The Free Design

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(1967 – 1972, 2000 – present)

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.
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Top Albums

  • Kites Are Fun
    The Free Design Play
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  • The Best Of
    The Free Design Play
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  • You Could Be Born Again
    The Free Design Play
    Buy
  • Sing for Very Important People
    The Free Design Play
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Top Tracks

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133
2
101
3
70
4
51
5
40
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39
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35
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29
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27
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27
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  • SprackCriddler

    Dorian Benediction. Yum.

    18 days ago

  • SonicRedusa

    kum ba yah

    November 2011

  • eyesaresmiles

    Music the cardigan was invented for.

    September 2011

  • Crustclock

    Such lovely, optimistic music and great musicianship.

    August 2011

  • MamaLuigi

    I started with the debut and went up from there. The Best of comp looks pretty set. :)

    April 2011

  • mabelthemac

    Which is the best album to start with?

    April 2011

  • applecloud

    bubbles!! :D

    April 2011

  • TescoSwabs

    If you're ever feeling down, just listen to this band, seriously. No need for drugs when music like this is around.

    March 2011
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