The Free Design
The Free Design were a Delevan, New York-based vocal group playing jazzy po… Read Full Bio ↴The Free Design were a Delevan, New York-based vocal group playing jazzy pop music.

The members were all siblings of the Dedrick family: Chris Dedrick (who wrote most of the songs), sister Sandy Dedrick and brother Bruce Dedrick were the original lineup. Younger sister Ellen Dedrick joined the group later, as did cousin Jeff Dedrick for a brief time, and youngest sister Stefanie joined near the end of their initial career. Their father, Art Dedrick, was a trombonist and music arranger. Their uncle, Rusty Dedrick, was a jazz trumpeter with Claude Thornhill and Red Norvo. 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 six albums from 1967 to 1972, all on Enoch Light's Project 3 label. For the most part, they were accompanied on the albums by studio musicians.

Revival of interest

During their career, The Free Design never gained the commercial success they, and a small fan-base, felt they deserved; a plight they noted in their 1969 song "2002 - A Hit Song", in which they describe how to create a hit, then continue, "there's just one fact that we can't quite shirk/ we did all this last time, but it did not work." They remained in obscurity after disbanding in 1972. Starting in the mid-90's, however, interest in them began to grow as part of a general resurge of interest in easy listening music from the 60's and 70's. In 1994, Japanese musician Cornelius began the revival by re-issuing the Free Design catalog on his "Trattoria" label. In 1997, the band Tomorrow's World covered their song "Kites Are Fun", and in 1998, the Spanish "Siesta" label put out four compilation albums of their music. Stereolab, whose lounge-inspired music clearly showed a Free Design influence, named a 1999 single "The Free Design" (though the song itself had no direct connection to the band). The Free Design song "Bubbles" was covered by Dressy Bessy on the 2000 Powerpuff Girls soundtrack.

Perhaps inspired by this newfound interest, in 2000 the band re-grouped, after a nearly 30-year retirement, to record the song "Endless Harmony" on the Beach Boys tribute album Caroline Now. This experience convinced them to record a new full-length album, 2001's Cosmic Peekaboo, which featured the original lineup minus Ellen Dedrick.

In 2001 the label Cherry Red released a Best of Free Design compilation. Their song "I Found Love" was included on the 2002 Gilmore Girls soundtrack. Another song, 'Love You' featured over the end credits to the Emma Thompson and Will Ferrell film, 'Stranger Than Fiction' in 2006. From 2002 to 2005, the original albums were reissued in the United States by the Light in the Attic label. In 2005, the label put out The Now Sound Redesigned, an album of Free Design remixes from established acts like Stereolab, Super Furry Animals and Peanut Butter Wolf.

The recognizable sound of this influential band can be felt in modern-day acts such as Stereolab, Cornelius, The Pizzicato Five, Beck, The High Llamas, and many others.

Chris Dedrick is now an established film composer, most notably for his Genie-awarded soundtrack for Guy Maddin's "The Saddest Music In The World."
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The Free Design Lyrics


02 Kites Are Fun I like flying Flying kites, flying kites, flying kites Kites…
2002 Hello, teenie bopper, Hello, deejay We're goin' to sing a wh…
2002 - A Hit Song Hello, teenie bopper, Hello, deejay. We're goin' to sing a w…
2002 A Hit Song Hello, teenie bopper, Hello, deejay We're goin' to sing a wh…
59th Street Slow down, slow down slow down, slow down Slow down, slow…
59th Street Bridge Song Slow down, you move too fast You've got to make the…
A Lead Has Veins Da da da A leaf has veins Da, da, da Don't talk, just…
A Man and A Woman When hearts are passing in the night, in the lonely…
An Elegy When he went away for the last time It wasn't so…
Bubbles Blowin' bubbles outta the window Chewin' bubblegum and blowi…
Butterflies Are Free Butterflies are free Butterflies are free I knew the day you…
California Dreamin' All the leaves are brown (All the leaves are brown) And…
Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street? Sunny days Sweeping the clouds away On my way to where the…


Canada In Springtime Canada in springtime, daffodils beneath the sun, Cheer up sa…
Chorale Mi Re La Do Re Mi Fa So Ti Re So Do…
Close Your Mouth Fa la lalalala Fa la lalalala Close your mouth except to say…
Daniel Dolphin Daniel was a dolphin with wide innocent eyes We met him…
Day Breaks Soft rays of sunlight Gently chase the whippoorwill From m…
Destiny No, we can't erase what love has traced No, we can't…
Don What can I do to make you happy? What kind of…
Don%E2%80%99t Cry Baby What can I do to make you happy? What kind of…
Don't Cry Baby What can I do to make you happy? What kind of…
Don't Turn Away If we have a troubled time, do you stop admiring…
Dont Cry Baby What can I do to make you happy? What kind of…
Dont Turn Away If we have a troubled time, do you stop admiring…
Don’t Cry Baby What can I do to make you happy? What kind of…
Don’t Turn Away If we have a troubled time, do you stop admiring…
Dorian Benediction Peace be with you now, go away Love be in you…
Eleanor Rigby Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all…
Elegy When he went away for the last time It wasn't so…
Felt So Good Our love happened today You started to say no But I did…
Found Love I found love, didn't even know I needed it But…
Four Love Seasons Spring, spring Short spring, spraying life, spraying life,lo…
Friendly Man Friendly man, friendly man Friendly man na na na na A Friend…
Friends I'd like to thank my friends For being my friends It means…
Girl's Alone I'm afraid of the cliff in the meadow I'm afraid I'll…
Go Lean on a River Go lean on a river You old master trouble giver You’re jus…
Going Back Going back to simple livin' Going back to whatever I was…
Happy Together Imagine me and you, I do I think about you day…
Howdjadoo How's your bird and where's your monkey doo Fly me down…
Hurry Sundown My seed is sown now, my field is plowed My flesh…
I One by one People come Give your name Lose your pain Sing to…
I Found Love I found love, didn't even know I needed it But…
I Like the Sunrise I like the sunrise cos it brings a new day I…
I Wanna Be There I wanna be there when the lion lays down with…
I'm A Yogi I'm a yogi, and I'm doin' my yoga And the world…
If I Were a Carpenter If I were a carpenter And you were a lady, Would you…
Ivy on a Windy Day Ivy is growing outside the church, the steeple and the…
Kije There was a gentleman from way up north and Kije…
Kites Are Fun I like flying Flying kites, flying kites, flying kites Kites…
Light My Fire You know that it would be untrue You know that I…
Like to Love Like to sing about sunshine, like to sing about rain Like…
Listen Hearing, feeling Never knowing who is there inside Showing t…
Little Cowboy Little cowboy, you've been ridin' since the early mornin' su…
Love Does Not Die If you don't come home tonight I'll see you in…
Love Me Come away with me and love again Once more, try to…
Love You Give a little time for the child within you, Don't be…
Make The Madness Sto Come along, come along Follow the way that leads between ma…
Make the Madness Stop Come along, come along Follow the way that leads between mad…
McCarran Airport Fly away to Nevada city, if you can't go it'll…
Memories Memories Pressed between the pages of my mind Memories Sw…
Michelle Michelle, my belle. These are words that go together well, M…
Music Room There's a railing by the steps which you often ignore As…
My Brother Woody Hikin' a football between his knees Runnin' to catch a pass …
My Very Own Angel To see her in her sleep, I'm sure she is…
Never Tell The World Never tell the world, no, no, no Never tell the world,…
Now Is the Time Now, now is the time for lovin’ me Now, now, now,…
One By One One by one People come Give your name Lose your pain Sing to…
PEEKABOO In your eyes I go sailing On a sea of innocence,…
perfect love In this world there's a mystery, and its name is…
Peter Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in…
Peter Paul and Mary On this rock by the sea, Peter sang a song…
Quartet No 6 In D Minor A perfect day for us to use Since humans group themselves…
Quartet No. 6 in D Minor A perfect day for us to use Since humans group themselves…
Raindrops Keep Falli Raindrops keep fallin' on my head And just like the guy…
Ronda Go 'Round Ronda, Ronda go 'round Ronda, Ronda go upside down Laughin…
Springtime Canada in springtime, daffodils beneath the sun, Cheer up sa…
Starlight Starlight, liking you and me In a cloud of milk, in…
Stay Stay, stay another season, wait, wait before we cry The wron…
Stay Off Your Frown Stay off your frown, baby I'm gonna be a long time…
Summertime Summertime, And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' And t…
Symbols Ring You can look beyond the dream you dream into another…
That That’s all, people No more from Prospect Avenue That’s all…
The Hook All the pretty young singers with their popular songs Kind …
The Only Treasure In the search for something lasting Something timeless as th…
The Proper Ornaments Ba, ba, ba Ornaments of life, ornaments of life There's you…
The Symbols Ring You can look beyond the dream you dream into another…
The Windows of the World The windows of the world are covered with rain, Where is…
there is a song There is a song of peace, and we have found…
Time and Love Winter froze the river And winter birds don't sing So wint…
Umbrellas I'm walking down the street in the rain, my umbrella…
When Love Is Young When love is young, as fresh as dew A song is…
when love is young-live When love is young, as fresh as dew A song is…
Where do I Go Where do I go Follow the river Where do I go Follow the…
You Give a little time for the child within you, Don't be…
You Are My Sunshine You Are My Sunshine My only sunshine. You make me happy When…
You Be You and I'll Be Me You be you and I'll be me Close but independently Not one…
You Could Be Born Again I'm beginning to get a new kind of feeling Beginning to…
You'll Be You And I'll Be Me You be you and I'll be me Close but independently Not one…
Younger Son Goodbye, my younger son I'll miss the spring and summer fun …


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