Freddie & The Dreamers - The Ultimate Collection (2006) @ Flac

Review by Richie Unterberger

Believe it or not, even the 62 songs squeezed onto this two-CD set don't quite cover all the material Freddie & the Dreamers released in the 1960s. But while this might not be the "Ultimate Collection" -- it would be necessary to wait for the unlikely prospect of a Freddie & the Dreamers box set for that to happen -- it is indeed the most comprehensive CD anthology of the British Invasion band. The first disc has the A-sides and B-sides of 16 of their 1963-1969 U.K. singles; the second disc has 30 "album tracks, EPs & rarities" from 1963-1966, though one of these, "Do the Freddie," was actually the group's sole Top 20 hit in the U.S. besides "I'm Telling You Now." Whether you need so much Freddie & the Dreamers, even if you're a die-hard British Invasion fan, is more of an open question. All of their U.K. and U.S. hits, and a good share of their best non-hit sides, are on the 25-song single-disc compilation The Very Best of Freddie & the Dreamers. Sure, this more extensive anthology has a few additional OK B-sides and stray tracks in the quasi-Merseybeat style, à la "Feel So Blue," "Don't Do That to Me," and "How's About Trying Your Luck with Me" (the latter an obscure Gerry Goffin-Carole King tune). But it also has some forgettable 45s (particularly from the latter part of their career, including their final U.K. chart entry, the odd 1965 country-pop detour "Thou Shalt Not Steal") and way too many mediocre rock & roll oldies covers. It's also unfortunate that the liner notes don't detail the exact source of each track, other than giving a date of release. In a strange way, such an extensive collection does reinforce their credentials as a legitimate rock band, rather than a novelty act, as they did write much of their own material, and played it fairly straight (if fairly lame) on the same kind of American rock & roll covers being ground out by more respected British Invasion acts. Most fans, however, will be more than satisfied with a more selective single-disc best-of.

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CD1 As & Bs

01  Freddie & The Dreamers - If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody

02  Freddie & The Dreamers - Feel So Blue

03  Freddie & The Dreamers - I'm Telling You Now

04  Freddie & The Dreamers - What Have I Done To You?

05  Freddie & The Dreamers - You Were Made For Me

06  Freddie & The Dreamers - Send A Letter To Me

07  Freddie & The Dreamers - Over You

08  Freddie & The Dreamers - Come Back When You're Ready

09  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Love You Baby

10  Freddie & The Dreamers - Don't Make Me Cry

11  Freddie & The Dreamers - Just For You

12  Freddie & The Dreamers - Don't Do That To Me

13  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Understand

14  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Will

15  Freddie & The Dreamers - A Little You

16  Freddie & The Dreamers - Thing's I'd Like To Say

17  Freddie & The Dreamers - Thou Shalt Not Steal

18  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Don't Know

19  Freddie & The Dreamers - If You've Got A Minute Baby

20  Freddie & The Dreamers - When I'm Home With You

21  Freddie & The Dreamers - Playboy

22  Freddie & The Dreamers - Some Day

23  Freddie & The Dreamers - Turn Around

24  Freddie & The Dreamers - Funny Over You

25  Freddie & The Dreamers - Hello, Hello

26  Freddie & The Dreamers - All I Ever Want Is You

27  Freddie & The Dreamers - Brown And Porter's (Meat Exporters) Lorry

28  Freddie & The Dreamers - Little Brown Eyes

29  Freddie & The Dreamers - It's Great

30  Freddie & The Dreamers - Gabardine Mac

31  Freddie & The Dreamers - Get Around Downtown Girl

32  Freddie & The Dreamers - What To Do

CD2 Album tracks, EPs and rarities

01  Freddie & The Dreamers - Yes I Do

02  Freddie & The Dreamers - Tell Me When

03  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Think Of You

04  Freddie & The Dreamers - Don't Love You Anymore

05  Freddie & The Dreamers - Do The Freddie

06  Freddie & The Dreamers - A Love Like You

07  Freddie & The Dreamers - How's About Trying Your Luck With Me

08  Freddie & The Dreamers - Money (That's What I Want)

09  Freddie & The Dreamers - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

10  Freddie & The Dreamers - Kansas City

11  Freddie & The Dreamers - It Doesn't Matter Anymore

12  Freddie & The Dreamers - Johnny B Goode

13  Freddie & The Dreamers - Little Bitty Pretty One

14  Freddie & The Dreamers - I'm A Hog For You

15  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Just Don't Understand

16  Freddie & The Dreamers - Silly Girl

17  Freddie & The Dreamers - In My Baby's Arms

18  Freddie & The Dreamers - I Wonder Who The Lucky Guy Will Be

19  Freddie & The Dreamers - The Viper

20  Freddie & The Dreamers - Sally Anne

21  Freddie & The Dreamers - Jailer Bring Me Water

22  Freddie & The Dreamers - See You Later Alligator

23  Freddie & The Dreamers - Some Other Guy

24  Freddie & The Dreamers - Crying

25  Freddie & The Dreamers - 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)

26  Freddie & The Dreamers - What I'd Say

27  Freddie & The Dreamers - A Windmill In Old Amsterdam

28  Freddie & The Dreamers - Camp Town Races

29  Freddie & The Dreamers - Short Shorts

30  Freddie & The Dreamers - When I See An Elephant Fly

"Before discotheques became discos, when they were still the dim caverns in which a cultural revolution was brewing, every British male between the age of 12 and 25 was in a group, or intended to be. After the Beatles broke through, every producer wanted to sign a group. The Beatles, Stones, The Kinks and one or two others made this wave; a host of others rode it. Somewhere in the wake was a geeky, diminutive, lovable Mancunian called Freddie. In a less group-obsessed age he and his Dreamers might have remained dreamers, but the time was right for any group that could rattle out a catchy tune.

On their first release, 1963's If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody, Freddie affects a Buddy Holly type twang, rather than showcasing his northern English accent, which most other northern groups did. Fortunately, this did not last beyond the first record and on their next, the breakthrough hit I'm Telling You Now, he found his true voice. This song was a big hit in the US, where Freddie's frantic stage moves caused a real stir. He explained he was 'doing the Freddie'. They loved it, and he later released a US-only record called Do The Freddie, and 'The Freddy' (they changed the spelling) became a minor dance craze, or crazelet.

Success continued in the UK for just a few years and in 1968 the group disbanded. Freddie formed other Dreamers lineups and continued doing cabaret right through to the late 90s, when illness stopped his career. I'm writing this review a week after his death which, I'm pleased to note, was widely reported in the American media. Alas, only two of the original Dreamers remain.

This compilation is very well done and is great value. In addition to all the singles, you get notable album tracks and a couple of hilarious oddities like Short Shorts. At times the band tackled standards and other somewhat more serious stuff, with mixed success. Fans of Roy Orbison's "Crying" will be doing just that over Freddie's rendition of the song.

At live performances, it became obvious that Freddie had a great personality but no voice. On these recordings, multiple takes, overdubbing, echo and other technical wizardry (plus session musicians) produce a listenable sound. No, this is not great music. But it's good-hearted fun for 60s nostalgics, today's pre-teeny-boppers and anyone prepared to let loose once in a while. So, shake your left arm and leg, then the right. Move your head from side to side, take an occasional leap in the air and sing along. You are now Doing The Freddie. Go on, try it. It'll do you good." ~ Peter Reeve

***

I'm looking for Frantic Freddie And His Reflections (US).  Any help please...