Song of the Day: Freeez “Southern Freeez”

Here’s the title track (and my favorite track) off of the Freeez album Southern Freeez that came out on Beggars Banquet in 1980. Penned by band members Peter Maas, John Rocca, and Andy Stennett, Ingrid Mansfield-Allman provided vocals for this jam.

A small tidbit from the liner notes: New Wave Jazz Funk, Play Loud.

Known most for the number one 1983 club single “I.O.U.,” British jazz-funk and electro-R&B group Freeez formed in the late ’70s, led by producer/vocalist/percussionist John Rocca with bassist/vocalist Peter Maas, keyboardist Andy Stennett, and drummer Paul Morgan (who was replaced around 1983 by Light of the World’s Everton McCalla). The quartet issued four albums for Beggars Banquet: 1981’s Southern Freeez, 1983’s Gonna Get You (reconfigured as I.O.U. for U.S. release on Arthur Baker’s Streetwise label), 1984’s Anti-Freeez, and 1985’s Idle Vice. While Freeez were together, Rocca recorded as Pink Rhythm and with Stennett as Pictures, who released an overlooked experimental album on Editions EG in 1983. Rocca later recorded as a solo artist and explored different styles while using a host of pseudonyms, such as Zone Runners and MIDI Rain.