When I was growing up my best friend Stefanie’s family formed
a singing group that had moderate success
although I am sure you have never heard of
them.
It was quite a surprise while watching TV last week that
I recognized one of their songs on a delta commercial . .
.
And then I found
the same song in a toyota commercial . . .
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Free Design was a Delevan, New York-based vocal group
whose music can be described as sunshine pop and baroque pop. They were all
members of the Dedrick family: Chris Dedrick, sister Sandy and brother Bruce
were the original lineup. Chris Dedrick wrote most of the songs. Younger sister
Ellen joined the group later, and youngest sister Stefanie joined near the end
of their initial career. They formed the band while living in New York City.
Chris has said the group was influenced by vocal groups like The Hi-Los (who
performed in Greenwich Village frequently at the time) along with Peter, Paul
and Mary and the counterpoint experiments of Benjamin Britten. Their trademark
sound involved complex harmonies, jazz-like chord progressions, and off-beat
time signatures, all products of Chris's classical training. The band released
seven albums from 1967 to 1972,
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6 comments:
WOW! Thanks for the information. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
What a catchy tune.
Harmony and a cappella really make it a unique sound.
And you knew them!
How neat!! I like the song and the sound. They had a little bit of Peter, Paul & Mary sound. Do they still sing? I hope they get rich from their song. :)
Did you have the album with the clown? It looks familiar!
What fun that you know them personally! I like their sound. It is always fun when someone you know personally, becomes well known. Thanks for sharing this music.
Very cool. I HAD actually heard of the group and I am a big fan, although I can excuse you for assuming no one has, as their fan base is still criminally small. They were easily one of the most accomplished and talented groups of their kind. Personally, I prefer them to the Association, for instance. Check out "The Best Of" from 1967, which opens with a tune called "Chorale" -- another great a capella song (I like it even better). "Bubbles" and "Kites are Fun" are two other standouts among many.
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