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."
Elegy
The Free Design Lyrics
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It wasn't so easy, words were hard to find
And the cows in the barn knew it was milking time
Must of been real hard to leave everything behind,
Over there a moonless night shivering a secret fright
It wasn't so easy.
And how many missions more, where to and what for?
Ask the government, tell it to the cows in the barn
Then there was the moon, what did the moon see?
Saw the blade of grass in one boy's eye
And pain that'll make you glad you're dying
Hands that dribbled the basketball
Voice that sang out of tune
Love that ended too soon
A nose that bled for better reasons.
When he went away for the last time
It wasn't so easy, words were hard to find
And the cows in the barn knew it was milking time
It was milking time but he was so far away,
So far away that even prayers could not reach
So he died there.
When he came back for the last time
It wasn't so easy, words were hard to find
And we buried him before it was milking time
The preacher said it was all right, the Lord is my Shepherd
But I shall want to know why.
The Free Design's "Elegy" is a poignant tribute to a fallen soldier. The song captures the raw emotions felt by those left behind after the soldier's death. The opening verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it describes how difficult it was to say goodbye to the soldier - "when he went away for the last time, it wasn't so easy, words were hard to find." Even the cows in the barn could sense the solemnity of the occasion, as they knew it was milking time but must have realized that something was awry.
The next verse shifts to a more introspective tone, imagining what the soldier might have experienced during his service. The moon is described as a witness to whatever he went through, knowing only that it must have been difficult - "over there, a moonless night shivering a secret fright, it wasn't so easy. And how many missions more, where to and what for? Ask the government, tell it to the cows in the barn."
The final verse speaks to the aftermath of the soldier's death. The singer describes how it was just as difficult when he finally returned home for the last time. The preacher may have offered words of comfort, but the singer still wants to know why - "but I shall want to know why." The song ends on a mournful note, expressing the sorrow felt by those who knew and loved the fallen soldier.
Line by Line Meaning
When he went away for the last time
The man left for the final time
It wasn't so easy, words were hard to find
Expressing farewell was difficult
And the cows in the barn knew it was milking time
The animals were aware of their routine
Must of been real hard to leave everything behind
The decision to depart caused significant hardship
Over there a moonless night shivering a secret fright
A terrifying night lacking illumination
And how many missions more, where to and what for?
How many additional journeys and why?
Ask the government, tell it to the cows in the barn
Discuss it with the authorities or animals
Then there was the moon, what did the moon see?
The moon witnessed the events
Saw the blade of grass in one boy's eye
Witnessed a particular sight
And pain that'll make you glad you're dying
Experienced excruciating agony
Hands that dribbled the basketball
The individual played basketball
Voice that sang out of tune
The person's singing was off-key
Love that ended too soon
Affection that finished prematurely
A nose that bled for better reasons.
An unimportant cause of injury
When he went away for the last time
The man permanently departed
It wasn't so easy, words were hard to find
It was problematic to articulate the goodbye
And the cows in the barn knew it was milking time
The cows were cognizant of their schedule
It was milking time but he was so far away,
The man was distant during the customary routine
So far away that even prayers could not reach
The man was beyond the reach of prayers
So he died there.
He expired in that location
When he came back for the last time
The man's final return
It wasn't so easy, words were hard to find
It was difficult to express emotions
And we buried him before it was milking time
The funeral occurred before the customary routine
The preacher said it was all right, the Lord is my Shepherd
The clergyman provided reassurance
But I shall want to know why.
However, there was still a need for answers
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)
Written by: CHRISTOPHER DEDRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind