1. The V… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two different bands called The V.I.P.'s.
1. The V.I.P.'s were a British R&B musical ensemble formed in Carlisle, Cumberland, (North West England) in late 1963.
2. The V.I.P.'s were a British power pop group of the late 1970s, closely associated with the mod revival scene at the time.
More information on both groups...
1. The V.I.P.'s were a British R&B musical ensemble formed in Carlisle, Cumberland, (North West England) in late 1963, formed out of an earlier outfit known as The Ramrods, who had formed in Carlisle in 1960. After a change of personnel in April 1967, the band changed their name to Art, and released the album Supernatural Fairy Tales. They also participated to a psychedelic bizarre album called Featuring The Human Host And The Heavy Metal Kids by a collective known as Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, formed by Guy Stevens and an influential British graphic design and avant-garde musical partnership between Michael English and Nigel Waymouth. The musicians involved in that project were Mike Harrison on keys and vocals, Luther Grosvenor on guitars, Greg Ridley on bass and Mike Kellie on drums, as well as performances by Stevens, English and Waymouth. It was the first time that the term heavy metal was ever used in music, even though that album had nothing to do with heavy metal music, being closer to psychedelic music. That album was published in 1967 on Liberty Records and contained only five songs from two minutes to more than 15 minutes of psychedelic and almost meditative state kind of music.
The band members at various times were: Mike Harrison (lead vocals) (ex Dino and the Danubes, The Dakotas, The Ramrods); Greg Ridley (bass guitar) (ex Dino and the Danubes, The Dakotas); Frank Kenyon (rhythm guitar) (1963–67) (born 12 October 1945, Carlisle) (ex The Teenages, The Ramrods); Jimmy Henshaw (lead guitar) (1963–67) (born James Henshaw, 20 October 1941, in Newarthill, near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland died 1 May 2007, Carlisle) (ex The Ramrods); Keith Emerson (electric organ) (ex-Gary Farr & The T-Bones) (1966–1967); Luther Grosvenor (lead guitar) (1967); Walter Johnstone (drummer) (1963–67) (born 11 March 1943, Carlisle) (ex The Teenages, The Ramrods); and Mike Kellie (drummer) (1967) (24 March 1947 – 18 January 2017).
When Emerson left in early 1967 to form The Nice, Harrison, Ridley, Grosvenor and Kellie changed their name to 'Art', and released one album, Supernatural Fairy Tales, produced by Guy Stevens, on that album they covered Stephen Stills' For what it's worth and Felix Cavaliere's Come on up. And then they became Spooky Tooth. Greg Ridley then left to join Steve Marriott and form Humble Pie, who were more blues oriented. And as for Spooky Tooth, they were soon joined by american keyboard player Gary Wright.
Discography
Singles
"She's So Good" / "Don't Keep Shouting at Me" (UK RCA, 1964)
"Mercy Mercy" / "That's My Woman" (U.S. only single, produced by Derek Lawrence)
"Wintertime" / "Anyone" (as The Vipps, CBS)
"I Wanna Be Free" / "Don't Let It Go" (Island)
"Straight Down to the Bottom" / "In a Dream" (Island)
"Sunshine Help Me" (Island - as 'Spooky Tooth')
Albums
Supernatural Fairy Tales (Island ILP967 - as 'Art')
Compilation albums
CD compilation: The Complete V.I.P.s (double album, 28 tracks) (Repertoire Records)
2. Describing themselves as "a new wave pop fun beat combo, into T. Rex, Ramones, Jonathan Richman, Beatles, Bowie", The V.I.P.'s came together at Warwick University in Coventry, although they were subsequently based in South-West London. Comprising Jed Dmochowski (vocals, guitar), Guy Morley (guitar), Andrew Price (bass) and Paul Shurey (drums), they débuted in July 1978 with Music for Funsters, a three-track release. After a split single with Urban Disturbance they signed to Gem Records, where they released a string of singles that interested on the mod revival circuit. Morley and Shurey (the latter a leading rave promoter in later years) then formed Neo-psychedelic band Mood Six, while Jed Dmochowski recorded solo for the Whaam label.
I Wanna Be Free
The V.I.P.'s Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
その銃を手放すなよ
多忙でも退屈じゃ仕方ないしさ
フェンスの向こうまた誰かのイマジネーションが
床を汚している
アイワナビーフリー
それから君よ
テレビじゃ憂鬱は映せないしさ
僕らの地平線もいつかは消えてしまうのでしょう
消えてしまうのでしょう
大体いつも通りのダンスミュージック 裏通りはもうファイトクラブ
ジャバルカシオンからボックスカー チャーターして向かうよ
ガソリンスタンドから飛び出せ 日々は徒然
惨めな姿でアイワナビーフリー
ララララララララ ララララララララ
目をそらしたりもするのさ
帰国便乗り遅れちゃってアイワナビーフリー
ララララララララ ララララララララ
またしても僕らガアアド ガアアド アンド ガアアド
ずっと ずっと ずっと ずっと考えていることがある
履歴書やラブレターにはかけない秘密を抱えている
ずっと ずっと ずっと ずっと疑っていたことがある
アパートの灯りはただじっと僕らを優しく待っている
きっともう ここにはいられないけど 行くところもないな
ただ どこかで旅立つ君を想う日々だ
ガソリンスタンドから飛び出せ 日々は徒然
惨めな姿でアイワナビーフリー
ララララララララ ララララララララ
目をそらしたりもするのさ
帰国便乗り遅れちゃってアイワナビーフリー
ララララララララ ララララララララ
ハローそしてグッドバイ!
荷物抱えてまるで惨めな影たちよ
ララララララララ ララララララララ
飾ったまんまじゃ誰も見られない
蜃気楼追いかけて消えたティーンネイジャー
ララララララララ ララララララララ
忘れたことだけ覚えているガアアド アンド ガアアド
けどまたしても僕らガアアド ガアアド アンド ガアアド
The lyrics to The V.I.P.'s song "I Wanna Be Free" convey a sense of restlessness and disillusionment with the status quo, as the characters long for something more fulfilling and meaningful than their current lives. The lines "Hey girlfriend, don't let go of that gun / Even if you're busy, there's no point in being bored / The imagination of someone on the other side of the fence / Dirties the floor / I wanna be free" convey a sense of rebellion against societal constraints and the desire to break free from a stagnant existence.
The second verse continues this theme, with the lines "And you, 6,000 miles away isn't enough / You can't show depression on TV / Our horizon will someday disappear / It will disappear." This highlights a sense of distance and detachment, both physical and emotional, from the world around the characters. The mention of "6000 miles away" suggests a lack of connection and a desire for a deeper relationship or sense of belonging.
The song's chorus emphasizes this longing, with the repeated refrain "I wanna be free" conveying a sense of yearning for something beyond the present moment. The lyrics speak to a feeling of being trapped, whether by social norms, expectations, or personal circumstances, and the desire to break free from those constraints and find true fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
ねえ彼女 その銃を手放すなよ
Hey girlfriend, don't let go of that gun
多忙でも退屈じゃ仕方ないしさ
Even if it's busy, it can't be helped if it's boring
フェンスの向こうまた誰かのイマジネーションが 床を汚している
Someone's imagination on the other side of the fence is dirtying the floor
アイワナビーフリー
I wanna be free
それから君よ 6000マイルじゃまだ足りないんだろう
And then, you know, 6000 miles is still not enough
テレビじゃ憂鬱は映せないしさ
You can't show depression on TV
僕らの地平線もいつかは消えてしまうのでしょう 消えてしまうのでしょう
Our horizon will someday disappear, disappear
大体いつも通りのダンスミュージック 裏通りはもうファイトクラブ ジャバルカシオンからボックスカー チャーターして向かうよ
Basically, it's always the same dance music, and the back street is already Fight Club. We'll charter a boxcar from Javal Cassiopeia and head out
ガソリンスタンドから飛び出せ 日々は徒然 惨めな姿でアイワナビーフリー ララララララララ ララララララララ 目をそらしたりもするのさ
Burst out of the gas station, the days are dull, and I wanna be free in a miserable state. Lalalala, sometimes I look away
帰国便乗り遅れちゃってアイワナビーフリー ララララララララ ララララララララ またしても僕らガアアド ガアアド アンド ガアアド
I missed the return flight and I wanna be free. Lalalala, again, we goad, goad, and goad
ずっと ずっと ずっと ずっと考えていることがある 履歴書やラブレターにはかけない秘密を抱えている
There's something I've been thinking about for a long, long, long time. I have a secret that I can't write on my resumé or love letter
ずっと ずっと ずっと ずっと疑っていたことがある アパートの灯りはただじっと僕らを優しく待っている
I've always, always, always had suspicions. The light in the apartment just gently waits for us
きっともう ここにはいられないけど 行くところもないな ただ どこかで旅立つ君を想う日々だ
Surely we can't stay here anymore, but we have nowhere to go. It's just days of thinking about you leaving to go somewhere
ハローそしてグッドバイ! 荷物抱えてまるで惨めな影たちよ ララララララララ ララララララララ 飾ったまんまじゃ誰も見られない
Hello and goodbye! Carrying luggage like pitiful shadows, lalalala, nobody can see through your facade
蜃気楼追いかけて消えたティーンネイジャー ララララララララ ララララララララ 忘れたことだけ覚えているガアアド アンド ガアアド けどまたしても僕らガアアド ガアアド アンド ガアアド
The teen who chased after mirages disappeared. Lalalala, I only remember forgotten things. Goad, goad, and goad again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Deu
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
philippe dubocage
fabuleux morceau de 1966 ! année extraordinaire pour son nombre de tubes légendaires
Really Really Really Really Really Really Bad Juju
one of the best guitar tones i've ever heard
ronfowlermusic
yes, very Kinky!
Pieroshad74
53 ans déjà ... toujours aussi bon
Reme Bernard
Monument des mid 60's ............. la voix de Mike Harrison, inoubliable !!!!!!!
John C eglick
Great guitar sounds , and this time is good RnB too !
JM Germafred34
titre génial je l'écoute depuis 45 ans - super voix
Daniel medocmuzic
Moi aussi ...
Cook moore
Great prediction of members and great voice-that deeeep soul!
John Fisher
My band The Firebirds supported the VIPs in Cumbria in 1964. Lead guitar Jimmy Henshaw was a good friend. I've kept in touch with singer Mike Harrison. Great days, great band - includes Gregg Ridley on bass, Walter Johnstone on drums, Frank Kenyon on rhythm. I coloured all the old pics of this band.