It was released in June 1984 as the second of two singles by Loggins from the film, Footloose. It charted at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and number 31 on the Canadian Hot 100.[2]
The song was very well received, and is one of the most recognizable songs recorded by Loggins.
Music video[edit]
The video, directed by Brian Grant, starts with Loggins's character breaking out of a prison. Once free, the music begins. The scene then shifts to him in a car, hiding from police and looking at a picture of a woman. The scene shifts again to Loggins in an alley, surrounded by a gang and asking them about the woman (played by Virginia Madsen); a helpful Samaritan shows Loggins where the woman is located. Loggins then appears in her bedroom and they escape together. At the same time, the police find out about his breakout; Loggins and his girlfriend walk around the town together, but are spotted outside a cinema. The scene shifts again to them running through a building and onto the roof, surrounded by police. Suddenly the gang from earlier arrives and brawls with the police, while the Samaritan helps the pair escape, before walking into the crowd and disappearing.[3]
In popular culture[edit]
"I'm Free" was featured in the Family Guy episode "Stewie Loves Lois" (the season 5 premiere),[4] and during the end credits of the 1984 film "Footloose" with Kevin Bacon.[5] It was also featured as part of the playlist of in-game radio station Los Santos Rock Radio in Grand Theft Auto V, with Loggins as the station's DJ.
Personnel[edit]
- Kenny Loggins – vocals, producer
- Steve Wood – acoustic piano
- Nathan East – bass
- Tris Imboden – drums
- Buzz Feiten – guitar
- Steve Lukather – guitar solo
- David Foster – synthesizer, producer
- "The Screamers": Lori Raffa, Laurie Williams, Matt Hayutin, Marc Rubinroit, Megan Howard, Michelle Rodino, Amy Rubinroit, Dylan Leiner, Melissa Larson – background vocals
- Humberto Gatica – recording, mixing
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (1984-1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[2] | 31 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 22 |
| US Billboard Top Rock Tracks[7] | 42 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[8] | 17 |
References[edit]
- ^ "allmusic ((( Kenny Loggins > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
- ^ a b "Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 22, August 04 1984". RPM. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man ) | MTV UK".
- ^ "Simply Family Guy". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ "Footloose". IMDb. 17 February 1984.
- ^ "Kenny Loggins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "Kenny Loggins Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending August 4, 1984". Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Cash Box magazine.
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