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."
Bubbles
The Free Design Lyrics
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Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles
Gettin' gettin' ridda ridda all my troubles,
Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles
Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high
Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
Ma 'n' Pa are arguin' again,
The kitty has a little cold,
'n ' grammama is getting older
My tummy has a little pain,
'n' when does Jesus come again?
Blowin' bubbles outta the window
Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles
Gettin' gettin' ridda ridda all my troubles,
Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles
Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high
Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
Blowin' bubbles outta the window
Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles
Gettin' gettin ridda ridda all my troubles,
Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles
Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high
Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
The lyrics to The Free Design's song Bubbles showcase the innocence of childhood as the singer discusses the actions that help them overcome the problems they face. The song begins with the singer blowing bubbles out of the window and chewing bubblegum, as both activities seem to help them get rid of their troubles. Watching tadpoles in puddles and seeing the soap bubbles carry their dreams up high provides the singer with a sense of freedom and escapism from their problems. Bubblegum keeps the singer's heart from getting heavy and crying, indicating that they are attempting to find ways to deal with their problems and not succumb to them.
The second half of the lyrics revolve around the various problems in the singer's life. They mention their parents' arguments, the loss of their best friend, the family kitty's cold, their own stomach ache, and the question of when Jesus will come again. However, despite all these problems, the singer continues to blow bubbles and chew bubblegum, suggesting that these activities help them deal with the difficulties they face. Ultimately, the song is about finding solace in small things and seeking escape from the challenges of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Blowin' bubbles outta the window
I'm blowing bubbles out of the window to escape from my troubles and worries.
Chewin' bubblegum and blowin' big bubbles
I'm chewing bubblegum and blowing big bubbles to keep my mind off of my problems.
Gettin' gettin' ridda ridda all my troubles,
By blowing bubbles and chewing gum, I'm trying to get rid of all my troubles and worries for a while.
Watchin' the tadpoles glubba, glubba in the puddles
As I blow bubbles, I'm watching the tadpoles swim in the puddles and finding comfort in nature.
Soap bubbles carry my dreams up high
The bubbles I'm blowing are carrying my dreams and hopes up high into the sky.
Bubble gum kinda keeps my heart from gettin' heavy and cryin'
Chewing bubblegum is helping me keep my emotions in check and prevent my heart from feeling too heavy and causing me to cry.
Ma 'n' Pa are arguin' again,
My parents are arguing again, causing me stress and sadness.
today I lost my best friend
I lost my best friend today, which is leading to feelings of loneliness and heartbreak.
The kitty has a little cold,
My cat is sick with a small cold, and I'm worried about their health and well-being.
'n ' grammama is getting older
My grandma is getting older, and I'm coming to terms with the fact that she won't be around forever.
My tummy has a little pain,
I'm experiencing some stomach pain, perhaps due to stress or anxiety.
'n' when does Jesus come again?
I'm feeling spiritual and questioning the timing of Jesus' return.
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)
Written by: CHRISTOPHER DEDRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind