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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun sixties pop, 25 Jan 2005
This review is from: The Very Best of Freddie & the Dreamers (Audio CD)
Freddie and the dreamers liked to have fun, yet they were competent musicians ant their music stands the test of time. In their British homeland, they had four top five hits, two other top twenty hits and three minor hits. They never made the top spot in the UK but they did in America. Their UK hits were a mix of original songs and covers of American songs. The group's career began with If you gotta make a fool of somebody (originally recorded by James Ray) and I'm telling you now (an original song), both of which made number two in the UK during the summer of 1963 Their next single, You were made for me, peaked at number three in December 1963. The first two singles of 1964, Over you (an original song) and I love you baby (a cover of a Paul Anka song) both made the top twenty but failed to reach the top ten. It seemed that Freddie and the dreamers were fading fast, especially when Just for you (another original song) was only a very minor hit. However, they finished 1964 on a high when I understand (a cover of a G-clefs hit of 1961) made the UK top five. 1965 proved to be disappointing for them in the UK, yielding only two minor hits, A little you and Thou shalt not steal - the latter being a cover of a Dick and Deedee song that was banned by the BBC. However, Freddie and the dreamers toured the world that year and had several American hits including I understand (a number one hit) and Do the Freddie (which never charted in the UK). Realizing that their pop hit days were over, Freddie and the dreamers switched to club and cabaret work, eventually joining the sixties revival circuit. This compilation contains all the essentials by a group that was far more talented than their image might suggest.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great collection of Freddie's music, 27 Dec 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Very Best of Freddie & the Dreamers (Audio CD)
I've been after a Freddie and the Dreamers CD for a while and this is by far the best one that there is out there. As well as all the hits and their novelty songs ("Short Short's", "Windmill in Amsterdam", "Do The Freddie" etc), there are some great rock 'n' rollers, especially "Playboy" and a great version of "Money". Could have done with some more extensive sleeve notes and pictures, other than that, if your after a FATD collection, this is it. EMI/MFP does the business again.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Clown Prince of the Sixties British Invasion, 28 Dec 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: The Very Best of Freddie & the Dreamers (Audio CD)
It is hard to take Freddie & The Dreamers seriously simply because they were pretty much the clowns of the British Invasion, just along for the ride with no desire or pretensions of making anything other than pop music. No messages here, just fun and laughs, probably best represented by the song "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" and, of course, the group's infamous appearances on American television with "Do the Freddie." Freddie was Freddie Garrity, who moved from skiffle groups to rock 'n' roll in the early Sixties, adopting the Merseybeat sound when the Beatles led the British Invasion of America. Freddie & The Dreamers, like many of the Merseybeat groups, were more successful in England than there were in the United States, although the group did have their only #1 hit, "I'm Telling You." "You Were Meant For Me" and "How About Trying Your Luck With Me" are probably the best other pair of tracks on the album. My absolute More pop than rock, but then somebody needed to balance Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones in the eyes of American parents, and Freddie and The Dreamers certainly fit the bill in that respect.
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